Jammed multipoint locking system

dharm999

The door to the garage has a multipoint locking system and a key operated lock.  To operate the multipoint system the handle should be pushed up beyond the horizontal to engage the locking system, but it isn’t doing that, I can’t move it up beyond the horizontal.  The key also doesn’t work, as when I try to lock the door using the key the lock won’t operate.  I am guessing this is because the multipoint locking isn’t working.

Are there any things I can try to unjam the locking system?  There is literally no play at all when I try to push the handle up.  It doesn’t feel like one of the locking things in the system is stuck, the whole thing won’t work.  Or am I resigned to getting someone out to repair it?

Thanks

cymruchris

Have you sprayed a generous dose of any lubricant into each and every exposed moving part while opening and closing the door? It's best to use a graphite powder based lubricant long term - but just to see if you can get it working you could use a silicone spray.

vacheron

Firstly, will the mechanism engage when the door is open? If it works, is something blocking one of the holes?

Second, some locks will lock in the open closed position if the key is accidentally turned with the handle down, have you checked that there is no chance that this could have happened? 

chrisw

You can take the locking strip off the edge of the door quite easily and see if there's anything obvious. Often it's something broken in one of the gear boxes. If you can take the strip to a local door/window place, they can usually advise or offer you a replacement.

kimwp

The door might have dropped so that the deadlock bits aren't aligned with the holes they should go into. If this is the case, you can move the door by popping the little tops off the hinges and turning the heads - do all a little bit before starting again. But I agree with poster above- lube in anywhere you can first.

TELLIT01

Zap every moving part and the lock itself with WD40 as a start point.  I had a lock jam and the locksmith I called said try WD40 first and if that doesn't work call me back.  It did work so I phoned him back to thank him.  Not every tradesman would have done that, he could have made some very easy money.

dharm999

cymruchris said:

Have you sprayed a generous dose of any lubricant into each and every exposed moving part while opening and closing the door? It's best to use a graphite powder based lubricant long term - but just to see if you can get it working you could use a silicone spray.

Will try that, thanks

dharm999

vacheron said:

Firstly, will the mechanism engage when the door is open? If it works, is something blocking one of the holes?

Second, some locks will lock in the open closed position if the key is accidentally turned with the handle down, have you checked that there is no chance that this could have happened? 

No, it doesn’t engage when the door is open.  When I put the key in the lock it doesn’t move in the lock at all

dharm999

kimwp said:

The door might have dropped so that the deadlock bits aren't aligned with the holes they should go into. If this is the case, you can move the door by popping the little tops off the hinges and turning the heads - do all a little bit before starting again. But I agree with poster above- lube in anywhere you can first.

Thanks.  The mechanism doesn’t engage at all when the door is open, so I don’t think it is a case of being misaligned, as if it was, the mechanism would engage when the door was open, I assume.

I understand what you are suggesting as I had to do something similar to a French door that had dropped, and wasn’t closing properly.

dharm999

chrisw said:

You can take the locking strip off the edge of the door quite easily and see if there's anything obvious. Often it's something broken in one of the gear boxes. If you can take the strip to a local door/window place, they can usually advise or offer you a replacement.

How would I remove it?  Simply a case of undoing a few screws?

Lorian

Take the handles off and make sure it's not a broken handle spring making it stick before anything more consuming. You'll need to check both sides.