Power door locks have gotten weak. do they need to be lubricated? Are the door locks electrical or are they run from the engine vacuum.

The lock solenoid is built into the latch. You might get away with spraying a lubricant, like WD-40 into the latch to make it easier to lock and unlock. But once they get weak they usually need to be replaced.

The latches are "frozen" because of metal contracting in the latch or latch lubricant physically becoming more viscous or freezing and preventing movement of the latch. You may need to apply a sub-freezing lubricant to prevent them from freezing up in low temperatures. Best put the car into a garage and let the general higher temperature unfreeze the latches.

Same thing happened to me. I agree with the lubrication solution...I sprayed some wd40 where the latch is as I did not want to take the door apart and it fixed the problem for me.

Power door lock mechanisms required periodic lubrication to work correctly. Without periodic lubrication, the mechanisms stick and, eventually, the lock solenoid will fail and require replacement. As a rule, the power lock mechanisms and power window regulators should be lubricated every two to three years.
Begin by removing the door panel and lubricating all points of the lock mechanism, including the solenoid plunger. If that does not correct the condition, look for broken parts and mechanical obstructions. Manually move the solenoid plunger to make sure that the mechanism is not seized. If the mechanism will not move, detach the mechanism from the actuator solenoid and see if the solenoid itself has seized.
Check that the lock solenoid is receiving 12V when the LOCK/UNLOCK button is actuated. If not, trace down the electrical fault. If the mechanism moves freely, and there is voltage at the connector when the switch is actuated, the solenoid has burned out and should be replaced.

the door lock actuator inside the door has gone bad.if the other doors lock and the driver's doesn't then the actuator has gotten too weak to move the lock/ latch.

This is a common problem with old cars as my old car had the same issue. What you need to do is,

For window problem
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1. Glass channels in which glass glides up and down get deformed due to age, exposure to sun, rain for so much time, so it needs replacement. Replace it if they are in bad shape.
2. If glass channels have some life (not much damaged or don't want to spend too much money right now) then buy a silicone based lubricant and lubricate these glass channels, glass will roll up and down without any problem for a week or so then you will have to oil it up again.
3. If everything is fine and oiling does not help then there is a problem with power window motor, its not getting enough power or it has gone weak. Power window needs servicing in this case.

Door jamming problem
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1. Try putting some oil in the lock and see if this works
2. If its again jammed then you need to remove the inside door panel and then look for the rods running from door lock to door to the lever in door panel. You have to adjust these rods to make the door lock and unlock well from both inside and outside. This is a little tricky work but you will figure it out easily. You may have to either make the road lightly tight by bending it a little or loosen it, just see which setting works for you.

the mechanism at the door lock is not returning the park position that's why you can't open it try lubricating the lock, the return spring could be hanging up. worst case scenario you will have to remove the door panel and lubricate it from the inside. the lock is fine.

lubricate door hardware, locks, etc.

remove the door panel and check to make sure the linkage to the lock assembly is still attached. I can't give an estimate because I don't know what is wrong at this point

are the locks manual or electric?i have seen most electric locks freeze up because of rust/.corrosion.the rubber accordian seal fails and moisture does it's job.there is no lubrication on the mechanism.it's basically a push pull magnet tube with a spiral grooved actuator rod.this is to assure no accidental vibration/jar induced movement.also means very difficult to budge when corroded.i have gotten a few to move by grabbing lock post with pliers and pulling hard.good luck!



Rear Door Window Regulator and Motor
Removal and Installation
Remove the rear door trim panel. For additional information, refer to INTERIOR TRIM AND ORNAMENTATION .
Remove the door mounted speaker.
Remove the watershield.
NOTE:The glass must be lowered for this step.

NOTE:Some vehicles may use rivets to attach the glass to the regulator.

Remove the bolt that attaches the glass to the regulator.
Raise and support the rear door window glass to the full up position.

NOTE:Do not detach the door handle from the latch cable during this step.

Remove the rear inside door handle.
Remove the screw.
Disengage the inside door handle from the door.
If equipped, disconnect the power door lock rod from the back of the inside door handle.

Gain access to the power window motor electrical connector located in the front of the door.
Fig. 90: Identifying Power Window Motor Electrical Connector
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
Disconnect the power window motor electrical connector.
Press down on the connector tab.
Pull the connector upward and remove through the speaker opening in the door.
Disconnect the rear door window regulator and motor assembly from the door.
Remove the nuts.
Remove the screws.
Fig. 92: Disconnecting Rear Door Window Regulator And Motor Assembly From Door
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.

Remove the window regulator and motor assembly from the door.
Fig. 93: Removing Window Regulator And Motor Assembly From Door
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.


To install, reverse the removal procedure.

I would start by lubricating the lock mechanism, this would be done best if the door panel was taken off. If this doesn't do the trick then you will need to replace the auto lock solenoid that is in the door.