Door lock solenoid on '88 Gran Marquis

[Mee_Too]

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!

[way2old]

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.

[Mee_Too]

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!

[way2old]

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.

[Mee_Too]

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!