Door lock solenoid on '88 Gran Marquis

Hello!

Recently, the power door lock feature on the front driver's side door of my '88 Grand Marquis stopped working. I suspect a faulty solenoid, since the switch still works fine for unlocking the remaining 3 doors.

I was wondering if anyone knew how to access the solenoid for testing and replacement. When the solenoid is working properly, it moves a lever built into the armrest (the lever is in the upper left corner of the attached photo). This same lever is used for manually locking/unlocking door.

I wondered if the solenoid may actually be located in the armrest, under the lever, or if it is in the door itself, and attached to the lever by a linkage. Also, I wondered if removing the armrest (as opposed to the entire door panel) would get me access to the solenoid. There is a Phillips screw in the top plate of the armrest, and looks like a couple more screws on the underside of the armrest.

Any input appreciated!

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b210/Mee_Too/IMG_0260.jpg

The entire door panel needs to be removed. The lock actuator is rivited to the bottom rear of the door. Click here for repair information. (http://www.autozone.com/shopping/repairGuide.htm?pageId=0900c15280054183)

Thanks, way2old, for the prompt response, and the helpful link. Looks like a project I can handle.

One more question, if I may. Are any special tools required for the removal of the door panel, or is it basically snapped into place? The last door panel I removed way on a really old vehicle many moons ago.

Again, thanks for the help!

You just need to be careful on the clips that hold the panel to the door frame. They make tools for this, but a screwdriver or 2 will do the same thing. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Thanks for the additional information -- I'll probably tackle this project in the next week or so, will definitely let you know how it turns out!