Rear Hatch Lock Trouble

[LarryKingsShoes]

I have manual locks on my 03 Vibe and am having a heck of a time with the locks. It seems rather selective as to when it works. I just came in from loading the car and it would not budge. The key would go in but it would not turn. It took a few minutes of trying before it finally unlocked. Locking it back up was similarly troublesome. Getting the out, however, proved to be the most difficult part.Is there something i could try to get the lock working properly again? Perhaps it has to do with the cold weather but my other locks work well. The hatch has been a pain, even in the summer season but it does seem to get worse as it gets colder (or it could be my patience declining due to the cold weather playing a trick on me).At any rate, I'd love to hear some suggestions if you've got them. I don't access the hatch area too often but it's just enough to irritate me when I think of having to.Thanks!

[joatmon]

The lock is probably just dirty. The aerodynaics of these cars cause a lot of dirt/grime to wash over the back, and over time soime of that may have gotten into the lock.Me, I'd probably just spray some WD-40 in the lock and work it back and forth a bit. Soneone here is an anti-WD-40 advocate, so perhaps there is a better alternative to washing out the lock than WD-40.It's also possible that your key is getting a bit worn, so try your other key. Probably won't make a difference though, the difficulty of getting the key out of the lock would tend to indicate a dirty lock

[cq358]

yeah...i agree with the last post to give the lock cylinder with wd40 bath ,Remove all your house keys or any other key so you wont' scratch the paint/make your house key oily during this procedure. soak the lock with generous amount of WD 40 push in and out the key in quick succession like a mad man for 15minutes until your hands are very tired.once the lock free up then soak the key again with engine oil for future protection against moisture . It seems there is rust/moisture forming inside the lock cylinder and the metal pieces inside the mechanism having trouble plunging freely, that why it cannot project the same contour as your key.

[LarryKingsShoes]

Thanks for the tips, fellas. I'll give it a shot!I didn't realize it until I tried starting my car after posting this original thread but my key actually got twisted and deformed while trying to get it out. If the lock is dirty (and it seems quite likely), it must be getting pretty darn bad. Hopefully the WD40 bath will clear it up so this doesn't happen again.

[cq358]

Do you have aftermarket key,If it is aftermarket, check the key's contour against your original key sometime the person who cut the key is not too careful and missing a notches somewhere.