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This is a bit of a weird question but it goes like this:
I bought my 1994 940 used years ago. Whenever I have opened the driver's door with the key I have always (until yesterday) been able to feel resistance as I have turned the key. I always assumed that I was feeling the lock mechanism being shifted to an open position by my physical force. However, yesterday I turned the key just a bit and- presto- the auto-door lock fired (I guess a solenoid fired ) and unlocked the door. Soooo..which is 'normal"? Did my car fix itself or break itself? Thanks.
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This problem is due to a tiny (diameter smaller than a dime) coil spring breaking inside the door locking mechanism which sits directly on the other side of the door's strike plate. It is not visible on the diagram below but once the whole thing is out, it becomes apparent what the problem is. It took me awhile to figure it and carrying two keys got old as the car would lock itself the instant the handle trigger was touched. I doubt the spring is available by itself--I got the whole assembly used.
http://repairguide.autozone.com/znetrgs/repair_guide_content/en_us/images/0900c152/80/08/cb/9f//small/0900c1528008cb9f.jpg
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Today I pulled a lock off of a 740 and hope it will work in my 940. Removing the lock was a bit tricky because I could not really see what I was doing. I unbolted a bunch of stuff and unhooked some things and now I have it out. I'm a bit worried about whether I can get this installed becasue it is not possible to see through the sheet metal! I'm not even sure how it all works becasue I couldn't see it. I wonder if there are Volvo repair guides for this blind operation.
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Dear Horatio,
Hope you're well. Having a repair guide would be of little use, if one cannot see the item. When you remove the failed unit, take notes as to each item you unbolt or disconnect. The notes should describe what you had to do, to remove each item, e.g., put index finger on the ...., gripped the ... with my... . If you make detailed notes as to how your removed the failed unit, those notes will guide you as you install the replacement.
It might also be a good idea, to use a mirror - on a telescoping rod - to examine the failed unit, before you start to remove it. Make notes as to where the connecting rods join the lock unit. If you can reach them, using magic markers to color-code the connecting rods, might also be helpful.
Since you have a replacement unit handy, if you can get a look at the still-installed but failed unit, you can make notes, e.g., red connecting rod to the upper right corner of the lock unit; blue connecting rod to the lower left unit... and so on.
Finally, if you can get enough light into the door's interior space, it might be possible to take some photos. You might need to take a pile of photos, to get one or two that are clear enough to be useful. On the bright side of things: there's no film cost!!
Hope this helps.
All the Best for the New Year!!
Yours faithfully,
Spook
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Dear tedv,
Hope you're well. Thank you for the insight. As you thought, the spring is not available as a separate part.
The part that houses the spring, designated in Volvo VADIS as the "lock" - is the core of the lock mechanism. It is part #9127546 (MSRP = $130). For those, who might want to source this at a salvage yard, it was used on 740s, 760s, 780s, and 940s from 1985 through 1995 (plainly, there were no 940s prior to 1991 and there were no 740s after 1992, at least not in North American markets).
Can you describe in detail, how you removed the failed part? That is, what other parts, if any, did you have to remove? Did the job require any unusual tools?
Of, when the two screws are removed - that secure the lock strike to the door frame - does the lock simply come free? How hard was it to disconnect the various rods, that connect to the lock?
Thanks again for your insight. It should go into the FAQs.
Happy Holidays!!!
Yours faithfully,
Spook
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It's not a hard job, just "fiddly"... Figuring it out was the hard part--I changed every other lock mechanism related part in the door before I got it...
Door panel off. Remove the plastic shield that surrounds the lock. Then disconnect the rods for the plunger and door handle (snap clips). Unscrew the strike plate on the outside of the door (two torx) --use good quality bits as these torx could be really tight and cheap bits will break or strip. Remove the whole mechanism, behold the tiny offending spring just hanging there (or not present. Replace the mechanism. The key/lock mechanism may have to come off in order to hook the vertical plunger rod back in place, it is tricky as this rod has to be turned to fit the slot of the lock. Put everything back and enjoy non self locking car!
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Sounds like you know a lot about the locks and mechanisms. One of the rear door locks for my car won't lock and appear to be jammed. I adjusted the rod that controls the actual release a while back before it had issues (I think), and I can see the servo move, but the actual mechanism is jammed. I can't get it to move even manually - though one in about 25 times I worked the lock mechanism, it actually locked.
Sorry to hijack a thread, but I'm really wondering what to do about the lock. I need to get some better torx bits because one of them was so corroded in place that I couldn't get it loose without bending one of my torx bits. I figure I'll just replace the whole thing, once I can get it apart. Do you have any recommendations on what makes for a good torx bit?
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Sounds like your lock's problem is due to misalignment and or lack of lubrication. Also, the "adjustment" you made hopefully wasn't excessive. I'd take everything apart and clean and lube the pivot points; 20+years of the elements and dirt affect things... And make it a point to use all mechanisms (not just the locks) regularly. Many things mechanical just deteriorate from plain non use. I run the A/C every two weeks in the winter and the heater in the summer whether needed or not. And never have a car without running the motor and hopefully driving it to operating temperature while exercising as much of the car's features as possible. Many tales of woe start with, "it ran fine when I parked it thee years ago, now..."
