Driver door lock sticking

2001 prerunner with manual locks.

When I insert the key in my driver side lock, the mechanism seems to get stuck and the lock pull won't go all the way up. It will rise about 1/3rd the way up. I have to take the key out and bang on the handle/key entry point twice or three times and pull the handle up to reset the door pull. Once I do that the key will usually work to open the door.

Is this a lock problem or the mechanism connected to the door pull?

 

May need a good cleaning and relube. Or something could be worn out or bent. Need to pull latch out and inspect it.

 

Mine was doing the same thing when I bought it. Dealership supposedly removed and inspected..said it needed a new lock cylinder, $683! Brought it home, removed it (dealership never touched it) cleaned it up, lubed, and reinstalled works like new. Cost, $0.

 

Mine did the same thing. Sprayed with wd-40 and helped for a while. Finally, though, had to remove the lock and pull a wafer from it that was sticking. Also, my key was wearing out. One day i went to start after work, and wouldn't turn the ignition switch. Thankfully a toyota dealer cut a key. Worked like a charm after that.

 

I have power locks, but still same mechanism on the door latch.

Mine was so bad I was breaking door handles like it was the cool thing to do.

I removed, and sprayed the piss out of it with some break clean. I tested the break clean on the plastic first and found one that didnt eat it.

After I sprayed it out, It worked 1000 times better, BUT I went a step further and used a syringe to inject white lithium. It works like butter now.

 

I have the same problem on my 2003.
Let us know what fixes it.

 

have you look at this thread yet?

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...-will-not-unlock-solved.469156/#post-14119001

 

lots of mechanical friction in all of the door lock/unclock system. After a number of years the wafers in the door tumbler wear grooves in the cylinder and make it difficult to turn the cylinder, the wafers dont "line up" so you just turn the key harder and wear even deeper grooves. There is a samll plastic guide that holds the long rod from the inner handle in place so that the linear movement of the rod is actually used to push/pull the door latch mechanism and is not used in deflection of the rod. Then there is the latch itself... they get dirt and grit and have to be removed, cleaned, lubed and reinstalled. While you are doing this, you can clean and lube the window cross-slide and your windows will go up and down easier... maybe 1 hr per door time spent.

 

I had the same problem. I could not do it by myself because I have little to no knowledge about fixing cars but I got my local locksmith to repair it for me. He said it needed serious cleaning and lubing.

 

Welcome to TW

First post is a personal solution you had to a problem AND you revived an old thread? You'll fit right in

 

@lewfletch or you're a sophisticated bot and I just got trolled

 

Forgive me. I was looking for answers (and I thought it would be okay to comment on an old thread) so I can solve my lock problem myself but I really could not do anything to save my life haha!