Drivers side door lock stuck ('97)

Hey everyone,
I have a '97 Lumina, and I went to get into it today.. I locked the doors the night before, and when I put the key in this morning and turned the lock, it felt like it didn't do anything (almost like what it feels like when you try to unlock an already unlocked door..), but the door did unlock. So I opened it up and just tried it again to see if I was imagining things, and it did the same thing (power locks all worked fine, no issues other than the "weird feeling").

I went to work, lock the doors, and when I get off 12 hours later, I put the key in, and it still has that weird feeling when I try to unlock it, except now it won't unlock. So i fiddled with it for a few mins, nothing. I go over to the passenger side, unlock the door, try the automatic locks and it still doesn't go. So I lean over and try to switch the lock manually, and the switch goes about halfway and just stops. No amount of force would get it to move. Pulling the door handle does nothing.

Any ideas? Thanks!

-Pat

Sounds like one of the rods that connect the lock to the latch assembly has dropped out of place and jammed the linkage.

Sometimes when people try to break into a car with a slim jim they'll push a retainer clip off the linkage and the link will pop off and jam everything. Sometimes they just break and fall off themselves.

It sounds like a rod had shifted or stretched to where it was barely engaging between the lock and the handle linkage, and pulling the door handle probably finally made it pop off the lock and hang free, where it's now jamming when you try to move the lock from the inside, and the door is still locked.

If you have someone pound on the outside gently around the lock while you try to move the lock back and forth on the inside, you might get lucky and get it to untangle for a moment so you can unlock it...then you'll have to pull the interior door panel and see what happened in there.

That latch unit uses four linkage rods. The inside and outside handles each have their own linkage rods, and the inside lock knob and outside lock cylinder each have their own linkage rods. Since neither lock operator is apparently working, I'd suspect that the latch mechanism is locked out, and that may be due to one of the latch handles (inside or out) not being fully released. If the latch is not fully released the lock cannot be actuated. If you've ever have that little parking lot "battle" with your spouse / friend ("Let go of the handle - Unlock the door first...) you'll understand how the mechanism works. Make sure both the interior and exterior handles are fully released, then try the lock knob(s).

You might have a chance of observing part of the latch mechanism and linkages of you roll the window down and spread the lower glass sweeps to peer down into the door with a good light. Pulling the interior door panel with the door shut is no treat.

Thanks for the quick replies! I messed around with it for a little while yesterday.. I looked down the window hole as you suggested, and, honestly, I don't know what its supposed to look like, but it definately doesn't look like its operating smoothly--then again, I could tell you that from the whole not-being-able-to-unlock-the-door thing..

I pounded on it a little bit, and amazingly, the door opened. Here's where I'm at right now: the key does absolutely nothing in the driver's door now (it just turns back and forth, no resistence, no clicking, nothing--and when I was observing the lock through the window slot, the mechanism that moves when the key is turned does not come into contact with anything else); for a few tries if i held down power lock button in the "unlock" position, I could open the door, that doesn't work anymore though; and, if I pull on the lock hard enough (in the unlock direction) and simultaniously pull the door handle, the door will open. So, now I can at least open it while I'm inside the car, but when I'm outside, it looks like I'll be climbing through the passenger seat.

Either this weekend or next I'll try to get the door panel off so I can take a closer look, I just don't have time at the moment. Thanks for all the help, and if you have any more tips, feel free!