I read up on this replacement of the driver door actuator and replaced the window regulator at the same time. I went the route of pulling the entire frame out of the top of the door, and removing the window completely as well. I thought I had all the rods connected correctly and the push pin from the exterior door handle installed correctly as well. I locked it and unlocked it and tested it, and all seemed good before putting the window frame and glass back in and getting the regulator and window motor back in. Window motor and regulator work fine now.

I wanted to test again before re-installing the door panel and not working well. Here are the tests results

- Once I get this door to open and the door is unlocked - I can open/close the door from the outside repeatedly with no problems. I can observe from the interior side of the door the push pin forcing the rod down to release the catch at the door jam.
- I can lock the door with the inside dash switch or key FOB successfully
- When locked, I seem to be able to unlock it as I hear the electric mechanism and the manual door lock **** at the window goes up, but I cannot open the door with the interior door handle or exterior door as I would expect. At least not right away as normal. Once I try the inside handle a few times and then the outside handle a few times, the outside will finally let me open the door after 4-6 tries or more. The interior handle never allows me to open the door. In looking in the door when unlocked and opening using the outside door handle, I can see the push rod pushing down on the plastic keeper in the loop on the back of actuator a good 1/4 - 1/2 inch or more. but when I pull the interior door handle the cable pull only moves the loop downward only slightly, and subsequently the plastic keeper and rod down very slightly that are are connected to the big loop.

- When I attempt to unlock the door with the key, the door lock **** moves up as it normally would to unlock, but I cannot get the door handle to open the door right away as noted above.

My questions on reassembly:

- Does anyone have a pic of how the push rod is to connect in the white connector inside the exterior door handle? I think I have it correct at the top and the push rod is in the plastic "+" shaped green connector on the actuator. When the exterior handle is pulled the push rod pushes the big loop on the actuator down pretty much all the way, but not hardly at all when pulled by the cable using the interior handle.

- In regard to the cable connected to the interior door handle, I simply snapped the cable out of the plastic where it snapped into the actuator and hooked the cable end loop over brass hook/lever on the new actuator that it pulls and snapped it back in the new actuator. Did I miss something here?

I am going to go out and do some better documented testing scenarios and report back just to make sure I have all the information I can provide to get some assistance. Thanks

 

Did little more testing, and it appears the actuator is working, but something is not quite lined up. I lock and unlock it with dash switch and key fob and it locks and unlocks. The problem is that it takes me from 5-8 times on either the interior handle or the exterior handle before the door will finally open. It is like each handle pull is doing a little each time to finally free up the door from the lock mechanism, and after 5-8 pulls it finally allows the door to open. Once opened I can open and close with either interior or exterior door handle for normal door use. Not sure what to look at next.