Disco 2 door lock replacement

[M&S]

Hi all, thought I'd post a little report for those of you who haven't done the door lock mechanism on a D2 yet. You know the problem, the lock won't open off the key fob so you think it'll be worth changing it so that you don't have to use the key to get in the drivers door every time.

Well after 3 hours, lots of swearing and one "oh sh*t" moment I've finished it. This is by no means a comprehensive guide but more a few tips for those planning to do this.

1) You have to remove the door trim obviously. Not too much of a job although all of the screws ere very tight and now a bit rounded. I'll need new ones before I remove the trim again. I should have had some to hand this time really. Same goes for the Torx screws, they are REALLY tight and a bit soft. I shall replace them with new ones if I ever take them out again.

2) You then have to remove the window and frame. Yup. There is no way of doing the job without, I tried, and tried, but it wasn't happening. So my advice is to get straight in and take it out from the start. It gives you lots of room to work with as well, there is a surprisingly large gap looking down the top of the door once it's out. I used duct tape as marks on the frame to help with the refit. You could be a mm or two out so it's worth it.

3) Once you've removed the lock and popped the new one in TRY AND TRY AGAIN to make sure that it works BEFORE fitting the window back in. Mine didn't. DO NOT SHUT THE DOOR UNTIL YOU ARE SURE THAT IT WORKS. You can't open the door once you have shut it. It turns out it was the cable from the interior door handle. I'd popped it back in too high a position in the clip and this stops you using the exterior and interior handles to open the door. Yup, if the door is shut at this stage you have a problem!! That was my "oh sh*t) moment. They don't seem to open by manually operating the lever, you can't quite get the movement you need. First thing to try is relocating the interior handle cable.

4) Once it's all working refit everything. I would have liked a new plastic sheet that's behind the trim. I shall make sure I have one for next time. On this occassion duct tape has sealed it up.

5) Wash your hands, and have a well earned cup of tea.

It is a one person job and could be done in 2 hours if all goes well and you don't lock the door with no way of opening it. How on earth you'd manage to do this if the lock broke completely and you couldn't open the door I don't know. You couldn't remove the window frame even if you could get the trim out. I would certainly say that they are theif proof!