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ok so i'm sure there are threads on this but my question is how do i get the door locks back to how they were. let me explain.

i bought my civic new in '02. the door locks operated where if i would lock the doors from the inside when the car was off the driver side would not lock. it would have to be locked from the outside with the key. the locking mechanism wouldn't go down if pushed from inside.
last year when i took my door panel off to install my door speakers i must have done something because now both doors lock when i hit the lock switch. but, sometimes i'll try and open the door after locking it from the inside and it opens about 1" but stays locked. i don't like this because it seems vulnerable and i can lock the keys in my car if not careful. how do i program the locking system to go back to how it originally came? thanks.

 
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it could be:

1. loose plug/wires (when you opened ur door panel)
2. your actuator

 
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how could it be a loose plug or bad actuator when both doors lock and unlock? maybe you misunderstood my post..

 
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you probably messed up something with the mechanical linkage.

 
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nothing was messed up. what i think happened was when i put the door panel back on and checked to see if everything was working, i must have reset the door lock setting. i was wondering if anyone had the info on how to set it back to the default.

 
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there is no default setting. it's not a computer. so you lock the door, then try to open it, and the door opens a little bit? that's a mechanical problem.

 
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It's an entirely mechanical system, I looked into it a few weeks ago. You either bent something or broke something. It's integral to the latch mechanism.

 
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ok, so there's no way to change the way the electric door locks work. they only lock or unlock when you hit the switch right? that's what you're telling me. you can't change it to lock with the ignition on or anything like that. and there aren't different settings for the door locks. they either lock or unlock. ok guys thanks for your wisdom or should i say lack thereof.

 
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OK, there's no need to be a jerk. -1 for you.

But you really should provide us with some more information, pictures, videos, even a song-and-dance routine would be more helpful than what you're giving us.

What I'm saying is that you probably did break something, just like you surmised. Have you actually taken the door panel back off and looked for yourself?

 
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i'm so sorry your highness. i went back and edited my post so supreme beings like yourself can read clearly. god forbid i hit the wrong key that's right next to the correct one.

yes, i have gone back and taken it off and checked. nothing is broken or bent. thanks for your fesiciousness.

i asked my buddy next door at the alarm place and he checked it out without taking the door apart. seems like the rod or mechanism maybe stuck not broken. i have visiually checked the rod many times while upgrading my door speakers and it is not bent in anyway. there maybe some damping material stuck to it or something. but thanks for your responses.

 
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Have you looked into the vehicle wiring diagram and seen if there's anything that might be causing it there? A Haynes manual might be helpful here.

 
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okay, for starters, insulting people that are trying to help you won't be tolerated. you won't last long around here doing that. you certainly won't get any help. that said, yes there is a way to lock with the ignition, but you'd need to do additional wiring to do it. there's not a "setting" you can change. my doors lock when i start the car and unlock when i shut it off, but that's because my alarm unit sends an electrical pulse to lock/unlock circuit. if you didn't do it with an alarm, you could do it with relay logic, but you'd probably need 3 or more relays so that you don't keep constant electricity on the lock/unlock circuit and burn up the solenoids. other than adding electrical functionality to your car, then as stated before, the system is all mechanical.

 
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thanks for deleting my last post.

 
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it wasn't beneficial to the thread or anyone else and was only stirring the pot. if you're trying to pick fights, go somewhere else.

 
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i have the same problem.

 
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Sounds like the door panel wasn't put back on correctly. :shrugs:

 
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it doesn't sound like you know this, but if you pull the driver side handle, the doors will lock normally, my guess is that when you opened your door handle, you bent mechanical linkage between the drivers handle and the door closer just enough to let the lock go down enough that it lock the car. if that made sense. I laugh at people who lock their door from the outside when they have power locks. lots of people don't know about the door handle pulling trick.

 
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Dude. I didn't know this. I'm going to try that.

 
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hey everybody. Please bear with me this is my first post. I have a 2001 honda civic LX with sort of the same problem. I have an after market car alarm. The door locks work when I arm but when I'm driving the doors won't lock. I tried following the advise in the forum but still unable to lock from the inside. Any suggestions or should i just take it to the dealer. Thanks

 
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Im not sure what you did, just thought id offer an FYI, the driver side door only locks when you hit the lock button while holding the door handle open [inside or out] The owners manual addresses that.

 
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I had a simliar issue, try manual reset of the alarm

 
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I've had to replace the actuator on my driver side door lock. But upon taking the actuator off the assembly the door lock arm fell out and now I'm not sure how it's supposed to go back on. Does anyone have a detailed diagram for an 02 Civic EX drivers side door lock?

 
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This should help:



I got that from estore.honda.com, just for future reference.

 
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Ok guys, Since you have been on the power locks topic maybe someone can help me. I've got a 94 lx sedan. My dor lock have mysteriously started to unlock themselves. It dosent matter how I lock it (i.e. with the handle open and pressing the lock button, from inside with the door closed, pressing the *** down w/ doors closed, ect) in a coupe of sconds sometimes minutes it unlocks all doors. I've removed the power lock fuse until I can figure it out. dont want my car opening overnight.

any help would be appreciated.

 
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Sounds like a short. At least that's the only thing I can think of that would cause something like that.

 
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Wow! this is the firdt time I ever got a response the same day. thank you. I hought tat but there has been no tampering or electronics touched (besides radi and amp) but that was over 6mths ago. and it just started like 4 days ago. I was thinking of taking out the switch and using some elecrtic cleaning spray. good idea to start or no?

 
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You might as well. Your car's 14 years old, it's completely conceivable that wiring might have just deteriorated over time. I'd go get a Haynes or Chilton manual from the local Auto Parts store, and flip to the wiring diagrams in the back. If it were me, I'd probably make a copy of it so I could scribble all over it. From there, I'd section off small manageable pieces to troubleshoot individually with an Ohmmeter, or possibly a voltmeter. A multimeter would be best.

Again, this is just troubleshooting, not actually fixing the issue. But once you know where the problem is, you can move from there to actually fix it.

Oh, and if you're still online, IM me if you've got more questions.

 
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Start by unplugging the lock switch in the door. That will rule that in or out.
Intermittently shorted wire is also very possible, good call on that.

 
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I bought my 2002 Civic LX on Tuesday and thought the driver's side door actuator was broken. After reading the above information, I was glad to find out that my door lock does work while pulling the handle. Thanks

After discovering the handle trick, I talked to a Honda dealership and was told that this is a design feature. If I'd read the manual, I guess I'd have realized this.

 
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I have a 2003 Civic EX. My drivers side lock was working fine this morning, but when I got home this afternoon it wasn't. When I lock the door from the inside manually, the driver side won't lock but the passenger side will. When I turn the car on, the driver side won't lock but the passenger side will. When I lock the car with the alarm, the driver side won't lock but the passenger side will. I have to either push the lock myself when I'm in the car, or lock the car with my key when I'm out of it. Also, my alarm will not activate unless the car is locked. I've been reading the forums and I'm trying to see if its the actuator or maybe a fuse.