This may seem like a stupid question --- That being said, is the inside passenger door handle supposed to automatically unlock the door when the handle is pulled ??

Reason I am asking --- Wife's 1991.5 LE with power door-locks --- Saturday, I was driving and she was in the passenger seat, when she brought it to my attention that the passenger door handle would not unlock the door.

With the slightest movement, the driver door handle will instantly and easily unlock the door.

Power locks on both doors work flawlessly.

The key will lock or unlock either door.

The little manual pull-up/push-down lockers work perfectly.

Everything about either door works perfectly, with the exception that the passenger door handle will not unlock the door.

I had been meaning to remove, clean, and lubricate the latch mechanisms anyway; so, I removed, cleaned, lubed, and inspected the passenger mechanism.

I compared it to the one pictured in Jim Lane's "sticky" and every piece part and particle is identical; I can see no missing or broken pieces.

The trim panel is still attached to the driver door; however, when I shine a light through the opening beside the latch, it is evident that the driver door handle linkage attaches to the mechanism at a much higher point.

I have came to the conclusion that the passenger door handle was never meant to unlock the door; regardless, if it is supposed to, I sure couldn't figure it out.

Many thanks.

 

Good question, to which the answer I do not know. I'll check my truck but won't be home until Sunday.

Sounds plausible though. It gives you a few extra seconds for some romantic overtures before your wife/girlfriend/date can unlock the door and escape...

 

I like where you mind went on that one...........

 

Typically on any vehicle it is only the drivers door that will unlock with the handle.

 

I just checked the crewcab...mine does the same thing. These are the 93 donor truck doors, BTW.

 

I don't know why I didn't think to investigate the rest of the trucks around here --- I must have forgotten all about them.

I checked all of our Dodge trucks and they are just like the wife's truck; driver door handle automatically unlocks the door; passenger door does not.

I knew for fact that both doors on my 1985 F350 unlocked themselves, but I checked them anyway and both doors do automatically unlock when the door handle is lifted.

I wouldn't have got all puzzled, nor even given it a thought for that matter, if it hadn't been for the way that she brought it to my attention --- "hey, this door isn't unlocking itself" --- , sort of as if it worked yesterday and now it don't.


One more mystery solved.



By the way, it is unreal how nasty and grimy the mechanism was; it would not have been any filthier if it had been zip-tied under the differential these last 23 or so years.

 

I like your analogy....