The diverside rear door lock actuator makes a loud noise when I lock or unlock the car and the lock does not move (has to be locked manually). My guess is it is broken and needs to be replaced. If I get one at a junk yard how can I tell if it will work if there is no power to it.

 

First try to remove the inner panel from the door so you can see whats going on. There's steel push/pull rods that work the lock mechanisms. Maybe one of those are disconnected. In that case the lock motor works OK but the pushrod is disconnected from the actual lock.

 

but wouldn't that make the actual lock not work (I can still push it down and pull it up manually to make it work). any case I will pull the door panel and see.

 

You might be right? I was thinking that there was a pushrod between the motor #16 and the actual lock pictured above that. But still, the motor & the lock are 2 different devices so there must be some kind of mechanical linkage between them.

 

Ok it has been about two years since I replaced the left/drivers rear door, long story. Anyway in doing so I go a quick lesson in the internal workings. #22 and #19 are the mechanical part. So when you pull or push these are working.

The power locks run different. You've got the motor/actuator (#16 maybe #13) and then the rods (#20,21,29, 30 depending on which one-I think one is for the child lock- and side). Then there are those little plastic clips that hold the rods (? #23,31). All of this makes the power locks work...bottom line, pull the panel and see what is or is not working/connected....by chance did the prev owner do something with this door like the front...hey they forgot the connector to the light so nothing is too far out of line.

EDIT: Sorry, all of this is driving the "lever" (#19) which will either let the door open (unlocked) or not (locked). That maybe where the second rod comes in and not the child lock...hey it's been @ 2 years.

 

I would recommend you take the door panel off first, then reconnect the switch and see try to see visually if the rods on the latch move when the actuator is activated.

I usually use a separate 12 volt battery so that I don't have to reconnect the car battery and switch while I am checking parts. To answer your question regarding testing other actuators, a 12 volt battery and wire can be used, just touch one terminal of the actuator connector with positive (+) and the other with negative (-). Switching the wires will reverse the motor, so no need to worry about which will be negative and which positive. Just touch them briefly, as you don't want to burn out the motors.

These pictures are from a coupe; but, it shouldn't be much different for the sedan. Inside the actuators are two rubber stops, one or both may be torn. Generally, you can re-glue them with quick drying RTV silicone, super glue, whatever; or even tape something in place. If you ran the power door locks too long like this, too many gear teeth may be broken off though and sometimes need the actuator replaced instead. One or two missing gear tooth won't usually cause much harm.

 

Ok.. all the rods are connected and do not move when the actuator is activated. The noise is definitely coming from the actuator and sounds like the gear is just spinning and not engaging at all. I think I will just replace it with one from the junk yard (will take a small 12 volt battery for testing) Thanks

 

If you want to try a cheap way to fix a problem with the acuator this worked for me on a 1996 Accord EX.
If it sounds like the motor is just spinning it could be this.
I took one of these apart to see how they work and basically it uses a small spring to clamp onto a collar which activates a cog system to catch the drive gear.
That spring gets weak and it doesn`t exert enough friction to hold the collar.
If you remove the four screws on the side of the plastic housing and look down into it you will see the small spring.
It looks like a spring out of a ball point pen.
There may be a small plastic spacer in there, which you don`t need.
Drill a small hole, about the size of the spring through the housing, like you are drilling straight into the end of the spring.
Then take a machine screw preferably with no point on the end (or you can file or grind it flat)
Run it straight into the end of the spring but not all the way.
Once it contacts the spring keep turning it in until the mechanism starts to work.
You may have to drill at a slight angle a little lower than the spring so that the screw doesn`t hit the little gear.
But, you can tell if the gear is hitting once you start the screw.
If it does just back it out and restart it at a little different angle.
This worked on two of my actuators and considering I have seen them from 40.00 to 150.00 it is quite a savings for just a little work.

Edit: Now that I look at Redbull`s last picture to the right, I don`t even see the spring that I was talking about so maybe the spacer I speak of is an end plate that came unglued or something. In any case if you are looking at your actuator like the picture above and see the spring, which is right by where the wire goes in, you might try my method because both of my springs were the same way.

 

I have a 1995 accord ex wagon. the right rear door lock actuator made a whirring sound for about a second and door lock did not open or close!! I took apart my actuator and found that the small plastic spacer that mounts between the spring and plastic housing was not in place and was laying loose under the spring! poor design flaw I think! I made a spacer out of a small screw head and inserted it in the spring and it works fine and should last way better than the original honda design!!! no drilling or taping required! I originally thought that the problem was in the clutch dogs but inspection showed that they were fine! to inspect the clutch dogs I had to grind off the peened on top plate!

 

Thank you so much, i had the same problem and i opened up my driver side actuator and one of the rubber stops was not attached. I glued it back on and now everything works like perfect.