I am new here
HI Folks my name is Mark i am from Melbourne Australia
i own a 1998 4cyl camry wagon Auto svx20
i have a door lock issue.
my key will start the car but jams in the front door (RHS) and i can only lock but not open
to complicate matters my door remote fob is broken, i changed the battery and it still will not work, i have done the turn key on and off 3 times.
all i want to do is replace the door lock with a standard key.
also last night i had to get into the vehicle from the tailgate and when i closed the door it locked itself, it has never done this before.
is it possible to use a door lock from another model that has a standard key??
any help will be muchly appreciated.

cheers Mark

 

Does the key work on the other door?

Try to determine if the lock cylinder is the problem or the locking mechanism.

If you think the lock cylinder is stuck use a penetrating lube to try to free it up. If just binding use lock graphite to lube it.

Might remove the door panel for access ASAP in case the lock/mechanism fails to work and the door can't be opened from the inside.

If the power lock is activating on its own when closing the door. The wiring between the chassis and door may have broken/shorted from flexing. This would be a common issue and repair. The wires can be tested.

Locks from 1997-01 should fit.

 

hi toyomoho,
thank you for your quick reply, just in time, my wife arrived home last night from work (driving the camry) she stopped the car got out (window down) door locked by itself, i opened door from inside, put key in the ignition when the alarm went off.
i could still start the car with the key, after maybe a minute the alarm stopped,
i consulted dr google and now have removed the Alarm system fuse,the car starts and runs as normal, however i still have lock issue.

now to answer your questions
lock cylinder is the problem as the key will only lock the door, the key will not physically turn in the other direction to unlock
i have sprayed lots of WD 40 but to no avail.

I will remove the door panel on the weekend as my wife is on night shift and uses the camry.(and she can't drive my Manual surf, but that's another story LOL)

yes the power lock works on its own, in fact when you manually unlock the door with the "button on the door" the lock "springs" back to the locked position and atm can only be opened from inside the car.

i assume when you say "The wiring between the chassis and door may have broken/shorted from flexing." your are talking about the drivers side door? and that's where i should inspect!

the locks from 1997-01, do i need buy another security key and lock or can i buy a lock with a standard key

cheers Mark

 

It could be something in the door lock mechanism is blocking the lock cylinder from rotating in one direction. Check this out.

If the lock is springing back with lock button usage there is a problem. Check wiring and door switches. The locks will spring back if a door is open or a door switch has a problem.

Yes, wiring between drivers door and chassis.

Don't think the door lock utilizes the security chip, just the ign key.

Check out the door lock mechanism for blockage of key cylinder rotation plus wiring.

 

hi Toyomoho,
just to clarify the lock springing back with lock button usage, the lock now operates normally since i have removed the fuse that disables the security system.

i have been looking on line and a lock and key set is around $40-$60.

i will be getting stuck into it on Saturday.

also thank you very much for your advice, it has been bloody fantastic,
cheers Mark

 

HI Toyomoho,
i repaired my lock issue last weekend,
basically i removed the lock barrel and found that it was gunked up, after cleaning it i found that a couple of tabs were sticking up and would not allow the key to turn anticlockwise, as i needed to get the car going ASAP, i filed down the tabs until the key turned in both directions, not the best solution however it is now operating as normal.
the security system just started to operate normally as well, which was a big relief.
all i need to do now is get the door fob working or get another remote and the camry And my wife will be happy.
thank you and the forum for the fantastic advice.
cheers Mark

 

Great job of fixing the lock and saving a few dollars at the same time.

Thanks for posting back with the fix.

Check battery in FOB.

 

I have soldered a new battery into the fob, I made sure I bought the battery with the solder tags on it.
i tried to "program" the fob by turning the ignition on / off 3 times. I did the same when I changed the battery about 2 years ago. It worked then
cheers mark

 

Keep up the good work!

 

hi,i'm new to camryforums and be happy to here to hear toyota from news members