Hey everybody, I’m new here and new to Toyota; just got my first 4Runner a month ago. It’s a 93 SR5 with a 5 speed manual, 4x4, the bigger factory tires, all that fun stuff. It’s rusty and has some quirks, but seems pretty solid overall.

One of the quirks that’s confusing me is the front passenger door lock. It will not lock or unlock with the switch, or when using the key in the driver’s door. Both rear doors work, it’s just the front passenger door.

But here’s where things get strange. The lock does work properly when you use the key on the door. It will lock and unlock the passenger door, and all the other doors, as expected. So it is receiving power and it’s communicating with the other doors; it just doesn’t seem to be receiving the signal from the driver side lock.

Any clues what might cause that or where to start looking? Thanks!

 

Might be the actuator in the passenger side front. They get weak over time. You may just need to replace the actuator.
You might also pull the inside door panel, and make sure the rods and connectors between the lock actuator and the actual lock are in good shape and connected correctly. They have been known to come loose from one end or the other, and just need to popped back into place.

Also, the wire looms right where they go from door to body have been known to wear through, and have broken wires. Check both the driver's side, and the passenger side. If there are worn, or broken wires, reconnect them. Soldering, covered with heat shrink, is the best way, with butt spices a distant second. You might need to put in a short extension wire to make them reach properly.

Good luck! Keep us informed of how things go for you
Pat☺

 

Hey, thanks for all the info! I’ve been working through my front suspension at the moment, so it might be a little while before I start taking the door apart, but I’ll definitely post an update once I’ve done some digging and (hopefully) found the problem.

 

I agree with Pat, it might just be a mechanical hangup, I have that situation on my daily driver CR-V. My fault, didn’t do something exactly right after replacing the window regulator, but too lazy, not high enough priority to pull it apart again.