How to Repair Ford Tempo Door Locks

Ford Tempo power door locks are of the stand-alone type as opposed to the ones that are an integral part of the door latch. They have a small electric motor with a set of reduction gears that operate a rack. The rack moves in both directions, which allows the door lock mechanism to move up or down. It uses a centrifugal clutch on the gear operated by the motor so that the door locks can be operated manually. Before condemning a particular door lock, the rest should be checked for operation to be sure there is no problem with the security or electrical system. If the problem is isolated to one door, then the switch or lock is bad.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Phillips screwdriver
• Set of ¼-inch drive sockets
• ¼-inch drive ratchet
• Needle-nose pliers
• Common screwdriver

1. Remove the two Phillips screws in the armrest of the door panel. Remove the screw from the cover in front of the door handle. Remove the outside mirror cover by prying it off with the common screwdriver. Remove the door panel by inserting the common screwdriver in between the door panel and the door and prying the trim fasteners out of their recess on all three corners of the door.

2. Tilt the bottom of the door panel out slightly and lift straight up to unhook the top edge on the door panel. Remove the electrical connectors from the window and door lock switch. Remove the electrical connector from the automatic door lock mechanism, which is located just below the door latch mechanism.

3. Remove the plastic retainer on the top of the rod from the door lock to the door latch. Just push the plastic snap retainer to one side and extract the rod out of the door latch. Remove the door lock mechanism. There is a rubber grommet on either side of the door lock, and the lock is pressed into a bracket on the backside of the door. Lift up and the door lock will come out of the bracket. Replace all parts in reverse order of removal.

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