Also make sure before you put the door panel back on that everything works.
I had this type of issue before and the cable was not staying in the correct location and the slack was making it hard to open the door from the inside.
I used a self tapping screw and wire tie to put a dip in the cable and hold it in place. Bingo issue fixed. That was the first time a quick screw fixed anything. :lol:
Also I do not have auto unlock enabled so I pull once to unlock and a second time to open. I only have auto lock enabled so when the car moves at a speed the doors auto lock.
You can also try lubing the lock unit before you replace it.
I checked the function of the handle after I changed the cable with the panel off, unfortunately the battery wasn't installed because of other repairs going on so the lock part got over looked. saw the issue after my test drive though. I might try to spray some white lithium in it and see if that loosens anything up.
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