[davidlyx]

Door lock malfuctions are common issue with 93ss. The door lock shall loose response to central lock button or remote locking. The lock module is broken.

I bought a SC with such an issue for months. Yesterday, finally I decide to take action to fix it.

After much researching here, I finally got to know the most possible cause is the motor link inside of the lock. It's 2 plugs inserting to 2 hole socket in the motor. Once the plugs or the motor contact are oxidized, connection lost, causing the lock's malfuction. Actually, not just oxidizing, but mainly deformation of the spring copper contacts in the motor. They lost enough contacting strenth to hold the plugs tight. So, you just need to clean the contacts and add more force to make the motor sockets to hold the plugs tighter. Theory is very simple. Precedures are a bit complicated.

Disambling the lock is not so easy. You need to take away the window glass rail stated in WIS. However, some clever brothers here found some tricks to take out the lock from the door handle. This saves lots of time. He hasn't posted any photos yet, but with this hint, I just disamble the door hand first, and managed to get the lock out from that hole with lots of rotations. Wonderful solution!

This is the 2 plugs in the board:

And this is the motor with 2 sockets. There're spring copper piece inside.

 

[davidlyx]

Here are the detailed procedures:

1. Take away the door inside panel. Seperate sockets and wire.

2. Disamble door handle:
Loosen lock first, or you can't reach the screws for the handle. Firstly seperate the handle rod from the yellow plastic stuff on the lock.

Remove 3 screws for the lock. Now you can move the lock down a bit.

You can see the 3 screws for the handle now. Remove them.

Take out the door handle:

3. Take out the lock module:
Seperate 2 wires and 1 socket on the lock first. Then take out the lock from the handle hole carefully by several rotations. It's quite tight, but with the right angles, it can be taken out without forcing. And the lock can still be installed back from this hole too. So, there's no need to remove window rail, which is quite some extra work.

Congradulations! Great step!

 

[davidlyx]

4. Take apart the lock module:
The module is hold together with 4 plastic welding, 2 bended metal clips and some locking catchs.

The plastic weldings are not reusable. Most people drill them out and fix with screws. But I don't have drill, so I just melted them with iron, then later bonded the whole cover with metal wire. The bended metal are easy to handle, just bend them straigt with pliers.

Now take apart the lock carefully, not to drop small parts.

Now you can find the problem parts. Not so apparent at all, not much oxidizing. All seem to be fine, but the contact plug with motor is bad actually.

Clean the plugs and motor copper contacts. I simply used screw drive to scracth the surface. To make the motor holder the plugs tighter, most people soldered a bit solder onto the plugs to make them thicker, so they shall have tighter contact with the copper contacts inside the motor. It's works fine. But I wonder about the durability of the solder, so I simply bended the plugs a bit inside togher. They tough the copper contacts much tighter too. It's quite simple and durabe I guess.

Now, assemble the lock carefully and test it before installing back into door. And restore every parts in reverse. Well done!! Next time you can do this in 1 hour.

 

[Diggs]

Awesome! Thank you for the detailed pictures! This is going in the How-To.

 

[AVguy]

Very nice write up. My drivers door lock on my convertible just started acting up again today after 2 plus months of being perfect. Seems to be related to weather and temperature changes. Hope the verts are similar enough to the the SS and SC to be able to get the lock out the same way. I may try to tackle this before the weather gets to cold here.

 

[mechone]

nice

this is what I did however I would solder the 2 contacts on the motor ,just scrapping you are removing material and it will oxidize again failing.

 

[davidlyx]

Thanks for your responses, and moving to "how-to", guys! I do hope it'll help a lot more here.

As I stated in my post, the oxidizing does not seem to be the major problem. I believe the plugs should work fine even without cleaning. It's the copper shrapnel inside motor losing enough spring to catch the plugs. Since they are inside the small holes, very difficult to bend them, bending the plugs are much easier to get same effect.

