Hi Quavey,
It does sound like the latch is starting to play up, but I would also recommend (when you are swapping it out) to inspect the wiring between the latch and the door outstation as it has been known for the loom to get caught on the window regulator mechanism (if it has been moved before and not clipped back properly) which may give intermittent problems. If you have ever had trouble moving the mirror or the window in that door, then it could point to more of a problem with the wiring to the outstation (the connectors can get a bit green and horrible! and the outstation drives the door lock aswell as the mirror/window).
I am currently away with my day job, yes - I am due back home just before the end of June - so I have been recommending to everyone who has been in touch about latches to source them from elsewhere if they can't wait until I'm back. I have a fairly large box full of latches to work on when I get home (the downsides of working on P38's as a hobby, rather than a full time job!) But hopefully I will be able to help you out with one if you need one again in the future. I would be interested in acuiring the old one from you once you are back up and running if you aren't wanting to keep it.. I don't have many of the latest style ones from the post '99 vehicles, and I've had a few that I've sold and not had the old one returned to me aswell, so always on the eye out for them!
Regarding the actual problem with your current latch - it sounds like the CDL motor in the latch has failed, so it isn't running when the BECM tells it to lock/unlock. When you press the sill lock button down, it manually moves the locking mechanism inside the latch to lock/unlock it - the reason it still triggers the other locks is because as it manually locks/unlocks, the CDL microswitch is sending the 'locked' or 'unlocked' signal to the BECM, which then in turn commands the other doors to lock/unlock. The fact that this all works as it should, says to me that the wiring/connectors I mentioned above are probably all OK and it is just the motor in the latch which is faulty. Replacing the whole latch is the easiest solution, and isn't a long/difficult job to do (passenger side is easier as there is one less rod to disconnect too!!)
Rough steps are:
Remove door card:
Remove 1x screw from under internal pull handle and remove plastic 'cup' from door handle.
Remove Tweeter speaker (it gently pulls off, and there's a connector there for the wires) and undo 1x screw in the door card
Undo 2x screws from under the main interior door handle
Starting at the bottom, slowly pry the door card off the door frame. I use trim tools, but you can use a flat blade screwdriver with some tape over the end so you don't scratch the metal up. You will get 'popping' as the plastic trim clips pull free from the door panel. Once the bottom is working loose (5mm kind of gap along the bottom) then start working up the sides, so you don't put too much pressure on the middle of the door card (I've seen a few - my own P38 included where the card has started to split half way up because someone in the past has gone full whack at the bottom straight away!)
As you get the sides starting to pop out, then pull the bottom out more and you should get the whole thing to come off. On the later models, there are a couple of metal hooks at the top of the door card that have it 'hang' on the door frame, so as the trim clips come undone, you need to lift the door card a bit to unhook it and get it free.
Undo the connector to the mid-range speaker that the attached to the door card.
With the door card off, you need to remove the weather seal (grey foam bit) - on most P38's its probably already just and been taped back together, so it should be easy enough to get back in!
Then you will have access to the door latch to remove it. On the passenger ones, I usually disconnect the rod that is held in with the red clip first, as it is easy to get to. Then I unbolt the latch, which lets you move it enough to get the pull cable from the interior door handle unclipped, and then out of the latch (will need long nose pliers, and maybe a squirt of WD-40 to help get it out).
With the cable removed, you can then either twist the latch enough to be able to free the sill locking rod from the latch and get the latch out, or you can unscrew the button from the top of the sill locking rod, and remove the latch with this rod still attached.
Undo the electrical connection (the vehicle will probably lock the other doors, because of the way that the CDL switch reports back to the BECM - when there is no connection, it is 'locked'. You can get around this by unplugging the biggest connector from the outstation - which will pull the power/serial link out of the outstation so it won't report door latch status back to the BECM whilst you're working on it
Refit is, as they say the reverse of removal.
Reinstall the sill lock rod (if you removed the latch with it still attached) and get the latch back in the door.
If you flipped the latch in the door to get the sill lock rod out, then reinstall this now before connecting anything else, as with the pull cable and other rod attached, it's impossible to flip the latch over enough to get the sill lock rod back in properly.
Reinstall the end of the wire pull cable into the plastic cam on the latch (again long nose pliers and WD-40 help!) and clip the cable shroud back into the metal bracket on the latch
Re-bolt the latch back in the door, and reinstall the door handle rod - not forgetting to clip the red clip back on (otherwise the rod can fall out and then the exterior door handle won't work!)
Plug the electrical connection back in, and plug outstation back in (if you unplugged it)
Test EVERYTHING before putting the door card back on. I usually trip the latch with a screwdriver to mimic the door being closed and hitting the striker - that means you can check everything with the door still open. Once you're happy it works as it should, test it again but by actually closing the door (but still with the door card off)
Once tested and everything is OK, refit the door card.
I got caught out on my own P38 as the wire cable on the interior pull handle was frayed and caught at a point where there was still pressure on the opening mechanism - which after I closed the door, meant it wouldn't lock/unlock, or let me open the door again... I had put the door card on without testing it first and had a few minutes of panic before managing to use pliers to push the cable back to it's normal resting place, which in turn released the tension on the latch and let me unlock/open the door again... hence why I now test everything twice before putting the door card back on!!
If you have any other questions or need any other tips, then just drop me a message... I am presuming that the email I have from my website about a latch for a 2001 vogue is from you... bit of a coincidence if not.... I'll drop you a reply there aswell, so you have my email address if you need anything else aswell..
Again, sorry I can't help with a refurbished unit at the moment! I'm looking forward to getting home and being able to work on some of my P38 projects again...
Marty
