Common automotive door locks problems and respective correction

By pressing a button or flipping a switch, electric door locks, also known as power door locks or central locking, allow the driver or front passenger to simultaneously lock or unlock all the doors of a vehicle. The electric door locks inside of your car doors consist of a control switch, the locking door latch and/or an electric control solenoid. At present, nearly every car model today offers this feature as at least optional equipment. Lock system ensures the safety of your vehicle. It’s reliable yet not trouble-free. There may be times when these locks do not function properly. In this short article, we’ll list a few common problems of your car lock and offer you some pieces of advice. Hope it will help you!
The first problem you may encounter is that the key gets stuck or is hard to turn. It could either be that the key gets jammed or that the key may have trouble in turning the lock. First of all, make sure that you’re using the right key. If the key is the correct one, then, you can try by cleaning and lubricating the door lock hole to fix the situation. If the problem remains, it is good to hire a professional locksmith and get them repaired as soon as possible.
The second one is your key turns but fails. The reason contributes this can be complex. Yet, you can follow some procedures and try to troubleshoot it. Initially, you can also try by lubricating the door lock tumblers by spraying a small amount of graphite based lubricant into the lock opening. If it doesn’t work, inspect the key for excessively worn areas. If obviously the peaks and valleys are eroded, you need to cut a new one. In many cases this solves the problem. Otherwise, you need to remove the inner door panel. Gently remove the door panel and inspect the lock cylinder with a flashlight. Make sure the lock activation rods are secure and properly aligned. Inspect the lock assembly for abnormalities. Inspect the power door lock motor. Unhook the rod on the power lock motor, then test the key for proper operation. If it now works, the power lock motor is defective. If it does not work, the door lock assembly is faulty.
The third problem is a frozen car door lock. Freezing winter temperatures can wreak havoc on car door locks, especially if the vehicle is left in the cold for long periods. Here we list some tips for quick thawing solutions.
1. Check to see if all of the car doors are frozen. If not, get in your car, start it and turn on the heat, then you can just wait for the time to solve all.
2. Use a match or lighter to heat your key. If there’s any ice inside the lock, the heat will melt it.
3. Place an empty paper towel or toilet paper tube over the lock and warm it with your breath.
4. Always, you can prevent your locks from freezing by keeping a can of deicer on hand and spraying locks at the end of a freezing day.