George

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!

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 **** 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.