Fiesta Door Lock Woes

[theorganist]

Hi,

 

My 1990 mark 3 Fiesta has developed a gradual problem with its locks and I am not sure whether to get a new lock set or a new key.

 

First I started having trouble with the boot it got harder and harder to unlock to the point where I was really having to strain hard to open it, it has now stopped totally. At the same time the drivers door lock started playing up where I often couldn't unlock it I would have to wiggle the key back and forth or turn it left fast now it won't unlock at all, it will lock though. Now the passenger side is starting to feel as if it is going the same way! This has literally happened over the last week although the boot has been strange for a month and I have just not got around to dealing with it.

 

This happens with both keys, in fact the lesser used key won't unlock the steering lock although the other one does. The ignition and fuel cap seem to operate fine.

 

Just wondered if anyone had any ideas whether it was more likely to be two worn keys or three worn locks?

 

It is a basic model so no central locking or anything!

 

Many thanks,

Peter

[alf892]

lubricate?

[Norbert]

If it's anything like Mrs_N's Ka, which had exactly the same symptoms, it's worn locks (the never-used master key was no better in the barrels). New set of locks (admittedly with new keys) solved it entirely, or a rebuild kit with all the little wafers should do the same job. In the interim, I found that giving the boot lock loads of plus gas followed by a similar dose of 3 in 1 allowed us to at least use it with a bit of jiggling.

 

Hope this helps!

[theorganist]

I have tried wd40 but to no avail. Could try some 3 in 1 oil.

[theorganist]

Thanks both will try some 3 in 1. According to the internet it seems common on 90's Fords!

[Norbert]

I found the wd40 or plus gas ok for getting any seized up gubbins unseized but to actually get anything to work smoothly or for more than 1 or 2 goes something a bit thicker was needed hence the 3 in 1. Our new locks came as a complete set with keys and cost less than a full set of rebuild kits so we went that way.

[theorganist]

Yes I have found some sets for the Fiesta on eBay so will get them. In the short term will try 3 in 1 and plus gas.

 

Just seems strange that they have all gone at the same time!

[Danblez]

Yes I have found some sets for the Fiesta on eBay so will get them. In the short term will try 3 in 1 and plus gas.

 

Just seems strange that they have all gone at the same time!

 

Fords famous quality* control standards

[red5]

Fords famous quality* control standards

 

Lack of regular (or any maintenance).

 

I can rebuild those if you get repair kits. 10 min or so a lock.

[Micrashed]

Happend quite early on in the life of our Mk3.

Drivers lock was replaced under warranty from Perrys within a couple of weeks of buying (it was 18 months old at that point). Packed up again about 12 months later.

 

In the end we stopped locking it. We hated it by that point, but still owed on the finance.

[Vince70]

Quite a common problem both with the boot lock and especially the door locks on the mk3/4 Fiesta...

 

My sister in law had the bootlock problem you mention and I fixed it with a soaking of 3 and 1 oil in the lock and working the key for 5 minutes..

 

As for the door lock I found the key would turn on mine and the central locking would work but when you pulled on the door handle you couldn't get in..

 

It was hit and miss as sometimes it would work and other times I couldn't get in the drivers side then it packed up altogether so it was a climb over the seat job from the passenger side..

 

In the end I took the door card off and found the problem was a hairline crack in plastic door handle which caused the handle to stop operating the locking mechanism ..

 

If you look at the picture it was the pin that sticks out on the handle which caused the problem..

 

I bought a secondhand handle off eBay for a fiver and it worked fine afterwards.

[theorganist]

Thanks all for the advice and help. Going to attack it with the 3 in 1 oil tomorrow and have ordered a lock set of ebay for £37. The repair kits I found seem to work out to be more than the actual locks!

 

Peter

[wackywacerwill]

I've had similar woes with the transit though kept a set back from a KA I broke for spares. Bit of pain having odd keys but I can live with that.

[cobblers]

As everyone above has repeatedly said, ford wedge keys and locks are fairly shit but you can buy kits to rebuild them cheap enough and it's not a big job. However I would just add a cheap remote locking kit and bypass the whole wanky shebang.