I have a 97 accord lx. The passenger side rear door lock will not open and close automatically. I hear the actuator trying to "push/pull" the lock but it does not move. How do I remove the door panel to see what is preventing the lock from actuating? Thanks for any help. Pictures or diagrams would help or a source where I could download directions. Thank you.
bobh

 

You should find your answer in here: https://www.hondaaccordforum.com/Gre...m_41104/tm.htm
Just follow the directions to an online manual.

 

I had the same problem, there is a broken piece in the actuator.
what happens is theres a spring inside the lock actuator that keeps tension on the gears, now instead of a gear stripping when the actuator breaks this spring breaks out of the little "clip" thats holding it in.
Now you have 2 options, replace the actuator, or fix it.
I'll guide you through how i did the 2nd option

1. Remove the door panel. (there are guides all over the internet on how to do this) this is most likely the hardest part of the job.
2. locate the actuator, its a tan thing that has a big bulge popping out of it. its the lowermost object on the locking apparatus. Its kind of hard to see. Also, its the object thats plugged into the black box in the kickpanel.
3. there are three phillips head screws holding it on, and unfourtunatly 1-2 of them are blocked by the window rail. So we have to move it
4. Make sure the window is rolled up, and using a socket or a wrench unscrew the black bolt toward the side of the door that is attached to the window rail inside the door. (its around the same height as the actuator)
5. VERY CAREFULLY push the rail aside JUST ENOUGH TO GET AT THE SCREWS. trust me, you do NOT want to bend the track or break the window. be careful with the amount of force you excerpt.
6. unscrew the actuator. if my memory serves me correctly there are 3 screws that hold it on. be careful not to drop the screws into the door.
7. the actuator is kind of pain to get off, it got a hole near the top that a pin from the locking device sits in, and you need to unclip the two. be careful not to break anything, as it will be costly to replace.
8. Once you have the actuator out, unplug it and while your sitting in/at your car unscrew the cover of the actuator itself.
9. Plug the actuator into where you unplugged it and lock/unlock the doors. This can help you troubleshoot any problems with it. The most likely scenario is that a retaining spring bust through its retaining clip, if you look around the gears at the bottom, you should see a spring and the old, plastic, crappy retaining clip broken off.
10. Assuming this is your problem, take something decently hard plastic cut it up into small squares about the size of the broken off retaining clip. I used a tupperware lid, you could use a milk carton or something else. be creative. then take those squares and slide them in next to each other between the spring and the wall of the actuator across from the spring. if you put enough in, it will push the spring back to where it was before and hopefully work. try to get as many in there as you can. The spring is pretty strong, i had a bitch trying to get the slices in place. I ended up cutting one edge of the slice into a point, and sliding it between the spring and the other slices. this took about 30 minutes by itself, its not easy and very frustrating. stick with it!
11. bring the actuator back to the car and plug it in to see if it works. if all goes well... it should.
12. reattach the actuator cover.
13. Put the actuator back into the door where it goes. this is harder than sin. Remember that little clip I was talking about before? where theres a hole on the actuator and a pin on the locking device? well now you have to get the actuator over that pin, and its not easy, considering you cant see either when their in the car. This is where a dentists mirror would come in handy, lol. just try not to break anything and you should get it in eventually.
14. Screw the actuator back on, again only pushing aside the window rail a small amount.
15. Plug in the actuator
16. Test the locks. make sure they work. the most likely reason they dont work if the actuator worked originally is that you dont have the pin of the lock into the hole in the actuator. its easy to think its in when its not. another less likly reason is that you didnt put enough shims between that spring and the wall, try to get as close to where the spring used to be as possible.
17. Screw the window rail back on.
18. put the door panel back on.
19. Test and adore your now working power locks.

Hope this helped.

PS @ other people, should I post this as a diy fix to a power lock not working and a grinding noise heard when you try to lock/unlock them?