How to replace a locking motor.

This thread follows my exciting adventure of replacing the locking motor.

You will need

A new locking motor
Lots of screw drivers of all shapes and sizes.
Torex screw bits
If you work a "swear jar" system about £120 in loose change!

The first thing to do is remove the door panel. There are two screws on the under side of the door. one hidden behind a plastic plug just above the compartment. the you will have to remove the rubber bottom from the grab handle you will find tow screws there. once yo have removed them you can slide the handle out. you will find two more bolts undo them.

On the door handle there is a very subtle cover just behind the chrome door handle. Remove the cover and then remove the screw. then remove the ash try between the speaker and the chrome door handle and then remove the screw!

Then use a fine screw drive or knife to gently prise away the chrome ring around the speaker. just work your away around the speaker raising it little at a time. If you lift one end to much then the other side will get stuck.

once the chrome ring is out repeat procedure to the speaker cover. there are four mental catches at each quarter. Be careful not to bend them.

once you've done that you can remove the speaker via

unscrew the door locking pin and disconnect the light that is below the door.

Once this is done you can remove the door trim. to do this GENTLY grab the bottom rear section of the door and lift and pull away. Be careful because the door trim is a attached to the window seal via clips.


Once this is done you can see a lot of a plasticly cover. I just peeled away as much as I needed to work.

The lock its self is really in an annoying place to work on. first thing to do is unscrew the two screws that hold on the strange bit of metal. then slide the strange bit of metal out. then disconnect the wire form the inside door handle.

My advice is to take off a bit of the door seal of the side of the door. it is quite hard to put back. this ensures better assess the the screws (which are very stiff.) I mashed the head of one of them and is was a bit of a horror story getting it off. I've damaged some of the paint.

Once those three screws are out the lock will come out.

Now fitting the new one is a bit of a fiddle.

I put it in place then fitted the locking pin arm first then I manipulated the wire from the outside door handle in to place. I them screwed the motor into pace lastly I ran the of wire to the inside door handle.

Then just fit every thing back together. the only tricky bit is attaching the door trim to the window seal.

Then enjoy your locking doors!

some more pics!

Stu, are you working on your car in Tesco's car park??

Originally Posted by drummerboy

Stu, are you working on your car in Tesco's car park??

Funny you should say that. I had to drive to B&Q three times and Halfrod once day today to get tools.

On the third trip to B&Q I thought about taking the 166 and parking up so I could just walk in and get tools as I need them!

well done, a good How to.

I took some photos when I did my last one a few weeks ago, but my lack of computing skills meant I could not get the pics to load properly and the thought remained just that. Did you use Photobucket or similar? and how many times did you cut yourself?

Did you have trouble finding a slot in the computer that accepted 35mm slides!

They are hosted here complements AlfaOwner!

I hope they don't delete them after a while.

Originally Posted by stu_the_flat

Did you have trouble finding a slot in the computer that accepted 35mm slides!

not far off, in the time it took me to get them onto the computer, onto photobucket, adjust the contrast as the camera is crap despite being new, only to find they were too large and would not load, I could have gone to Boots and have them done the old way in an hour.

The problem with photo bucket is they delete there images after a few weeks.

I would like this guide to be permanet.

Feel free to add anything you thing I've missed out.


Cheers Stuart

Thanx to STU - very good instructions - and pics too! So now I am one step nearer to finding that solenoid - i.e. shall, next time I open up the door's guts, go for that "strange bit of metal" on two screws and see if that helps locate that pesky motor. Did any of you notice what a good build job an Alfa 166 is? It's in those out of way places I'm impressed, of how many cars can you say: Even the guts of the doors are aesthetic?

Ricardo, when I changed my unit a week or two ago, I took a few pictures. I'll put them up later and hopefully they'll help you find the part you are after.

Sorry for the double post, but hopefully this will be helpful.

The first picture is of the actual unit. The white part has the solenoid enclosed and is also the latch on the part of the door. The black cable goes to the door pull.

The second picture is a display on Stu's image where the unit can be found.

The unit is connected to the door pin, door handle, door pull and acts as the unit that activates the central locking.

Dear AGM155, thanks so much for those instructions and pics - now all I need is a free hour or two and of course THAT SOLENOID UNIT. I would like to say how amazed I am that anyone could be so helpful to a stranger - just because they own an Alfa. In Poland, the Alfa joke runs: Why don't Alfa drivers flash their lights or in any other way salute each other on the road? Because they will have already greeted each other in the breakdown garage earlier in the day.... haha
WHICH I DONT FIND particularly fair, as all the problems with my car (2001) were with it when I bought it and none have occurred since, except my alloys need rebalanced becos of potholes. And the only serious problem (because the car stood unused for over a year) was that the "westgate" (which opens and closes in the turbocharger) got stiff and would remain locked in an open/close position (loss of power and the engine STOP light shows on dashboard). Lots of WD40 have solved the problem for the moment.
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