Hi all I have searched for an hour now and can't find any info on door locks. The lock indicator that protrudes out of the top of the drivers door trim sits up about 10mm when the door is locked, and when unlocked it moves freely up further as it should.
Is there a secret to locating it correctly as I can't push it down any further. I have a 97 el fairmont. I can't seem to remove the threaded insert from the square lock thingy to put it onto the threaded rod first. Any help would be good

Thanks

Mike

If I read correctly your talking about the door lock knob?

They are a pain to remove and replace 99% of the time. All mine have light scuff marks from pliers lol.

Mine sit about 5mm above the door trim and my OCD ticks like crazy when I see it but I resign to the fact I can't get it better.

So, to remove them I can get most by grabbing tight while it is unlocked and giving a quick sharp yabk straight up.

Sometimes the little locking tabs inside the knob will pull out, sometimes they stay in.

If its stuck in I try pry it out with a small flat blade screwdriver.

Have a look inside one and Suss it out how they work.

To put them back on make sure the door is unlocked so the rod is up, and slip and wiggle the knob down till its sitting a little high and give it a quick sharp whack down and it should pop down.

It's best to do it with the window down and door shut so the rod won't snap when the lock goes down.

I haven't used pliers too often, some I just can't grip tight enough.

I've snapped a couple of the clips inside the knob trying to get them to pop out, but no rods or other parts.

Hope that gives you a little direction

Hey thanks for that, I will give it a go today. I had an ED many years ago and remember something quirky about reinstalling them.

Similar thing to what I do...

I pull them up to remove like normal... The tangs inside the knob wont come all the way out... SO you pull them further out until they positively stop with a screw driver or similar and the tangs by then should be flare apart...

Close the door and lock the car so the rod goes down all the way... gently place the knob in the hole and wiggle it sideways over and over until you are sure it is all the way down and don't go any further down... At this point it should be about the height of being unlocked...

Then once you are sure it wont wiggle any further you firm push it down so the tangs go back up inside the knob... and it will normally protude the bezel by only a mm or so... If you set it too low with the car unlocked then when it locks it may not have the travel to down far enough and you may wear something out...

Cheers,
Tim

Good point Tim...

The housing it slides in wont let it drop any lower so doing it while its locked ensures its at a more precise height..

now I think I can fix it....I'm gonna go make mine even!!!!