As far as tools, I am not a snob so I'll use Harbor Freight for some home project things but for some hand tools one needs quality or may be hell to pay! A stripped bolt can really ruin your day and complicate your life to a very high degree! The only way to tell a quality tool from junk is unfortunately name brand, how else? I think Craftsman tools are quite good and reasonably priced. Snap on is beyond great but really excessively priced and overkill. Speaking of Harbor Freight, their quality is better than the super low price would suggest--now they even have Life Time guarantee for many of their items. They have made many expensive tools quite accessible for the DIY market which years ago were quite out of reach... Still, don't expect perfection or heirlooms from HF.
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Dear Will740turbo,
Hope you're well. Before trying to loosen a corroded fastener, saturate it repeatedly - over several days, if possible - with PB Blaster, or a similar penetrating oil.
As the oil migrates through micro-channels in the corrosion, the oil weakens the corrosion bond between the fastener and the surrounding metal.
Further, before trying to loosen the fastener, try to tighten it. Even a slight movement - a thousandth of an inch - can start to break the corrosion bond. Alternately loosening and tightening the fastener (i.e., applying force in both directions) can sometimes ease the removal process.
As to high-quality bits, it is simply a question of the quality of the steel and how it is processed. As with rubber items (hoses, grommets, mounts, etc.), the quality of the material(s) and the processing method(s) can't be determined by "eye-balling" the item.
One has to rely on the brand name. Thus, in the realm of tools, Snap-On or Matco tools - widely used by auto repair professionals - should suffice. By contrast, an item from Harbor Freight Tools is less likely to do the job, when pushed to the limit.
Hope this helps.
Yours faithfully,
Spook
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If like the earlier models, there is an adjusting rod that trigger the switch for central locking. You'll have to pull the door panel
--
Post Back. That's whats makes this forum work.
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Dear Horatio,
Hope you're well. Turning the key should unlock all doors at the same time. There's a central locking system relay - on the central relay panel - that governs the locking system.
Hope this helps.
Yours faithfully,
Spook
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Now there is a new symptom: when I am outside the car and the doors are unlocked and I place my finger in the door handle and give a little pull to the trigger - the door locks "fire" and lock me out! So now I am wondering what this sounds like. A mechanical thing or some kind of electronic logic thing? I guess I need to learn how this system works. Today I stopped the car and got out with the engine running (I almost never do this) and when I tried to re-open the door - it locked me out!
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Yikes! That's not good!
I know that if the door is half-locked (lock-knob partway down) on my 740, trying to open the door will push the lock knob all the way down. I think it's a mechanical issue triggering an electrical issue. The lack of resistance to turning the key makes me suspicious of mechanical too.
Good luck.
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posted by
someone claiming to be horatio
on
Sun Dec 22 08:23 CST 2013 [ RELATED]
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Another clue is that if I barely push down the little post that one normally uses to lock a door from inside then the lock will "fire". It takes almost no force and my arm brushing the post (maybe with a small amount of downward pressure) will lock the door!
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Dear Horatio,
Hope you're well. This exact same condition prevails on my 940. I can lock the car, without using the key. That's fine with me: I have spare keys handy.
When I do work that requires the key to be in the ignition, I lower the driver's window, for assured access.
I could figure out why this condition prevails, but see "auto-locking" as an advantage.
Hope this helps.
Yours faithfully,
Spook
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Hello all and thanks for your help. I just got back from a Florida trip and had the 940 running at 75-85 MPH when needed to break free of traffic clots on I-95.
Anyway, I removed the door panel and went into puzzled mode. After reading these posts I also found this:
http://www.volvopartswebstore.com/showAssembly.aspx?ukey_product=1187692&ukey_assembly=234610
This has a great picture of the lock and other parts. I don't know for sure if my lock is this one. But it should help with the repair. I'll get out the PB Blaster and get the torx drivers ready.
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Dear Horatio,
Hope you're well. The part you require is No. 1 in the diagram. The part is specific as to the side of the car, i.e., driver (left) or passenger (right). For a 940, the driver's side part is #9127546. For the passenger's door, the part is #9127549.
The failed spring has a long leg, with two separate "flat" coils at the other end. I'd guess this spring was made for this specific use: it will not likely be found elsewhere.
Hope this helps.
Yours faithfully,
Spook
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Hmmmm - I should pull that relay and see if I have still have a functioning method for manually opening the door. You see, it always seemed to me that in the past I was opening the lock with the rotational force of the turning key - without any aid of a solenoid.
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I think this is your best bet to determine if it's a mechanical failure.
The 240 I had had crumbling insulation on the lock-control switch in the driver's door. That was fun seeing the car lock and unlock on its own haha. I don't think that's your problem though.
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