The driver's side automatic lock of my '98 Scab has suddenly begun to make a very loud noise when it is locked. It sounds like a loud, metallic *CLACK*. I mean, loud. Like, that-can't-possibly-be-good type loud. Thing is, it is intemittent. Sometimes it does it, some times it does not. I have not yet pulled the interior trim panel to see if I can access the lock mechanism yet, but I have:

1. Removed all items from the door panel pockets (lots of loose change floating around there) so as to eliminate the possibility of it being caused by two loose metal objects vibrating when the door is locked.

2. Tried it with the door both open and shut. It happens in both situations.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Mike

 

The rod from the manual lock button at the top of the door has come loose inside the door panel. Had this happen when I slimmed the passanger side once( I have a slim jim but no hide a key...go figure.) I took the panel foo and reattached the nylon clip that holds the rod in place. Problem solved.

 

Ah. OK, thanks. I'll check it out.

Mike

 

I finally got around to looking inside the door panel. I could easily find the rod from the manual door lock, and it certainly was the problem. The only thing was that I could not see where it had come loose...all the clips were in place. Still, holding it at a slightly different angle caused the problem to stop.

So, after much working the lock and shrugging, I eventually figured out that if it just didn't travel so far down on the locking stroke, the lock mechanism didn't make that godawful noise from *somewhere* in the innards of the door.

Solution? Wrapped duct tape around the rod, so that it would catch on the lower clip as it locked shut...thus causing a little bit of binding, and preventing the rod from making contact with whatever it was hitting. Lock works, quietly.

I still have no exact idea what it was...but hey, duct tape fixed it. Go figure.

Mike