How to fix door lock not locking?

[aton5]

Have a standard door leading out to the garage, the door is latching but the lock is not locking. 

I think there is a misalignment with the strike plate, and had to pull the door inwards in order to lock it previously but it wasn't smooth. Now it got to the point where I can't even lock it but I can still close the door fine. 

Wondering if adjusting the strike plate position will help bringing the door inwards?  

Appreciate any advice on this matter, thanks in advance.

 

[aton5]

So I managed to fix this issue, all it took was readjusting the door lock strike plate a few mm higher. 

However after I have fixed it, I think I did a stupid thing by spraying the internal door lock mechanism with this spray. https://www.bunnings.com.au/3-in-one-150g-lock-lubricant_p4131028 

And now the door lock is completely jammed.

Any solutions for this? Or get a new lock? 

[JacobZ]

Hi @aton5,

I can't see why spraying lubricant in your lock would make it seize up unless it moved some dirt or grime around inside the lock body.

My suggestion would be to unscrew and remove the door handles and the latching mechanism. Sometimes, when door locks are in place, they can be under tension that misaligns things ever so slightly. By unscrewing and removing it, it might remove that tension and allow the movement to return.

You can reassemble the door handles and latching mechanism outside of the door to test it. If you do this and the mechanism is still not working outside the door, then it may be time for a new lock.

Give this a try and let me know how you go.

Jacob

[aton5]

Hi Jacob,

Thanks for your suggestion, will give that a try.

So I sprayed the lubricant at the door key hole, it worked fine but the door lock wasn't turning 100% smooth, maybe 80%. Then I unscrew the door lock and sprayed directly on to the middle section of this bolt here circled in green. Wondering will that cause permanent damage to the lock? 

[JacobZ]

Hi @aton5,

No, it really shouldn't cause any damage to the lock. Lubricant should do the opposite; it should make things run smoother. If anything, things probably seized up when you screwed it back into place.

I've hung and installed hardware for a lot of doors in my time, and I can tell you from firsthand experience that the tiniest bit of pressure from things like misalignment or an overtightened screw can make the whole lock stop working. If you remove the door lock and it is still seized up, then it is probably broken, but if it works outside of the door, then you've probably just overtightened a screw or it is sitting a bit funny in the hole.

Uninstalling and reinstalling it will oftentimes fix the issue.

Let me know how you go.

Jacob

[aton5]

Haha okay that is good to know, I thought I caused some damage to the lock by spraying into the internal lock. 

I will try assembling the lock outside of the door to see if it works. Thanks for your advice.