2000 Camry Driver's Door Won't Open. Please Help

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09-13-2022, 03:50 AM

Emdog

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Join Date: Sep 2022

Posts: 3

2000 Camry Driver's Door Won't Open. Please Help

Hi all! My fiance has a coworker in her 70’s and she is forced to climb in/out through the passenger side each time she has to drive the car. She doesn’t have enough money to have it fixed professionally so I told her I would help as much as I could. Anyone’s help/feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Problems:

Driver’s door won’t open.
Passenger’s door will unlock with the key only.
The lock cylinder (in the exterior driver’s door handle) will turn clockwise to lock, but will not turn counter-clockwise at all to unlock the door.

Background Info:

I removed the door card to access the interior door panel.
All “Door Lock Operating Rods” (and all retaining clips) that run to the door latch/actuator assembly are intact.
Interior door handle and lock both seem to function normally, but DO NOT open the door.
Exterior door handle functions properly, but WILL NOT disengage the latch from the striker either.
I already went to a pick-a-part and got a new interior door handle assembly (with all operating rods), and a full exterior door handle/latch/actuator assembly.

Things I’ve Tried:

Held the interior door handle in the open position, and then cycled unlock/lock repeatedly.
Lubed the barrel of the door lock cylinder, and gently worked the key back and forth.
Used pliers to pull on the door operating guide rod (that connects the interior door handle to the latch).

Possible Causes?:

The door lock cylinder is so seized that it won’t allow the door operating guide rod to move out of its locked position??
There is a fuse blown somewhere that would only affect the driver’s door, AND keep the latch locked??
The door latch has seized completely and won’t allow it to disengage from the striker??
Actuator motor wiring issue? (Could this keep the lock engaged if it shorted out while locked??)

Also weirdly enough, I disconnected the actuator’s wiring harness (thinking that it was some kind of “constant electronic lock” safety feature). The one and only door operating rod that does not function properly is the rod that goes from the door lock cylinder to the bottom of the actuator. It seems as if it was stuck in the upward (or locked) position. Curiously, it still locks both rear doors simultaneously when pulled upward the slightest amount (but will not go downward at all). I thought disconnecting the actuator’s wiring harness would disable any central locking effect it could have? Should I have disconnected the car battery instead?

I’ve called toyota specialist auto shops, dealerships, and locksmiths that specialize in cars. 3 out of the 5 (that would lend advice) told me that I would have to break/smash the actuator and door latch from the inside of the car, and pull it out the inside door panel, and then replace it with a new latch/actuator assembly.

Could this be correct? I have no idea how i’m going to drill out the 3 bolts that secure the latch to the door… from the inside 🤔

Again, I sincerely thank you for any information/solutions you may have to contribute!!!
- Max