What is a Sliding Door Lock Actuator?
Any door on a modern vehicle, including a power sliding door, is going to have an electric lock. Or more accurately, an electrically-actuated lock. The key can be used to manually lock and unlock the doors. But if the remote key fob or a switch inside the vehicle is to be used instead, something else has to turn the lock. The sliding door lock actuator is a solenoid (or, in some cases, a DC motor) that responds to an electrical signal and moves to work the lock mechanism.
How do Sliding Door Lock Actuators work?
When a button is pressed on the key fob (or in the vehicle), a signal is sent to the Body Control Module (BCM) which, in turn, communicates with the sliding door lock actuator. The lock actuator is mounted, in some cases, between the lock cylinder and the lock and latch assembly. It is attached to the lock linkage (a cable or rod) inside the door and responds to the signal from the BCM to move the linkage back and forth, to lock and unlock. Many newer vehicles have the actuator built into the latch assembly.
What are the symptoms of a bad Sliding Door Lock Actuator?
If the sliding door fails to lock or unlock at all with the electronic controls, the actuator may be bad. Normally (and depending on the type of actuator) a slight clunking sound or a whirring sound can be heard when the locks are activated. If the sound of the actuator becomes weak, excessively noisy, or it begins to make grinding noises, it could be failing. The lock may also move partially, but not all the way, indicating that it is going bad. Sometimes the lock actuator behaves erratically. If the doors lock and then unlock quickly - or they work intermittently - the lock actuator may be at fault. Each door lock has its own actuator. If one of them begins to work erratically, all of the locks may act in unison, making it difficult to know which actuator is the culprit.
Can I drive with a bad Sliding Door Lock Actuator?