• Welcome to the Contour Enthusiasts Group, the best resource for the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique.

    You can register to join the community.

Busted lock, or at least malfunctioning

Massasoit

CEG'er
Joined
Aug 15, 2007
Messages
48
Location
Massachusetts
I was working tonight, and after work I went to unlock my car, wouldn't unlock the driver's side...

Ahh, sorry for terrible grammar, but I am so unbelievably tired from work...

Anyway, the driver's side lock like... Won't turn the key back, to unlock it, and from the inside, if I hit the unlock, it would turn the motor, but the lock would go right back to the locked position.

So I get to be cool and climb out my window... Except that it's the middle of winter...


My contour is falling apart... Exhaust leak from... I think the flex pipe, cracked windshield... Oil leak, I think... Issues with other stuff... Yaay!

Thanks for the help.
 
Both my rear doors act up like that every now and then.
Hit the unlock on the remote and the motors move, but they won't unlock.
You can pull the handle all you want from the inside but they won't unlock... even in you manually move the lock button, it just gos right back to locked.
Then a day or 2 later. they work again...
 
I'm very sure it is because it is cold out. My locks don't like the cold weather and will actuate, but then go back to locked position...
 
yes this is pretty typical if you live in the north in the winter. I grabbed one of those lock de-icers at wal-mart and it works pretty well to unfreeze the door lock. I hate it when I head that sounds, the door unlocks then locks again :mad:
 
Manual locks and windows FTW! Call me old fashioned, but I hate it when that stuff is powered...


in my case it wouldn't matter, the lock doesn't turn when its frozen up and I try using the key ... hmm maybe I just need to use the key more ...
 
I had manual locks on my GL and those were a total :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored::censored: in the winter.
They froze quite frequently.
If I knew a bad ice storm was coming or a strong cold snap, I'd leave the doors unlocked overnight.
That was the best way I was able to combat it.
:(
 
Wait, both of you, BoSoxBruin and Kim, had manual locks? I thought that was really rare!? Anyways, I haven't really found anything that works really well with the locks. I've tried de-icer and it didn't budge. Usually my driver's side works just fine, but one time I had to grab a hair dryer from my house and blow it down for a good five minutes! (I've had to do this also for when my latch got stuck open! So I wasn't able to close my door, LOL)
 
I know on Lauramarie's car one of her back doors was not unlocking properly. I had to remove the latch assy from the door and clean and lubricate it. After reinstalling it hasn't given any problems.
 
I know on Lauramarie's car one of her back doors was not unlocking properly. I had to remove the latch assy from the door and clean and lubricate it. After reinstalling it hasn't given any problems.

I should probably get around to doing this. Except I should do it on the front doors. As I said, my passenger door lock freezes up, and my driver's door has on rare occasions. Also, my door latch froze open on my driver's door once! I had to drive down the street holding my door shut so I could get back to my house and get a hairdryer! Did you use WD-40 to lubricate the locks? I'm going to be tackling a few of these things in January, when my driveway is empty for my use :).
 
Yes, I used a WD-40 type of lube. I pulled the inner door liner and then pulled the latch out with the motor attached. It's a whole assembly then I cleaned and lubricated it. A messy job. Put it back in and it worked much better.
 
Yes, I used a WD-40 type of lube. I pulled the inner door liner and then pulled the latch out with the motor attached. It's a whole assembly then I cleaned and lubricated it. A messy job. Put it back in and it worked much better.

more detail? i looked over the Haynes manual, but it seemed like a lot of disassembly.
 
Yes, I used a WD-40 type of lube. I pulled the inner door liner and then pulled the latch out with the motor attached. It's a whole assembly then I cleaned and lubricated it. A messy job. Put it back in and it worked much better.


There is no such thing as a "WD-40 type of lube".. it isn't a lubricant at all. It is a water displacer and rust inhibitor. There is no appreciable staying power for it as a lubricant.
 
Please tell that to the WD-40 company as they inadvertantly put that it lubrciates right on the side of the can.

WD-40CAN001.jpg


WD-40CAN002.jpg


WD-40CAN003.jpg


BTW I actually used a can of CDL that I had from woking at Maytag and I do believe it stands for Cleans, Displaces and Lubricates. I'm pretty sure that they contract it out from WD-40 Co for their private label.
 
I'll rephrase... its a "light" or "spray" lubricant at best.

It isn't a lubricant with any appreciable staying power, though I will hand it to them: It does do a TON of odd-ball jobs..

(check out the snopes page on What WD-40 is good for!!!)
 
WD-40 is a rubber safe penetrating oil! Should never be used as a dedicated lubricant.

-Andy
 
Back
Top