Door locks

[66toaster]

I'm a recent owner of a coupe. I'm curious about the door locks as I have not attempted to lock the doors with the key in fear of not being able to re-open. My question is: can a locked door be opened from the inside by using the interior handle? Do the small posts become flush with door when locked. If not, can they be pulled up to unlock door? Thanks.

 

[pmansson]

They don´t become fully flush, but too low to grab with fingers.
A pair of thin pliers would work, as the mechanism is such that they can be pulled.
Use some chamois leather between the plier ends to avoid damaging the black screw on top.

 

[HB Chris]

Yes the interior door handle will unlock the door, you can't pull the locking knobs up. Roll window down, close and lock door, try key.

 

[jmackro]

The CS door lock mechanism is a mechanical marvel, but does take some maintenance. If you are unable to turn the key to lock/unlock it, or if it only turns with difficulty, then the mechanism is probably gummed up. The lubricant turns to glue with time, so if you have problems this is probably the cause. The solution is to remove the interior door panel to gain access to the lock mechanism (mounted on the rear face of the door, behind the latch) and spray your favorite lubricant while working the lock.

How are your electric windows? The boys in Munich seemed to use the same slow-setting epoxy to lubricate the window motors as they did on the locks.

 

[CSteve]

The locking knobs on my 74 CSi are long enough to pull up. I have found the length varies. I have one knob that when in the unlocked position leaves some metal threads revealed. You can also saturate the key, protect the paint around the lock and work the key in an out. Worth a try.

What about spraying that de-icer in the small!! aerosol cans? A question for the experts. I have never tried it myself.

 

[jmackro]

You can also saturate the key, protect the paint around the lock and work the key in an out. Worth a try. What about spraying that de-icer in the small!! aerosol cans? A question for the experts. I have never tried it myself.

In the typical "gummed up lock" situation, I doubt these measures would do very much. What generally gets gummed up is the latch mechanism which is mounted on the inside of the door jamb - not the lock that is mounted on the outside skin of the door.

Sure, if your lock won't unlock, then try to lubricate it through the keyhole. But, if it does unlock, but is hard/impossible to turn, then lubricating through the keyhole won't reach the problem. You'll need to pull off the interior door panel to get at the pertinent mechanism.

 

[Erik]

I could be way off here, but if I was trying to lubricate the lock tumbler that the key fits into, I would use a spray graphite to try to improve the operation there and generally stay away from oil based products in order to avoid further dirt and gum accumulation.

Last time I cleaned and lubricated the internal mechanism, I think it was with some generic auto grease. Worked fine.