Not sure about the vert's lock. Better check wis if the lock module are the same, or check on web shops if they are the same. If the locks are the same, they should be taken out from that hole. No matter what, worth the try.

 

[Diggs]

I wonder why the rear door lock actuators are so hard to get out. I've only done the front driver's side and didn't have to remove the handle. Just opened up the door panel and took it out.

 

[davidlyx]

I wonder why the rear door lock actuators are so hard to get out. I've only done the front driver's side and didn't have to remove the handle. Just opened up the door panel and took it out.

The window rail is blocking the lock from taking out. In wis, the rail is supposed to be taken away first.

 

[robhurlburt]

thanks for this. my pass side has been acting up for years now, I hope the fix is this simple. I would probably put some dielectric grease on the plugs to prevent future corrosion

 

[dwg51357]

The driver's side door on my '06 Aero started acting up the past few days. When I hit the unlock button on the fob or inside the door, the lock makes a noise like normal, but more often than not, doesn't unlock. I make have to hit the buttons 2 or 3 times before it actually unlocks. Anyone have experience with that?

 

[Diggs]

The driver's side door on my '06 Aero started acting up the past few days. When I hit the unlock button on the fob or inside the door, the lock makes a noise like normal, but more often than not, doesn't unlock. I make have to hit the buttons 2 or 3 times before it actually unlocks. Anyone have experience with that?

Yup. It's the door lock actuator.

 

[bunnybash]

Yup. It's the door lock actuator.

OK this may sound dumb, but within several posts I see different names for what may be the same part, so my question is:

By Door Lock Actuator, do you mean that the instructions in this post will fix the issue, because I am having the exact same problem and don't want to "fix" the wrong part hahaha

 

[Diggs]

The actuator is the part that latches when you close the door. Last picture in post 2.

 

[SAABalingus]

While the lock is disassembled, u could also put a bit of grease on the white worm gear and the moving parts. It'll make operation nice and smooth for years to come.

 

[BRB]

I am wondering, I've had the issue where my rear driver side door does not lock, however the window does not work either.

I've fiddled with it 3-4 times, taking the door apart and making sure everything is connected electrically.

I wonder, if the entire doors electric is not working then am I best to assume it is something in the wiring or would it be more likely that both the door lock module and something else with the window (regulator, etc.)

 

[Diggs]

I am wondering, I've had the issue where my rear driver side door does not lock, however the window does not work either.

I've fiddled with it 3-4 times, taking the door apart and making sure everything is connected electrically.

I wonder, if the entire doors electric is not working then am I best to assume it is something in the wiring or would it be more likely that both the door lock module and something else with the window (regulator, etc.)

Disconnect the wiring at the door jamb, clean and regrease. See if that works.

 

[Diggs]

Had to do my passenger rear side today. Complete PITA. At some point Saab changed these actuators and the clip changed from white/opaque to yellow ( I know these are different door actuators, just referencing the clip color difference):

My 2003 had white/opaque ones. This clip tends to be brittle and breaks. No big deal right? Well, the rod that connects to that clip from the door handle is larger on the older ones that match up with the white/opaque and if you try and reuse your rod with a yellow clip on a newer actuator it won't snap shut. You'll either need to get lucky and reuse your white/opaque clip or make sure the actuator with a yellow clip comes with the rod that goes up to the handle.

Tore the old one apart and couldn't find any corrosion. I just tossed it.

 

[pkny102]

Diggs, I had bought the actuator from a 06 with the yelleow clip from 2 years ago but never get to it, question, the actuator will fit the 03 but just need to reuse the white clip from the old unit vorrect?

 

[Diggs]

according to the wrecker 03 to 05 are the same part number. i honestly dont know if a 06 will work. my wrecker gad an 03 and an 05. i asked for the 03 actuator and it had the yellow clip. i think he tave me the 05 actuator ir they changed the clip midyear 03. who knows. the actual actuator is the same though.