Can not unlock drivers door

[omegac11]

My new to me 1991 arrived on the truck a couple of days ago. I know that it did not have this problem when it was loaded on the truck 800 miles ago but it does now. The battery is new but I may have a problem with a dirty ignition switch or main relay which may be causing this but I do not think so..... see my other thread. I can not unlock the drivers door. If I push the key fob unlock or use the drivers side lock/unlock button you can hear things clicking but its like it unlocks and immediately locks again all by itself. The passenger door will unlock with the key but locks its self after I leave the car. The really strange thing is that I can not unlock the drivers side door with the key...the key wont turn and I do not want to break it. I even disconnected the battery but the drivers side key still will not turn. The drivers door also will not open from the inside by pulling the inside door handle. So right now I cant even open the drivers door to take the door panel off to see whats going on! I guess I need to spend my life crawling over the shifter to get in the drivers seat from the passenger door!!!

Anyone know whats up?

 

[ftuhy]

One WAG is the lock cylinder is frozen in a slightly "off normal" position, confusing the alarm system. Try dipping the key in automatic transmission fluid (ATF) & inserting it in the lock. Do that a few times and very gently try rotating the key in kind of a wiggling motion.

Some people use WD-40 for this, but I find it leaves a residue that can eventually make things sticky again. It turns out Marvel Mystery Oil, which is great on locks and for air tools, is actually ATF.

Another thing to try might be to disconnect the fuses for the electric door locks and see if that makes a difference. When you use the remote to unlock a door, if the driver's door is not opened in somehting like 30 (?) seconds, it locks the doors again. Being you can't open the drivers door, that explains why it mysteriously locks the passenger door on you.

If the above don't work, let me know & I'll dig out the schematics to see if I can come up with other suggestions.

 

[warrenw]

This could be your issue. see if the inside handle seems lose.
The piece inside the inside door handle can break.
At the least here is how to get your door open from the inside:
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php/166599-DIY-Broken-DOOR-LATCH-repair-SOS-PART

The good news, there is a fix from SoS:
http://www.scienceofspeed.com/products/interior_performance_products/NSX/ScienceofSpeed/door_repair/

 

[N-Wing]

It does not sound like the door mechanism failure of death (I am self naming). Where the door unlocks but won't open when you pull the handle. I had that happen but I was able to crawl from the passenger. I know it can happen and will not open from either end and then you have to cut the door panel apart part to get to the mechanism.

I really hope the ATF works. If you cannot open at all, the fix could mean dremels and saws (I have not seen the method proscribed in the thread above)

Best of luck.

 

[omegac11]

I forgot to say that the door will not open using the outside handle either so I do not think its a case of the broken inside pot metal part? Also I disconnected the battery so the door lock actuator should not be keeping it locked?? Also the outside drivers side door key turns to the left counterclockwise okay but it will not turn at all to the right.

 

[vf2ss]

omegac11…please see the following thread. with the yr of your car and your symptoms i bet this will do the trick --> http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php/100693-Fixing-Key-Won-t-Turn-Right-Won-t-Unlock-Door

 

[omegac11]

I sprayed some penetrating oil in the lock and it worked loose and I unlocked the door!!!! But its still pretty stiff to turn. what needs to be cleaned in the door to make it like new? I assume take off the inner door panel and clean and oil all the picot points? Is there a common area of failure that I should be looking for?

 

[shawn110975]

your problem is the arm from the outside lever has came loose from the lock unit. these older NSX's are starting to break due to age of the plastic, have come across a few now.. the metal arm
pops out of the plastic hole. there are 2 one for lock/unlock and one for release door. you need to take the panel off pull back the plastic cover and look inside your gonna see 2 arms one from the door lock key hole and one coming from the outside door handle you will see where they need to go.

after shutting the door they tend to pop out if the door was shut pretty hard.

then there is the key cylinder that may need lube like other have said.

as for the door lock unlocking then locking again that is back to those arms I told you about before. they trick the alarm into thinking that the car is locked or unlocked.

goodluck report back