1997 Ford Ranger Door Locks

[Brian Wiggins]

My door locks on the passenger side does not open the door, and the drivers side is now giving me problems. Has anybody else had this problem and if so any idea how to fix it.

Thanks,
Brian

[probell]

I assume that your key goes in, but you can not turn it. If you can turn the key but the door lock does not go up or down then you have a different problem; disregard my reply as I do not know the answer.

I recently bought a used '98. The key would not turn in either the passenger or the driver side door lock. The problem is that the pins in the lock were bound by corosion.

I resolved the problem by squirting some Tri-Flow into the locks and shoving the key in and out about 50 times to exercise the pins. After that, both locks were able to turn and have worked like a charm since.

I have been advised that Tri-Flow, a teflon based lubricant, is better for locks and other precision mechanical instruments than WD-40, which is a penetrant that might eventually gum up the mechanics. Your local locksmith or bicycle store will probably have a can of Tri-Flow.