Sticky Door Lock

So now that it has started raining, inserting the key into the door lock and turning produces a very ratchet-y and coarse action. In the old days, I'd blast graphite, lube or some such into the cylinder, but I'm afraid of screwing up the mechanism. Any suggestions?

You could try to lube it. If it already doesn't feel right, I doubt it could hurt it any worse by lubing it. Other than that, you probably need to order a replacement lock cylinder from the dealer.

I can't say I remember the last time I even used the mechanical key in either of the family's VW's, or either of my old cars. If you are using it all of the time, is it possible you wore the lock cylinder out? Wouldn't surprise me if the lock was cheapened up since it isn't really intended to be used on a regular basis with standard remote entry.

Thommy D said:

So now that it has started raining, inserting the key into the door lock and turning produces a very ratchet-y and coarse action. In the old days, I'd blast graphite, lube or some such into the cylinder, but I'm afraid of screwing up the mechanism. Any suggestions?

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A little graphite won't hurt, and it may help.

I never use the door lock or key, but on older cars I've used graphite with good results.