door will not lock

[jaroberts]

I dont see in the s30 manual a description of how the door locks work. If I remember right in order to lock the door with out the key, you lock from inside, hold the door handle up and them close the door. (mine pop back unlocked, as it I did not rise the handle)

 

right?

 

I've just fixed my driver door lock cylinder (thanks to jb weld) and thought I'd see if I could fix this problem also.

 

what do I look for, can the latch be worn? how does this work.

 

any diagrams would be great.

 

thanks for the advise.

[Midnight-280Z]

If you're trying to lock your doors when they're open, it's not going to happen. Classic Z doors lock only when the door is closed. Meaning if you are trying to lock your driver door, you'll have to close it first before you lock it.

[Daeron]

If you're trying to lock your doors when they're open, it's not going to happen. Classic Z doors lock only when the door is closed. Meaning if you are trying to lock your driver door, you'll have to close it first before you lock it.

 

Also meaning, that the ONLY WAY for anyone to lock the keys in your 70's Datsun is to:

 

A: allow the passenger to exit, and lock the passenger door after it is shut.

B: exit and shut the driver door

C: lock the driver door with the key from the outside

D: open the hatch

E: lock the hatch with the key (which I am not sure can be done when the hatch is open, but maybe)

F: throw your keys into the car and then finally

G: close the hatch.

 

In other words, if every car manufacturer did this, nobody would EVER lock their keys in the car. It would take a willful act of masochism.

 

BUT, since we here in modern Western culture are too D@$% lazy to wait until the door is shut to lock it, we get inferior products. Remind me again why its nice when Capitalists cater to the lowest common denominator??

 

 

Disclaimer to the OP: this is a subject I have ranted about before. No angst or malice is directed at you by any means; I am sure there is plenty of angst and malice in my words, but its directed at all of us equally

[jaroberts]

so I guess on 83zx, this was a changed from the z (S30), cause if you hold up on the handle with the door lock and close the door, it stays locked.

 

good info to know, go figure.

 

thanks

[Daeron]

so I guess on 83zx, this was a changed from the z (S30), cause if you hold up on the handle with the door lock and close the door, it stays locked.

 

good info to know, go figure.

 

thanks

 

Yep. I'm not 100% certain which other Datsuns did and did not have this feature, but I know 280ZXs did not. I *should* know whether Roadsters did, and whether the 77-78 cars were the same, but I do not... yet. Must check.

[Ribby Paultz]

I can lock the doors on my 77 while they`re open. I never use the key to lock the car. If the locks aren`t supposed to work this way then I guess mine are broken.

[ModernS30]

I can lock the doors on my 77 while they`re open. I never use the key to lock the car. If the locks aren`t supposed to work this way then I guess mine are broken.

 

You must hold the handle up, that's how my 77 is, if not yours are broken. =P haha

[Mario]

yeap is the pastic thing inside that strips, that is why it can not lock.

[jaroberts]

took the whole lock and latch apart and yep, that was the problem, (JB weld to the recue)

 

not that it matters, I'm installing pw and door locks while I got it all pulled apart.

 

thanks for the advise, yall are great

[leftover z]

Hope you post pics as you go along.