Help needed with habitation door mechanism.

[Sue26]

Hello all, we are currently away in our moho- swift 696 and yesterday the habitation door wouldn't lock. The barrel is stuck in the open position (it's at an angle rather than vertical) but the door opened and closed normally. Today when I have tried it again the door is now not engaging at all and there is no tension on the internal handle.
I presume I will need to get the panel off the inside of the door to see what's going on behind it.
To get the panel off is it just a case of removing the full width bar and taking off the little white cap (presumably there is a screw behind this) on the inside of the door.

 

[Sue and Rick]

What about putting key back in and turning to vertical?

 

[Sue26]

What about putting key back in and turning to vertical?

I've tried that. The key won't push in all the way now.

 

[Sue and Rick]

Spray some wd40 in and wiggle it

 

[Sue26]

Thanks for the suggestion. I've not tried wd40 as we've not got any with us but I have tried some thetford lubricant spray and that's done nothing.
I can try wd40 when we get home (we can secure the door from the outside with the security bar). I have also ordered a barrel removal key in the hope that I can get the barrel out with that, it's due to be delivered on Thursday. I don't know if I need to remove the internal door panel to get the barrel out though.
We've had the van since 2016 and it's been relatively trouble free but just recently there have been a few niggles that have caused panic to set in as we are not confident diy ers.

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[Speve]

Don’t use WD40! use a silicone spray it doesn’t clog the works.the stuff you use to spray the cassette seals with will do

 

[Sue26]

Don’t use WD40! use a silicone spray it doesn’t clog the works.the stuff you use to spray the cassette seals with will do

That's the stuff I've already got with me and used to no avail. It was the thetford seal lubricant silicone spray.
Thanks for the wd40 tip- that would have been my next try when we get home!

 

[Speve]

It sounds like there is an accumulation of dust etc in the cylinder stopping the key pushing in fully try and get a very fine needle or something similar and poke around in the key hole to see if you can pull anything out

 

[Sue26]

It sounds like there is an accumulation of dust etc in the cylinder stopping the key pushing in fully try and get a very fine needle or something similar and poke around in the key hole to see if you can pull anything out

Ok thanks
Will give it a try when we get home.

 

[Sue26]

Goodmorning all.
We are back home now and my red zadi remover key has arrived. I've been down to storage, poked around in the lock with a needle, squirted some more silicone spray in the lock and still no movement.
I tried the remover key and that won't insert either. (It does insert into other locks on the van so presumably it's the right key.) I have ordered some plastic trim tools to have an attempt at removing the internal door panel as I suspect I may need a new door handle now rather than just a new lock. I'm beginning to wonder if this is perhaps not a job for the feint hearted and perhaps a job best left to someone with far more experience of these things than us.
Any advice/suggestions?

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[Speve]

Goodmorning all.
We are back home now and my red zadi remover key has arrived. I've been down to storage, poked around in the lock with a needle, squirted some more silicone spray in the lock and still no movement.
I tried the remover key and that won't insert either. (It does insert into other locks on the van so presumably it's the right key.) I have ordered some plastic trim tools to have an attempt at removing the internal door panel as I suspect I may need a new door handle now rather than just a new lock. I'm beginning to wonder if this is perhaps not a job for the feint hearted and perhaps a job best left to someone with far more experience of these things than us.
Any advice/suggestions?

It’s probably easier to get a locksmith to sort it he will have the tools to do it and probably a lot quicker I suspect either tumblers have slipped or someone has tried forcing it with a screwdriver

 

[Sue26]

It’s probably easier to get a locksmith to sort it he will have the tools to do it and probably a lot quicker I suspect either tumblers have slipped or someone has tried forcing it with a screwdriver

Thanks Speve
After my zadi removal key didn't work I was a little disheartened and suspected that might be my best option.
I'm starting to suspect I could make matters worse if I start taking panels etc off.

 

[Speve]

Thanks Speve
After my zadi removal key didn't work I was a little disheartened and suspected that might be my best option.
I'm starting to suspect I could make matters worse if I start taking panels etc off.

Yes and probably don’t need panels removed anyway

 

[Sue26]

Yes and probably don’t need panels removed anyway

I'm feeling better about this already now I have relinquished the responsibility in my head.

Thanks.

 

[Sue26]

UPDATE
Brought van home from storage today and tried squirting wd40 as far into the barrel as I could with the straw, some cr#p came out, tried my original key again and it worked. Locked and unlocked several times and all working well now.
I've even managed to remove the barrel with the removal key and give it a good clean, reinserted and all is well

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[Sue and Rick]

UPDATE
Brought van home from storage today and tried squirting wd40 as far into the barrel as I could with the straw, some cr#p came out, tried my original key again and it worked. Locked and unlocked several times and all working well now.
I've even managed to remove the barrel with the removal key and give it a good clean, reinserted and all is well

You are now a fully fledged Motorhome technician

 

[Nanniemate]

UPDATE
Brought van home from storage today and tried squirting wd40 as far into the barrel as I could with the straw, some cr#p came out, tried my original key again and it worked. Locked and unlocked several times and all working well now.
I've even managed to remove the barrel with the removal key and give it a good clean, reinserted and all is well

Congratulations , everytime I fix something I make it worse

Maybe I should be more cautiuos in my approach