1992 Mazda MPV – Door Lock Actuator problem

Hi All;

I have had a door actuator problem in my acura before and replacement certainly fixed this. That cars failure was a “rapid fire” lock and unlock problem when the key or FOB was used.

I have a new door problem on to my Mazda MPV – I am thinking I have a problem that is seemingly mechanical instead but wanted extra eyes to confirm as I don’t want to buy the $300 actuator if its not the problem. Let me describe.

* The MPV has 4 hinge doors (no slides) – driver front, passenger front, passenger rear door, rear hatch door. There is no FOB – just the Key. All locks are electric.

* Unlocking the Drivers door with the key auto unlocks all 4 doors. The same thing can be said on the passengers side – Unlock the passenger front door with key and all doors unlock.

* When unlocking either door – the doors click unlocked but then quickly lock again. (on off – not like the acura which saw rapid fire. lock/unlock several times like a machine gun)

* If on the drivers door – if I hold the key in the unlock position, after the doors all lock again, the driver door is left unlocked.

* If I go to the passenger side with the key – turn to unlock and hold, the passenger door does NOT stay unlocked. Despite the fact I hear the “clicks” of the locks – the door never actually unlocks at all.

* Moving to the back passenger door (has no key) – but if I hold the FRONT passenger door in the unlock position. The BACK passenger door DOES unlock.

* All to say I believe the FRONT PASSENGER door as suspect to the problem.The unlock actuator never completes

This is what I have found as “semi work arounds” so far.

* That if you keep trying to unlock the doors (Turn to unlock, the doors relock, unlock, then relock) EVENTUALLY after dozens of tries the passenger door gets the message and all doors will stay unlocked.

* That I found the door lock Relay and disconnected it. Trying to use manual locks to check things out. And after I locked the passenger door (manually) to test, I had a hard time STILL to unlock with the key or door lock pull button. In fact at one point I couldn’t unlock at all.

* So this made me suspect the actuator is doing OK, its the mechanical parts jamming it.

* So I took the passenger door panel off and looked in at the actuator. All electrical connectors in the door look mint. No dirt around them and moisture barrier is intact for the inside. All connectors (speakers, window regulator and Door lock Actuator) all seem like they are clean and never serviced (though I did not try disconnect)

* I also saw some what I believe is part of a rubber guide strip for the window (on the B pillar side) and thought it might move and get in the way of the levers for the locks. I moved it out of the way.

* I then sprayed some White lithum grease all over the rods and levers in the area of the actuator and the door lock started moving MUCH better. The problem went away almost instantly and all worked well d for a week or 2.

* problem came back however and the lock seems LESS smooth now. Moreover – it happened when the car was in a HOT parking lot (so maybe heat has something to this too?)

* AT any rate – my next step will be to check and see if the heat of the air made that window rubber track get mixed up in the door lock levers and rods. But first to check this, I have to do the key unlock / lock trick so that I can open the door to get the panel off. It will be a couple days before I do since its SOOOO Hot here and I have a another car to drive till I get to this.

NOW – for the question – Does this all seem like mechanical problems to you as well? Is there anything else it might be? Its going to be expensive and hard to find this actuator so I want to make sure its the cause first since many companies will not take returns on electric parts.

Many thanks in Advance