This is for all those who have had their 8 Lock them in the car. Mine did it once to me and I got it open, was just not going to lock it. Then had a passenger hit locks instead of window and same problem again. So I dove into it and made this you anyone else in the same boat.

What happens is their is a spring in the latch assembly that breaks. When this breaks, the mechanism that pushing the latch release wont line up to work.

So lets start at the beginning. Your locked in the car. The nice thing is you only need a few tools to get the door open and the problem solved. This is easier if the seat is all the way back.

- A #2 Phillips Screwdriver
- A #3 Phillips Screwdriver or Impact (These screws are tight)
- A 10mm Socket and Rachet
- A light source (Its dark inside the door when you can't open it)

Your first step is to climb back in the seat. Now pop off the tweeter panel, just metal clips holding on. Now pull up on the switch panel, bottom first. Unplug the panel and tweeter(if applicable).


Now with those off you will have 3 screws(#2 Phillips) to remove.
- 1 holding panel behind door handle (may need small blade to pop cover off screw
- 1 behind molded handle angled toward rear of door
- 1 behind where switch panel was
Pull these 3 screws and the panel behind door handle.


Now a fun part. There are still plastic upholstery clips holding the bottom and sides of the panel in place. To release(remove) these you just have to pull out on the panel untill you pop them loose. Once these are loose pick up on the panel till it pops out of the window track. This is easier if the window is down, but you will want it back up. So you may wan't to leave the switch panel attached for now. Then pull the panel inside the car as much as you can. It won't get past speaker untill door is open.


This next part I got lucky with. Theses are all 10mm. For some reason my widow track nuts were already off. The tough part here is that now you are starting to have to hold stuff out of the way and work behind it. You need to pull as many bolts out that hold the inside panel in place as you can. All the rear ones definitely or you wont be able to flex the panel out to work behind it.


Like I said I got lucky because the window track was already loose. It will not let you behind if its attached.


Don't forget to unplug the harness for the latch. It will not let the panel out or if you get it out you can't unplug it.


Now you have the panel loose enough to see and reach into the door. If the window is closed. This is about what you can see.


To try and get to door open so you can actually do something you need to get these 2 parts to line up inside the latch.


First thing to do in here is to release the 2 rods both release the same way. Push the plastic lock the direction the arrow is pointing then pull the rods out.


Now that you have the rods loose try pulling up lightly on the rod towards the front of the car. Then push down on the rear. Try wiggling a little if nothing happens. To open the latch push down on the front rod.


Hopefully this will work for you. If not then we have to try to move the components inside the latch assembly. You need to make a hook to fit down around the front rod.

And down to this lever and pull it up.


Now hopefully the door has opened and you can take a breath. The hardest part is done. Now to fix the problem. Pull the panel out of the way. Remove the courtesy light and unplug the light over switch panel. I removed my inside panel completely, but its not necessary.

We need to remove the latch assembly to repair. To do this we need to remove the inside handle. There is one screw and a clip holding the cables. The handle then pivots and comes out.

Now there are 3 screws holding the latch in place. These are really tight #3 phillips.

Pull the screws out then remove latch assembly.

The problem spring is located here.


To get to the spring we need to open this housing. There are 4 #2 phillips screws to remove.


Now remove cover and remove broken spring. I replaced mine with one I found at Menards for $1.




With the spring replaced now you just have to reassemble the door.
- Put the latch back in and the handle, putting the cables in the clip.
- Reattach the 2 rods back to their corresponding locations.
- Reattach the window guide.
- Re install the inside panel.
- Plug in the door lock actuator.
- Replace the upholster snaps the came out during removal.
- Plug in the courtesy light and switch panel light.
- Install the panel, widow first. This is easier if the window is down. Then tap all clips in place.
- Replace the 3 screw on panel.
- Re attach the tweeter and snap panel in place.

Congratulations now you wont get locked in you car.

 

Free bump, cause this thread was that awesome.

 

Missed DA Sniper do you know the model number for the actuator I am still going to have to replace it because the head that holds the cable to the insde door latch broke while i wastrying to open it and the dealership says they have to take the door apart to see which one I need any information you could give would be great. Thanks in advance.

 

but I am going to do it myself I just have to get the part from the dealer again thanks

 

Nice, this should be stickied. This is bar far the biggest PIA work I have ever done on the 8 (years back without the DIY of course). i would rather pull and rebuild the engine twice than do this. I seriously considered taking a sawz all to my door at one point. getting it open of course is the hard part since messing with the rods did jack **** for getting mine open. It took a couple of hours of screwing with the assembly before it just finally popped open like nothing when a friend tried while I was taking a break,

 

Took less than a hour start to finish with this thread. So glad my door panel survived and I only lost a few tabs.

 

After loosing two or three tabs, I didn't care, I only wanted to get to that black box so I can start tugging those rods to open the door.

 

Action678, ill check my photos and see if I got the model. What actuator are you looking for?

 

I made an account just to say thank you so much to the OP I've been trying to fix this for days and your method worked. Endless gratitude

 

Helping people with a problem makes it worth it.

 

That is why good threads never outlive their usefulness here. Cheers !

 

great thread, just belongs in the DIY area

but at least on this one I can handle what the people who should or could, don’t or won’t
.

 

Ok, so I had the same problem. Read the main threads on it. Managed to get the door open and the lock actuator out, but my spring is not broken. In fact, nothing seems broken except a small piece of plastic on the back part of the outer door handle -- see picture. Does anyone have any ideas what might have caused the problem? (same problem as thread starter: door was locked shut and would not open under any circumstances)

 

FOLLOW-UP:
It seems that that broken piece was in fact the problem. Had to order a whole new handle to get that piece, but it is now installed and works fine.

 

If anyone decides to replace the whole actuator, it turns out the mazda6 actuators from the same years are exactly the same. I just ordered one. Only $25
Update: I installed it, and it worked phenomenally