Replacing xB1 front door lock actuator motor
 

Changing the lock motor is very easy and you only need a couple of screwdrivers to do it. The whole job took about 20 leisurely minutes, much less time than it took to write this up.

The procedure in the service manual is ludicrous, instructing the technician to remove the window and door latch! :roll:

Symptoms of a dead door lock motor:

• 1. Door won't lock or unlock with the remote or with the inside lock switch. Clearance lights don't flash. No noise comes from the affected door.
  2. Other doors lock and unlock normally.
  3. If you lock the closed door manually, then push lock on the remote the other doors lock and the lights flash once normally.
  4. If you unlock the closed door manually, then push unlock on the remote the other doors unlock and the lights flash twice normally.

If you have these symptoms, your door lock position switches and associated electronics are working, but the door lock motor is dead. This is a sealed unit that cannot be repaired by normal efforts.

*If your symptoms are different you probably have a different problem, beyond the scope of this post.

Obtaining parts:
My local dealer (Frontier Toyota, Valencia CA) wanted $130 for the lock motor, including tax. I found the same Toyota OEM part on the Carson Toyota website (http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...?siteid=214915)

and they delivered the part to my door the next day for $99 including tax and shipping. Shop around. Don't patronize dealers who overcharge their customers.

Tools required:
Normal #2 Phillips screwdriver
Stubby #2 Phillips screwdriver

Procedure:

Start with the window up and the door open.

• 1. Using #2 Phillips screwdriver, remove screw in armrest grip and then remove the grip.
  2. Using #2 Phillips screwdriver, remove screw from door handle recess.
  3. On the forward edge of the door panel, there is a fastener that looks like a Phillips screw, but is an expansion fastener made of plastic. Use the Phillips screwdriver to turn it gently a bit and it will pop up, whereupon you can pull it out of the panel.
  4. Firmly pull on the top point of the triangular black plastic trim that conceals the mirror fasteners. It will pop out. Set it aside.
  5. Starting at the lower aft edge of the door, firmly pull the door panel away from the door. It will pop out. Pop all fasteners out across the bottom, the front edge, and the rear edge of the door.
  6. Lift the panel from the door.
  7. Disconnect the electrical connector from the window/lock switch. You have to depress the locking collar for the connector to disengage.
  8. Set the door panel aside.
  9. Starting at the lower aft corner, carefully peel the sheet plastic away from the adhesive between it and the metal. Don't tear the plastic! Peel it away to the upper aft edge of the door and about halfway across the bottom toward the forward edge of the door.
• Fold the peeled corner up and out of the way and hold it in place with a bit of tape.
  10. Make sure that the door is unlocked.
  11. Disconnect the electrical connector from the lock motor. You have to depress the locking tab visible through the round hole in the door to remove the connector.
  12. Using the stubby Phillips screwdriver, remove the two screws that attach the lock motor to the lock mechanism. You have to do one of these by feel, but it isn't difficult Remove the lock motor.
  13. Install the new lock motor in the same position, making sure that the "basket" on the actuator arm traps the round plastic ball in the mechanism.
  14. Install the two Phillips screws to hold the lock motor in place. You have to do this by feel, but there is quite a bit of room and you just have to slide the lock motor back and forth a bit to find the holes. Tighten the screws snugly.
  15. Reinstall the lock motor connector.
  16. Fold the plastic sheet back down and re-stick it on the same adhesive from which it was removed.
  17. Reconnect the electrical harness to the lock/window switches on the door panel
  18. Reinstall the door panel by hooking its top edge to the top of the door. Be sure to guide the lock knob through its proper hole. Push the snap fasteners into their holes all around the perimeter of the door.
  19. Reinstall the plastic expansion fastener in the top front edge of the panel.
  20. Reinstall the Phillips screw in the door handle recess.
  21. Reinstall the door pull and tighten its Phillips screw.
  22. Reinstall the mirror trim by hooking its bottom edge and pushing it into place.

