Door Lock Failure: Latch Removal & Replacement (4.0/4.6/p38A)

Introduction

On the door lock failure page we described the failure symptoms and the procedure for getting the door open. Once this is achieved, the next order of business is to remove the old latch from the door and replace it with a new one. Andrew Parker kindly supplied the information and photos herein describing the procedure.

Tools Required:

#2 Stubby Phillips head screw driver,
Utility knife,
Torx Bit with nut driver.
Wire cutter & stripper
Crimp connectors or soldering iron
Insulation tape or heat shrink tubing

Replacement Parts Required:

You will neeed one of the following latch assemblies depending on which door latch has failed:
FQJ103240 right front door - left hand drive
FQJ103250 left front door - left hand drive
FQJ103220 right front door - right hand drive
FQJ103230 left front door - right hand drive
In the US, I found Atlantic British has the necessary OEM parts for LHD vehicles for $224.95.
If you would prefer used parts, you might try a wrecker like Car Cannibal who specialize exclusively in Rovers and warranty all parts they sell.

Procedure for Removing the Old Latch

1. Put the window up and pull the tweeter housing from the doorframe. It is fixed with a spring clip in a slot with the bottom having a lip which registers into the trim panel so pry it from the top first and draw down until the clip is pulled from the doorframe. Unplug connector and set aside.

2. Remove the #2 Phillips-head screw from trim panel were the tweeter-housing covers it.

3. Using a cloth to protect doors paint and a large screw driver, pry interior trim panel around bottom and sides being careful not to yank the midrange speaker wire as it is mounted in the panel and not the door. Disconnect the connector and lift the panel up and over the lock button and set the panel aside.

4. Remove all black and red plastic pins that fix the interior panel from the doorframe (see photo of removed pins below left). If any of the black connectors pull out of the panel repair with 5-Minute Epoxy now.

5. Remove insulation around back half of the doorframe and tape it open with some duct tape.

6. Unsnap green plastic keeper from exterior-door-handles-push rod on the door latch.

7. Unsnap interior door handle cable from door latch.

8. Remove three Torx headed screws that fix latch to door.

plastic pins

Above: Plastic fasteners from door panel.
Right: Extracting latch assembly from door. Note wire that has to be cut on earlier models (there is a connector for it on later ones).

9. With latch free twist it inside the doorframe so as to allow push button lock rod to be disconnected from latch.

10. Remove latch keeping attention to wire and connector routing inside the door.

11. If your Range Rover is earlier than vin XA410482 you may have to cut the black wire as shown in picture above right to disconnect the old latch assembly from the door.

Reassembly

12. Trim metal bracket on new latch as pictures below show -- otherwise it is hard to get it back in the door.

Left: Trimming the metal bracket on the new latch.

Above: New latch with metal bracket removed. This part does not seem to serve any function on the Range Rover -- it may be intended for some other model of vehicle.

13. Cut connector off the separate wire on the new latch (early models -- see picture below left)

14. Reconnect black wire to new latch (photo below center)

15. Insert new latch into position and secure; reverse above steps to put door back together.


Cutting the separate connector off the new latch mechanism to match the old one.	The single wire is slpliced back into the door wiring harness with solder or crimp connectors.	Manoevering the new latch into position inside the door.

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