Door Locking, Works off the Plip but not with the key

[xmexclusive]

Hi All

Have a door lock problem with the latest aquisition. When the doors are locked or unlocked with the plip everything works fine. When I use the door key the doors lock as they should but when I unlock the mechanical mechanism and the inside door lock button only lifts half way and the door stays locked. Strange thing is that it is the same on both front doors whichever side of the car you use the key in.
Any suggestions?

John

[citroenxm]

John,

It has to be a mechanical linkage problem - OR the door buttons catching somewhere in the door trim..

Pop the door lock buttons off the actuators, and try them again... if the same, I guess its further down between the door lock and the mechanisem.. just a thought, IF the locks have been removed from the door for any reason, they MAY have been replaced incorrectly - or swapped accross, the locks will swap sides, but the lock plunger on the back doesn't sit correctly - if you follow what Im trying to say...

Rgds
Paul

[Ciaran]

Yet the plip works fine... VERY strange!

Will be interesting to see how this one turns out...
(Sorry I can't be of anymore help other than to agree with what Paul has suggested already).

Ciarán

[Gav]

i have experienced this before when i was repairing the window cables and had the door trims only held on loosely... i had the lock buttons that you press inside the car removed leaving the thin metal linkages sitting loose in the door trims and its was one of these bars that was catching thus not coming fully up and releasing the lock. These metal bars have to rise virtually their whole travel to permit unlocking, so even though i could initially see them moving, they were not enough.

beware also, if the buttons are fitted (i'm guessing they are) this does not mean they are fixed securely to the metal bars within them - so you may see the button moving but it might not be moving enough.

the flimsy plastic grips inside the buttons are practically only a one-use item but the good news is citroen stock the little plastic bits and they are only pennies to buy. saves you hours of trying to get the reused ones to grip properly.