HELP!! can't lock doors

[nathank23]

I have a 88 Silverado and was wondering if anyone's ever encountered this, when trying to unlock the door with the key the rod doesn't seem to move to unlock the door but with the panel off and the metal panel still on the rod moves freely back and forth , any help would be appreciated (I have already replaced door lock cylinder)

The truck was like this when I got it

 

[joep88cheyenne]

Does it happen on both doors this way? I wonder if the latches were replaced at one time and driver and passenger rods got switched? Check the LMC parts page and see if your rod matches the one for the drivers door.

 

[arrg]

Since you say that you replaced the lock cylinder, let's start there. When you turn the key, does the rod between the lock cylinder and the latch move? The rod you see moving with the metal panel still attached only goes between the latch and the inside lock. When I changed my lock cylinders, there was a lot of wear on the half moon shaped hole in the door lock pawl. There's enough slop in mine that even with a new cylinder, I barely get enough motion at the latch to unlock the door with the key.

 

[nathank23]

I haven't checked that rod, but I will tmrw, when I first got the truck the driver door couldn't be opened from the inside or the outside, I was able to get the panel off and spray the latch mechanism with lithium grease and it opened, could this same latch mechanism be the coulprit?

 

[arrg]

It's a bit of work, but if you completely remove the latch from the door and thoroughly clean it to remove the 30 years of gunk, it will remedy the problems you are having. Assuming that you don't have any damage to the latch, this sounds to me like it is just dirty. When I took mine out, there was so much gunk on it that it looked like a block of mud.

 

[nathank23]

A friend told me that same thing and we were about to start on it here shortly, I'll let y'all know the outcome

 

[tinfoil_hat]

I hosed my latches down with brake cleaner and relubed with aerosol white lithium. Solved my locking problems. Didn't need to remove them from the doors. I did however have the panels off and the exterior handle out. If I were ever going to pull the door panel on one of these trucks I would just go ahead and replace the interior handle assy and rod ends while I was in there. Three of my handles have failed in slow motion.

 

[nathank23]

Well I tried the brake cleaner and lithium grease with it together , no luck so I went ahead and took it all the way out, cleaned it thoroughly and reassembled it still no luck, rods are all on correctly, nothing is obstructed so now I'm kind of stumped

 

[tinfoil_hat]

So my other thought would be bent op rods, bad rod ends, or the interior handle lock. The mechanism for sliding the inner lock switch up and down has a short throw without a lot of leverage. Do you have electric locks?

 

[nathank23]

What do you mean rod ends? And I have electric locks but they don't work the power lock also moves freely