A rod con nects the actuator to the latch and another rod connects the latch to the knob that sticks up out of the top of the door.
How does a power door lock actuator work.
The body controller is a computer in your car.
Once the button is pressed it triggers the actuator allowing the doors to be locked.
Unplug the door lock actuator electrical connector.
The last gear drives a rack and pinion gear set that is connected to the actuator rod.
They are the electronically controlled actuators in every single door that are responsible for locking and unlocking the power door locks when the switches are pressed.
In this edition of howstuffworks we ll learn just what s inside your door that ma kes it unlock we ll take apart the actuator that does the work and then we ll learn how the lock can be forced open.
Door lock actuators are an electronic component found on vehicles equipped with power door locks.
A door lock actuator is basically a reversible motor or a solenoid on some vehicles with gears that operate the door lock.
A car door in this car the power door lock actuator is positioned below the latch.
But in more complicated systems that have several ways to lock and unlock the doors the body controller decides when to do the unlocking.
The mechanism allows for the rods to work in conjunction to power the actuator.
But first let s see how the car keeps all its signals straight.
When mounted in the car it is vertical so the hook can move up or down.
The power door lock actuator is a simple mechanical device.
A connecting rod attaches to the actuator and another one connects the latch to the manual knob that sticks out the top of the door.
It mimics your motions when you pull the knob up or push it down.
A power door lock actuator is typically positioned somewhere below the latch.
How power door locks work.
When the actuator moves the latch up it connects the outside door handle to the opening mechanism.
The lock buttons are located on each of the doors with a master switch on the driver s door.
The motor reverses direction so that when you press the switch to unlock the doors the lock moves in one direction.
The door lock actuator locks and unlocks your vehicle s doors.
This system is quite small in size.
What happens inside the car door.
Then use your test light or digital meter to check for power and ground at the connector when you operate the lock unlock switch.
Then when you press the switch to lock the doors the lock moves in the opposite direction.
By a signal from a control center in some cars that have power door locks the lock unlock switch actually sends power to the actuators that unlock the door.
A small electric motor turns a series of spur gears that serve as a gear reduction.