You're done. Test your handiwork. :relief:

Thank you so much for this write-up. I struggled with the steel rods for a good long time before I gave up and started searching scionlife. Once I read your write-up- I finished the job in 10 minutes!

I'm glad it was helpful! It only took three years for someone to need it! :)

George

Thanks for this info, I will be testing all the options mentioned above and see if my lock motor is dead or I have more problems. I knew something was screwy when I had to resort to using the key or manually locking the drivers door. My 04 Xb only has a little over 50K miles, but when you use something everyday, things wear out! Thanks again.

Looks like a common problem, Wow... I have only 50K + my problem is intermittent with my lock. My motor must be starting to go :frown:

You can buy actuator motor on ebay for about $7. Just a little more work to replace it instead of swapping the whole lock unit.

I have the same problem, but all 4 doors. Do you think that this fix on each do would fix the problem?

Thanks
Dustin

Me too
 

Hi,

I had to re-replace my driver's front door lock actuator. I think I replaced it about a year ago the hard way taking it all apart...

Today I did it your way and it worked great !! I did have to pick up a stubby phillips screwdriver... One of the few tools I never aquired in earlier years.

New item $9.99 off ebay went right in....

Also, I didn't have to remove the mirror piece; the panel comes right off.

Thanks for this tip !!

Thanks for the write-up, this really helped! My wife just went through this procedure to replace the driver's door actuator on our 2004 xB. A couple of extra tips to help process go smoothly.

5b. To save your finger strength, you can slide a flat screwdriver between door and panel and slide along edge until it bumps into clip, then pry. Slide screwdriver to next clip and pry. This works better on older cars with the cardboard door panels, as the hole around the clips can break if you're not careful. A set of door panel/ upholstery tools can really help. The 2-finger tool really helps with prying evenly on both sides of a clip to pull out the panel with minimal effort.

10b. The actuator can be replaced with the door-mechanism in either the locked or unlocked position. The trick is to have BOTH arms on the actuator be parallel in the same position. The basket goes over the ball of the door mechanism and the finger goes between the two-finger prongs of the pushrod that moves the lock-tab up & down.

14b. Helps to put the lower hidden-screw in first. Alight the basket and finger of the actuator with the mechanism. Press the tip of the stubby screwdriver over the lower screw's head to keep it from falling out and slide the actuator around in small circles. At some point, the screw's tip falls into the hole with a slight click you can feel, maybe even hear. Tighten lower screw halfway. Install upper screw and tighten. Go back and tighten lower screw.

Thanks George, your write up helped me get the job done.

To help see inside the door I used a cell phone and face time with the computer.

I also replaced the rear passenger lock actuator. It was more cramped but a similar procedure.
A philips screw tip and a close quarters bit driver helped.

:biggrin:

Thanks for the write up. It definitely helped me replace my actuator.

I ran into an issue that I'm hoping someone else could shed some light on. Somewhere along the way, the arm on the actuator became stuck (I couldn't move it manually)(It moved normally originally). Once installed, the door locks and unlocks with power, but I still can't manually use the lock, from inside the car or outside with the key.

I tested the actuator a few times during the install, so I suppose something could have happened then.

I'm wondering if anyone knows of a way to unbind the arm, or do I need another actuator?

Thanks,
Dustin

Thanks for the write up. Sharing photos to help out.
 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwA...ew?usp=sharing
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https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwA...ew?usp=sharing

George,

I'm not a "car guy" my any stretch of the imagination (I can't even figure out how to change my oil) but I was convinced by your post that I could fix the driver's door actuator. I found one online for $20 from a company with a lifetime guarantee and guarantee fit, so figured I'd give it a shot.

Pessimistic as I was about the supposed ease of the repair, I'm happy to say it only took me about 20 minutes and was not frustrating or difficult at all. Thanks a million for the detailed and well-thought-out tutorial here. It saved me around $200.

8 years later this write up is still helping people, thanks.