Fixed: Door Lock Actuator in Gen II Prius

So, a thing about brush-commutated, permanent-magnet DC motors is that if the brush carrier is symmetrical so that you can take it out and reinstall it 180° rotated, you reverse the relationship between power polarity and shaft direction.

There have already been some posts in this thread saying it's not hard to pop the end caps/brush carriers out of these motors (maybe just bend a couple metal tabs?), and if they'll go back on the other way around, that's your complete solution in case you receive a motor that spins the 'wrong' way.

I would certainly do that in preference to some other fix like swapping the wire connections around (which would just be creating a potential future headscratcher if somebody replaces the motor again with one that goes the 'right' way)!

-Chap

 

First off, thanks OP for the walkthrough and tolladay for the warning to check the latch mechanism (I had to reinstall and the second attempt would have had me in a world of pain without seeing your big red warning).

I too received a "backwards" spinning motor from ebay and was pretty heartbroken when I got everything back in and it was opposite day on driver door. I was about to cut my wires when I saw the very last post by ChapmanF suggesting the cap flip. The only issue was a plastic tab allowing the casing and cap to only go on one direction so I used my file to wear down that plastic, gave the cap the ol' flip, and kaboom baby! But I agree that this is the much cleaner way to do things and if you test your motor out first and find it is "backwards" it really only takes like 30 seconds to fix. Much easier than not testing like me and having to redo all your work.

Thanks a ton to the collective post here for helping me please my wife with a new working door and saving a few hundred bucks in the process. The first installation took a while, but by the time I had to redo everything I was flying through the steps. Seriously, you all were so very helpful!

 

welcome and well done!

 

Glad that trick helped! I learned that obscure fact years ago ... by wondering why a heater blower motor I'd rebuilt for a friend wasn't blowing nearly as well as it should have. (That one was confusing ... spin a squirrelcage fan backwards and it doesn't move the air backwards ... still blows forward but—because of the blade contour—really feebly.)

-Chap

 

Scott's write-up was so wonderfully explicit and detailed that I attempted to replace the actuator in my daughter's car. BIG MISTAKE. I got the part on eBay and installed it thinking I had done everything correctly. I thought I had tested it before I put the door back together and it nicely moved the little lock and unlock buttons. Yeah! But then I put the door panel on and closed the door. The door locked, never to unlock again. Now my poor daughter had to go in the passenger side and climb over the console. Very undignified! I feel terrible. Toyota says the whole actuator part costs $341 and probably a couple of hundred to install. And maybe they will have to replace the door panel since it doesn't seem possible to remove it when the door is closed. So maybe $1000 total for a $6.00 part I tried to replace. What was I thinking?

I've tried to research if there is some way I could get the door open at least until I can get it fixed. Someone said to connect the wires to 18.5 volts. I don't know what that means. Someone else said they jabbed a 2 foot long screwdriver down from the top and got the lock to release. But what and where do you jab?

I guess I'll stick to knitting. But I commend all of you who did this successfully.

 

Will it unlock with the mechanical key?

 

No.

 

I would call a locksmith to see if they can unlock it with their tools. That's likely your best chance.

 

OK Thanks. I'll try that.

 

Did you see my write up starting on page 2? Look for the photo of the drill inside the door. I was able to open the door, but only because I had the interior panel off, and knew where to drill. If your interior panel is on you're going to have a tough time.

 

From the way you have written this up, I assume you are having absolutely no effect using the door inside handle or the mechanical key, so maybe you overlooked reconnecting those linkages when you put the new actuator in (either that or something is wrong in the actuator itself). So locksmithing around the key cylinder isn't going to do much good; you already have the key, it already turns, it just doesn't get you anywhere.

I would probably make my best effort to reach in and hook (with a bent shirt hanger or something) the lever where the inside door handle should attach, and pull it in the right direction (easier to see if you have another actuator to look at, maybe your old one if you didn't throw it away).

Look for your door panel illustration in a dealer parts catalog like at villagetoyotaparts.com to see whether you can only get the whole inside trim panel, or maybe there are some smaller (cheaper!) parts of it you can get separately, or that can be removed without damage even with the door closed. For example, on my Gen 1, the top of the armrest (where the switches mount, etc.) is a separate plastic piece, and it can be taken right out with the door closed, and below it is an opening I'm pretty sure I could get my arm through if I had to. (Probably a Dremel, too, if things went that way.)

You'll have to slice through the clear plastic sheet wind seal, but that's cheap.

If you can get enough access that way, you might avoid having to buy a whole new trim panel.

It's always awkward trying to work through a small hole and try to hold a light through it, but if you happen to have a string of small white lights ('tis the season, ho ho ho and all that), you can easily feed them into a small hole, get plenty of light on what you're doing, and fish them back out when you're done.

An inspection camera can be really helpful in seeing what you're doing from awkward angles, and they're pretty cheap these days, but also you can do a lot these days with a phone (turn on the front camera, hold it behind something, watch the screen....) You might tape a string to it just in case you fumble it inside the door.

Happy improvising!

 

And a final word for readers from the future:

Test everything before closing the door!

To test the whole thing reassembled in the door before closing, just push with a screwdriver in the slot on the door where the door strike on the body fits in, so the latch claw flips all the way down and latches. Then use the outside door handle and make sure it pops up again. Then flip it down again, and make sure the inside door handle also pops it up again. Repeat, testing latch, lock, unlock, unlatch, until you are totally confident it opens in every way you're supposed to be able to open it.

Then close the door.

 

The reason I mentioned a locksmith was not to try to unlock the lock but they have many tools that can reach into a door and grab the actuator arms. They also have other tools that will pry apart the opening that the window comes thru to see the actuator arms to verify if they are attached. This would be better than cutting the door panel.

 

Thank you Scott & other members. I just fixed drivers door actuator issue on my 2012 prius Two. It took me 1.5 hrs. Spent more time trying pry open all the little clips on the actuator assembly. Total cost $5. Here is a pic of inside...

 

well done!

 

I also have a 2008. Under warranty I had to have all doors fixed except Drivers. The drivers side was failing as well, but every time I went in for service it worked and they refused to repair it as it was working, drive away and later it fails again. Come back and it works again... Now warranty is up and Driver and Passenger side are not working!!

This is GREAT!!! I am looking now at eBay.... Juts placed order!!

Thanks
Rich

 

The motors just showed up!! $18.95 for four motors, not a bad deal...

Now to find time after work on a dry day to tear into this project.

Thanks again,
Rich

 

Thanks again, and again, and again!!!!

Just finished fixing BOTH front doors!!

90miler is right. I almost forgot the driver side shaft for the key. Good thing it was in the way and I was having issues lining up the unit. And yes, it was a pain the the..... to get it lined up and in. Did the two doors after work and finished it by flashlight because I had to fight the key rod. Now I bet I'll find an entry that talks about an easy way to do it.

So after over a year of living with no front door locks working, NOW THEY ARE!!! Woohoo, Yahoo, victory dance, big smile!!!

This has to be one of the most valuable forum threads ever. Just saved close to $500 in parts and who knows how much in labor to fix two doors.

Thanks again,
Rich

 

Ok now the tailgate lock actuator. Anyone find a thread on it? Any luck it's the same motor?

 

I have a replacement actuator on the way from Ebay that was 40$ and I''m going to attempt the rear door tomorrow. What do you mean but remove the inside door handle? The black cover that goes over the screw or did you take the actual handle off? I'm not sure what the window rail is but I think its the long metal bar that runs through the door right? Do I pull down on the window rail after I twist it 90 degrees or the actuator after I twist the rail 90 degrees. Thanks for the help!