Door won’t unlock FIX. (1994+ DC Integra)
I haven’t seen this issue with the 1990-1993 DA Integra so it may not have the same door lock. Sorry no pictures, so I’m going from memory.
SYMPTOMS:
The driver’s side door lock will not unlock. Immediately after unlocking the driver’s side door with the alarm, it locks itself. Using the electric unlock switch (silver switch) from either side is the same, it locks itself immediately. No matter how hard you push the manual lock (black switch with red mark), it won’t move to the unlock position. Sometimes lifting the outside door handle fixes it, sometimes just waiting or trying it a million times works.
CAUSE:
The spring which holds up the release lever connected to the outside door handle is broken. Without the spring, the lever is not pulled up to its resting position, which can block the unlock lever from opening. We are going to replace the spring. If you can do this without removing the door lock assembly, you can skip the process below.
FIX:
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Raise the window. Remove the driver’s side door panel - one handle screw, door lever screw, plastic screw on top right, pop off panel from bottom.
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Pull down plastic from upper left corner about halfway, just enough to expose the lower left bolt and door handle.
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Unbolt the 10mm bolt in the lower left corner which holds the window rail. Wiggle the rail out now if you can.
*At this time, I noticed the rubber guide was forced down and torn at the bottom. This may be the cause of slow window movement. Honda’s glue which holds the rubber on the rail doesn’t hold it on anymore and is scarce at that. I used silicone to glue it back on. Now is a good time to let it sit and dry until reassembly.
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Unscrew the 2 screws holding the door handle.
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Remove the black plastic guard behind the metal rods. One screw holds the right side, and on the left side where it enters the door lock, press the top tab and it should pull out.
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Disconnect the 2 metal rods from the levers on the main door lock mechanism (not the door handle). There is a white plastic thing at the end of the rod which keeps it from falling out of its hole. Pop up this white plastic thing and the rod can be removed.
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Disconnect the electrical connector. There are two plastic holders which can be popped out.
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Unscrew the door lock mechanism. There are 3 screws on the side of the door. Using a philips #2 or bigger screwdriver, tap the screws with a hammer a few times to unsieze them and remove.
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Disconnect metal rod from outside door handle key mechanism. To see what is going on, pry off the 1" black rubber grommet on the upper left. With a flashlight you can see the rod is connected to the key lock mechanism by a white plastic clip. It is in the shape of a backwards “C”. Use a flathead screwdriver to pry the clip open a little, then pop the rod off towards the left.
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Disconnect metal rod from door lock mechanism. This is probably the trickiest part. You will see a metal rod going from the outside door handle down to the door lock mechanism. At the bottom, it has a vertical slot, and is held onto the door lock lever with a horizontal tab. On top of all this, there is a flat, round, metal lock washer. Use a pair of pliers with a flat top to rotate the washer clockwise 90 degrees. It will line up with the horizontal tab and can be pryed off. Take your time, this is tricky.
You can try screwing one screw into the door lock mechanism to hold it up while you play with the lock washer.
Once you have the washer off, rotate the door lock mechanism towards you, turn it towards the left. Now, rotate the door lock clockwise 90 degrees, and the horizontal tab will now be lined up with the vertical slot on the metal rod. Remove door lock mechanism from the door.
*Do not adjust the outside door handle rod. If you twist it and adjust the length, you may keep the lock from unlocking or locking again. It needs to be in the middle of a given length. Leave it connected to the outside door handle.
- find the 1" spring that broke off somewhere at the bottom of the door to put it back on. If not, find a 1" spring using your detective skills. How about a spare timing belt tensioner spring?
With the right side of the door lock mechanism facing you, you can see the two hooks on the right which the spring attaches to. The bottom end pulls up on the outside door handle lever. Put the spring back on. The loop on one end of mine is the part that broke, so I just twisted out another loop using some pliers.
*FYI this was why the door lock would not unlock. Without the spring, the lever doesn’t return back to it’s top position, thus blocking the door lock mechanism. This is related to the mechanism they’ve created to keep you from locking the door while the door is open.
- You’re all done! Install is the reverse of removal. The list price for this door lock is $101.19, so give yourself a pat on the back!
In this picture from www.acuraautomotiveparts.net the door lock is #2. You can see the two metal rods pointed up below #17.
