lock button won't push down

[redz350]

Hello. The lock button on the driver's side door of my 1973.5 911 won't push down. It feels like it is jammed somehow. I got into the inside of the door and I can't find anything that seems to be jamming it. All the rods and connections appear to be intact. Of course, there certainly is the possibility that I did't notice something that may be wrong with the mechanism. The door will still lock properly with the key, but the door button no longer goes down, when the door is locked with the key. Does anyone understand the locking mechanism better than I do, or have experienced a similar problem before? Any help or suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

[nickd]

I think it's time to sell the car !!

[vicrola]

I have the same identical issue on my '72 'E'. Waiting for hints/suggestions...

Vic

[hoffman912]

i had the same thing with my 68 912.. try removing the screws that old on the door panel one by one and see if it locks by process of elimination. remove one screw try it, put it back in, try the next.

i found that i had one screw that was too long that went in there and caused it to bind. mine is a swb and yours is a lwb so it does have slightly different set up, but if you find it fixes it, great. if it doesnt, it cost you nothing but 20 mins of your time.

[John Z Goriup]

Hello. The lock button on the driver's side door of my 1973.5 911 won't push down. It feels like it is jammed somehow. I got into the inside of the door and I can't find anything that seems to be jamming it. All the rods and connections appear to be intact. Of course, there certainly is the possibility that I did't notice something that may be wrong with the mechanism. The door will still lock properly with the key, but the door button no longer goes down, when the door is locked with the key. Does anyone understand the locking mechanism better than I do, or have experienced a similar problem before? Any help or suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

I believe you have answered you own question with the two red highlighted comments. That's way to simple of a linkage / lock arrangement to hide any mystery maladies.

I assume you have removed the door panel and the upholstered "top roll", in which case you should be looking at the same arrangement as the attached photo shows.

With door panel removed, can you push the button down and see if and where it is still hanging up. If you can't push the button, disconnect the horizontal rod at the lock and operate the button again. Does it work when it's disconnected from the lock ? If yes, you probably have a lock problem. When you turn the key, does that activate the rod linkage ? If not, one of the rods is probably disconnected, or, as I said, you have a lock problem. Does the bell crank rotate freely ?

If you find a defective lock, I'd go to one of the Porsche dismantlers to find a good, used, functioning unit. As a final touch lubricate everything with 3 in 1 oil.

[Allen Henderson]

I just had this. The rod you show terminates (where you can't see it..even with a mirror !) in a lever for the lock. It has a small swage on the end of it. I popped mine back in..and use it gently and ...pray You could take it all apart and, no doubt, properly re-swage the kind of "T" at the end of it. If you have this problem and look carefully at it, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Thanks.

-Allen-

[redz350]

Nick, you may very well be right! Harry, John and Allen, thank you very much for the helpful advise. Allen, I think I have found the lever for the lock, where the rod terminates. Does the small swage you mentioned have a hole in it, for the bent end of the rod to be inserted into? If so I so far haven't been able to get the rod bent end of the rod into the hole in the swage. The rod seems to be too long to fit into the swage hole. I've been using a lot of trial and error and bending of the rod outward to try to make it fit in the swage hole. So far no luck. Is there a trick to getting the rod end into the whole? Thanks.

[Allen Henderson]

Nick, you may very well be right! Harry, John and Allen, thank you very much for the helpful advise. Allen, I think I have found the lever for the lock, where the rod terminates. Does the small swage you mentioned have a hole in it, for the bent end of the rod to be inserted into? If so I so far haven't been able to get the rod bent end of the rod into the hole in the swage. The rod seems to be too long to fit into the swage hole. I've been using a lot of trial and error and bending of the rod outward to try to make it fit in the swage hole. So far no luck. Is there a trick to getting the rod end into the whole? Thanks.

Yes the short little 90 degree angle piece that comes off the long rod goes into a hole in the little lever (you an see this lever move when you lock and unlock the door with the key.) It is the little angled piece that has a little swag at the end of it to hold it in the hole after it was put in (then swagged at the lock factory). But you can probably get it in the hole (since it came out). But it may pop out again. So, to do it right, I think you have to take it all apart so you can properly re-swag the tip (impossible to do in the door I think) Or you can pop it back in a pray..like I said and use it gingerly..

It is probably not too hard to take all apart. Undo the rod bracket Allen head bolts; unbolt the lock mechanism at the door and it will all come out I think...

-Allen-

[edmayo]

redz350, are you saying that the lock rod has come out of the hole on the latch mechanism? On your car that's held in with a plastic clip. You should be able to replace the plastic clip (if it's broken) and reinstall the rod by reaching in the door. At any rate you can't remove the latch mechanism without removing the window frame assembly. I've got some pieces laying about, maybe I can take some pictures that will explain what words can't.

[Allen Henderson]

redz350, are you saying that the lock rod has come out of the hole on the latch mechanism? On your car that's held in with a plastic clip. You should be able to replace the plastic clip (if it's broken) and reinstall the rod by reaching in the door. At any rate you can't remove the latch mechanism without removing the window frame assembly. I've got some pieces laying about, maybe I can take some pictures that will explain what words can't.

I certainly will defer to Ed on this one. And, in fact, regarding the window frame...oh! So that's why I didn't remove it. I'm going to look at the PET and see the clip...stand by! Thanks...is it #7 Ed, the "spring washer?"

-Allen-