Apologies again if I'm repeating a previous thread here, but I've had a look and I can't find exactly what I'm looking for.

The off side door lock on my Schumacher just doesn't work. Can't lock it with the keyfob, with the key in the barrel, or from the inside.

Other locks all work fine, in fact I can lock everything with the keyfob and the key in the barrel on the OS door. Just not that particular lock.

I'm thinking the mechanism will need replacing, could anyone with a similar experience confirm this?

On that point, I've read conflicting information on this site to whether the glass and inner steel plate need to come out of the door to replace the mechanism. How hard a job is it to swap that out when I get the replacement part?

The lock is in two parts.. the barrel (where the key goes) and the latch which opens the door.

Since you can't open the lock with the key or the fob, it sounds like the latch is just not doing its thing.. and the barrel is okay. The barrel is attached to the latch with a plastic lever and if the fob worked but the key didn't, then the problem could be that connection.

You'll have to take the door liner out and then disconnect the latch... but I don't know if the glass has to be removed or whether you can get the latch out on its own. The problem may not be getting the latch out but connecting it up to the lever (to the lock barrel).

On my old Alfa 155, I had to remove the door frame that holds the glass and electric motor... and it was a) heavy and b) rough cut metal that is blinking sharp. Wear thick cotton gloves when you're manhandling the frame.

Otherwise it's fairly easy to see what needs to be moved out of the way. Connecting the lever (ball joints) needs a veeeery strong squeeze and you can't get your hands on it properly.. so if you have some big pliers it would be useful.

Ralf S.

Thanks for your help! Sounds like it could be a ball ache but unless I can sell the car as a bit of a project I'll have to take a look at it. Some posts suggest there are rivets to drill out to get to it, which I really hope isn't the case.

kevgibs said:

Thanks for your help! Sounds like it could be a ball ache but unless I can sell the car as a bit of a project I'll have to take a look at it. Some posts suggest there are rivets to drill out to get to it, which I really hope isn't the case.

Click to expand...

My Door lock is simiar, the remote works but not the key.
You need to remove the glass from the door, then undo all the bolts on the metal sheet that is holding the window motor and regulator.

You can get it out by levering and turning it, you need to disconnect the wiring loom where it goes into the door and then pull it into the door, would recommend removing door speaker too... its fiddly but do-able without drilling or popping rivets, you only need to do this when your replacing the window motors / regulators and cables etc.

Fiat did a ****ty job of the electric window system, my nissan micra's (owned two K11 Super S models) where really dumbed down and not very technical at all but did the job the same as the windows in my stilo... there is simply no need to over do it with things, its mainly for there own gain as you will take the car back to them and pay a fortune.

Cheers man. I've seen a few mechanisms on eBay, looks like they're about £20 so not too bad. I'll ask my mate to help me with it, he knows what he's doing.

Checking the part number it looks like it's the same part regardless of number of doors, right? So one from a five door would fit a three door?

Update on this, had the door card off, disconnected everything underneath, but got a bit stuck with getting the metal inner plate off. Ran out of time in the end so just had to put the door card back on until I next get a chance to look at it.

Drove it round the corner and realised I couldn't open the door from the inside. Had to climb over the passenger seat to get out, haha.

So wondering if I can get a bit of advice. I'm at the stage shown in the attached pic, taken from the window guide, but it goes on to talk about drilling out rivets when it's been said in this thread that's not needed.

From here should I be expecting to get this metal panel off?

No mate you don't want to be drilling those as far as I understand. Those 4 x rivets hold the runners for the window glass. You don't need to remove them as you're not changing the window mech.

You need to undo the hex bolts holding that panel to the door - the guide does however say that you'll not be able to remove the panel fully as it's connected to the external door handle.

OK cool. In order to get to that latch then am I just looking to bend the metal plate somehow? There's not a lot of give in it and if it's attached to the door handle I'm not sure how I'd get enough room.

OK, went back and read the guide properly. Took the glass out (I'd already removed the motor so had to wind it manually, loosened the wing mirror for a bit more space too) and there's a lot more play in the panel.

Tricky bit now is detaching the latch from the lock so I can get it out, can't figure that out.

So I got sick and went and asked my dad. A lifetime of manual labour comes in handy at times. He came and had a look and we found there's a little torx screw on the side of the door holding the lock barrel in place.

Loosened it and slid the lock out a bit and the latch came off no bother. Connecting the new one up was pretty easy, just a case of putting the door back together enough to test it properly now.

Unfortunately I stopped for a cuppa and can't be arsed.

Slight issue with the replacement latch once it was in, it had a slightly different shape plastic clip into the door panel on it (see pic), think it came from a five door and I've fitted it on a three. Luckily it clips off the latch so I was able to take it all out, swap the clip, and put it back in.

Still need to get it all back together properly but the inside latch works and it locks with the key. Looks like all is well.

Back together and it's done! All working now. Thanks for the help previously in the thread, appreciate it's just been me waffling for a while but hopefully it'll help someone else.

Well played mate. No worries re waffling. As you said it helps others and I know it helps me sometimes to get my thoughts down on 'paper'.

On the chance someone does Google 'replace Stilo door latch mechanism' or something in future, here's a summary of what I did.

Followed the window guide here https://www.fiatforum.com/stilo-guides/162743-electric-window-mechanism-relacement-images.html up to the point the glass is removed.

At this point you don't need to remove the speaker, door computer, or the window motor. I did and it was just more stuff to put back together. They're all attached to the metal panel, which does come off, so I don't think there's any harm in leaving them on.

Just under the point the internal door latch goes into the panel there are two small round plastic clips. These clips are held in place with a plastic plug, for want of a better word, pushed into the middle of each clip. Pull these plugs out with some long nose pliers and push the clips back through the panel.

Then you can take all the hex bolts off etc, the panel will come off but it's worth watching the wiring as it only has so much play. In particular the wire going into the door latch mechanism isn't very long, undo this when you have enough room to get your hand in.

The window mechanism on the other side of the panel drops lower than the panel, so you have to lift it up and out.

On the side of the door, behind a covering plug is a small torx screw, undo this and it loosens the barrel of the lock. The lock comes out away from the outside of the door, easy enough to slide in and out.

Now undo the three torx screws holding the latch mechanism in place and it comes out no problem.