That power door lock actuator looks to be a PAIN to replace.

[cri33]

I didn't expect this to be easy. I just hope I don't really mess it up but since I don't have to drive every day its not a real big deal if I don't get it done in one day. I will look into the shop manuals on ebay if I keep the car!

[Lscman]

Originally Posted by cri33

I didn't expect this to be easy. I just hope I don't really mess it up but since I don't have to drive every day its not a real big deal if I don't get it done in one day. I will look into the shop manuals on ebay if I keep the car!

Buy a shop manual on ebay for $35 then sell it on ebay 5 years from now or even next month for like $30. The lifetime cost to you for this valuable factory info is about $10 or so even including devaluation, shipping and auction fees. Why struggle or spend hours asking questions that would be answered after 5 minutes of reading and viewing pics?

If you bust a retaining clip trying to guess how to disassemble or wind up having the dealer do your work you will regret saving $10 for a shop manual.

[Lscman]

Originally Posted by elsolo

I have bought several service manuals on ebay, never paid more that $10 shipped.

Maybe generic Chilton manual, not Ford Helms Factory Shop Manual with all wiring diagrams and diagnostic charts that costs about $140 new. The pair measures 5" thick and costs $10 for UPS shipping fee alone.

[cri33]

Yes I agree a real shop manual from Ford is the way to go. If I could find one for $30 or so I would probably buy it. I don't even bother with Chiltons manuals anymore. They are not as good as the factory ones even though they are cheaper. I guess you get what you pay for.

[elsolo]

Originally Posted by Lscman

Maybe generic Chilton manual, not Ford Helms Factory Shop Manual with all wiring diagrams and diagnostic charts that costs about $140 new. The pair measures 5" thick and costs $10 for UPS shipping fee alone.

Yes, that one.
Bootleg copy on CD's or download.

Chiltons is less than worthless

[cpalz]

Originally Posted by doneworking

New to this site. I joined just to share this. My friend has a 05 where one door lock inop and cannot be locked manually. Removed latch assy and separated actuator from it. The shaft of motor above the worm gear had broken the plastic housing enough to jam. Checked the dealer etc. for actuator replacement....only entire assembly at $200. This little motor has some torque to it, and the shaft lifts up and away from driven gear, jamming it. Here's how I fixed it... at the end of the shaft where it sits in the housing you'll notice the breakage. Notice on actuator cover it has a little plastic tit that holds the shaft down into housing. Notice a slot in the housing, just past the end of motor shaft..... I used a picture hanger that width and cut it and bent it into a "J" and twisted it toward the worn area. Took a little finessing (I did it twice to get it right) to get pre load right. Took all of two hours... that's $100 hour. I'm a Retired Mechanic...If it works great, I can fix that too.

Excellent Idea, mine is broken the exact same way.

[cri33]

You can get a (used) Ford shop manual on ebay for around $50. That also includes the wiring diagram. I guess I am sort of chicken because I am a little reluctant to start removing screws if I don't think I can get it all back together again. I am also a little confused about the plastic shield. Mine does not appear to have a shield that runs from the bottom of the door up to the outside handle.
Interesting about the worm gear. It figures Ford would make them out of cheap plastic. Makes me wonder what else is going to break before the car even hits 50K miles. I think when I get this thing fixed I may sell the car.

[Lscman]

Originally Posted by cri33

You can get a (used) Ford shop manual on ebay for around $50. That also includes the wiring diagram. I guess I am sort of chicken because I am a little reluctant to start removing screws if I don't think I can get it all back together again. I am also a little confused about the plastic shield. Mine does not appear to have a shield that runs from the bottom of the door up to the outside handle.
Interesting about the worm gear. It figures Ford would make them out of cheap plastic. Makes me wonder what else is going to break before the car even hits 50K miles. I think when I get this thing fixed I may sell the car.

Cheap plastic is not limited to Ford. This is a vintage issue, not brand or model....everything possible is made of plastic now. My 5 series BMW cost $57K new. It has far more flimsy plastic parts on it than my 2007 Focus. The doors and seat mechanisms are filled with plastic gadgets the break when you touch them. You will not find a modern car with all metal latches and that goes for Lexus too. Lexus' blow their plastic radiators every 50k mi. My BMW breaks more often than my Focus and costs more to repair. This is why a 20 year old Mercedes or BMW is worth less than a Chevy of similar age and condition.

[cri33]

My mother had a 1987 Ford Thunderbird. Man that car was really built solid. It had over 120K on it and never a problem with the power door locks or anything else. I don' t know what the new cars are like but even my 1990 Eclipse never had a problem with the pdl even at over 150k on it. They worked like the day I bought it. I only sold it last year with 160K on it because the engine was ready for major work and I didn't want to sink a lot of dough into a car that was 22 years old. Other than that never a problem. I have a friend who has a Mazda 3 and at 85K on it no problems so far. The build quality of that car is far better than on the Focus even though Mazda and Ford reportedly share parts. Next time I buy something else. Not impressed with this Focus.

[elsolo]

Good luck on your next car.

They really don't build them like they used to. Engines are better, but all the little stuff on new cars is chintzy plastic to save cost and weight. Add to that the greatly increased complexity, and there are more little things to go wrong.