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How To Replace Front Door Lock Actuator 2004-09 Dodge Durango

Created on: 2012-08-07

If the door lock actuator needs to be replaced, this video will show you how to remove and reinstall the door panel and door latch assembly to replace it

  1. step 1 :Removing the Door Panel
    • Lift the door panel up and off
    • Disconnect the lock wiring harness
    • Disconnect the window switch wiring harnesses
    • Disconnect the mirror switch wiring harness
    • Pry off the trim piece inside the door handle with a flat blade screwdriver
    • Remove the Phillips head screw inside the door handle
    • Remove the two Phillips screws at the bottom of the door panel
    • Lift the door panel up and off
    • Disconnect the latch cables from the door handle
    • Carefully peel off the water shield
  2. step 2 :Removing the Lock Actuator
    • Remove the clip from the lock rod
    • Remove the orange clip from the lock rod
    • Remove the yellow clip from the lock rod
    • Remove the three T30 Torx screws from the lock actuator
    • Push harness off the clips on the door
    • Disconnect the lock harness from the actuator
    • Pull the lock rods and actuator out of the door
  3. step 3 :Preparing the New Lock Actuator
    • Remove the two Phillips screws from the backside of the actuator
    • Connect the latch to the new actuator
    • Push in the second latch
    • Push in the spring
    • Lock the spring into place
    • Insert the two Phillips screws to the backside
  4. step 4 :Installing the New Lock Actuator
    • Insert the lock actuator into the door
    • Place each lock rod in their correct slots
    • Connect the lock wiring harness to the actuator
    • Insert the actuator into place
    • Insert the three T30 Torx screws to the actuator
    • Clip the clip to the lock rod
    • Clip the orange clip to the lock rod
    • Clip the yellow clip to the lock rod
    • Connect the window switch
    • Test the window and lock
    • Disconnect the switch
  5. step 5 :Reinstalling the Door Panel
    • Put the water shield into place
    • Connect the latch cables from the door handle
    • Connect the window switch wiring harnesses
    • Connect the mirror switch wiring harness
    • Connect the lock wiring harness
    • Lift the door panel into place
    • Push in the door panel clips
    • Insert the Phillips screw into the door handle
    • Insert the two Phillips screws at the bottom of the door panel
    • Push on the trim piece inside the door handle

Tools needed

  • Flat Blade Screwdriver

    Phillips Head Screwdriver

    T30 Driver

    Flashlight

Brought to you by 1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet.

Hi, I'm Mike from 1A Auto. I hope this how-to video helps you out, and next time you need parts for your vehicle, think of 1AAuto.com. Thanks.

In this video, we're going to show you how to remove and reinstall a power door lock actuator on this 2005 Dodge Durango. It's pretty much a similar process for any 2004 to 2009 Durango. Tools you'll need for the job are a small flat blade screwdriver, a Phillips screwdriver, a T30 Torx driver, and a flashlight.

Take a small screwdriver and push towards the front. Pry up on your panel here, and that comes up and out. Then the front slides out, and then there's three connectors. They just have little tabs you push with your thumb, pull up and out. Now, in behind your door handle, just pry out this little cover here with a small screwdriver. There's a Phillips screw in there as well as a Phillips screw under there, and then one further back there. I'll just fast-forward here, I'm just using a Phillips screwdriver and removing those three screws. Once those screws are out just lift up on the panel and then start pulling it out.

You'll see a little blue clip back here. Pull that blue clip back off of the rod and then pull the rod up and remove your door panel. Now, carefully peel down your water shield so you can access the top of the rear of the inside of the door. Now you want to come in and disconnect the three rods that go to the lock assembly. There's two up here on the door handle, just push on the clip, push it out, and pull that rod out. The orange one, same thing, push on it, pull the rod out, and then you can see this clip right down here, same thing, push on it and pull your lock rod, your lock rod comes right out.

Now you need to remove three screws right here. You'll want a T30 Torx driver on a socket with a ratchet handle like this because these things require some leverage. Now, as I'm taking this last screw out, just reach back in here, and I can bring my lock actuator around. I'm going to take this clip here, squeeze it, and push that out. It comes up, and there's a tab right here. I can disconnect the actuator. I'll just bring my whole assembly out of there or just bring it down.

Now, if you want to separate the lock mechanism from the door lock actuator, just remove two Phillips screws right back here. The actuator comes right off. In the next section, I'm going to reassemble the door lock actuator. I didn't realize the camera wasn't rolling when I took it apart, but this will give you a good idea of how the three pieces go back together for you. This goes back together, this piece goes on first with this arm inside there, this piece goes on, that goes on there, and then this arm goes right in there. Then this spring goes down in here, one of the tabs goes right down in here, and then you pull this up and lock it right into there like that.

Now when you go to put this back together right in this here, you can see it has two slots in the plastic, make sure that lines up on this tab correctly. Then put it together. You should be able to feel that lock and unlock. Now tighten up the screws. That should unlock and lock. This should also be able to actuate that. That should move the door latch, and this should also move the door latch.

Just have one of your screws in hand, put this up through, make sure it comes out that hole. I've got the actuator kind of twisted. I put it in behind that channel and then I twist it right in place and start one of my screws in. Before I tighten anything up, just kind of get my rods all up in place. Put this in with the connectors right on top here. Plug it in, put that back in.

This I can look right down through here, get it in place, push it in, and then reach down in and lock the clip back on. Now I'll fast-forward as I start in the other two T30 Torx screws, and then use the socket and ratchet to tighten those up.

Now on these rods, I'll push this back, pull this rod down, and force it in. Put the smaller one into place and lock that down on. Now, you'll want to pull this one, pull the door handle out, and then latch that rod on. Now we can actually reconnect this here. You can see this moves right, it works correctly.

To put your panel back on just make sure your harnesses go in through there. Pull this rod out, put it into that blue clip, and lock the clip on. Make sure your door lock goes through there. Now you just want to press it. You can look back in here and see where all the little hooks are in the front. Just make sure that the front and rear go in flush with the door. I just want to make sure all the hooks are there correctly, slide it down. Oops, I didn't realize this came out. Make sure that lock's on there and slide it right down. Everything should be nice and tight around the edges.

Here I'm going to speed it up again as I just reinstall the three screws: the two at the bottom and the one in behind the door handle. Those three screws are what hold the door handle down in place. Our harnesses are out. Slide this down, slide the front in first, and the rear, and then this can be a little bit of a pain, but just put this little hidden door back on.

We hope this video helps you out. Brought to you by www.1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet. Please feel free to call us toll-free, 888-844-3393. We're the company that's here for you on the Internet and in person.


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