Door won't open, what now?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 773
Likes: 0
Door won't open, what now?
Was going on a cruise tonight with the local Corvette club tonight, first chance I've had all year. Had the car runiing in the driveway, had to go into the house for a minute. Came back out and the damned driver side door wouldn't open.
I can hear the linkage moving in the door, but I suspect it came apart at the door latch. Can anyone tell me how to get the door open now so I can work on it? Ya really have to love old cars to own one.......
I can hear the linkage moving in the door, but I suspect it came apart at the door latch. Can anyone tell me how to get the door open now so I can work on it? Ya really have to love old cars to own one.......
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 2,663
Likes: 3
From: Palm Harbor FL
Re: Door won't open, what now? (CWUin82)
Are the keys in the car? If not, get in the other side and roll the window down. It's a little easier with a window down so that you can see down in the door, but you can pop it with a coathanger. You have to get hold of the mechanism from below and pull it up. I recently had this problem with my passenger door. The linkage clip broke, and the rod came out of the locking mechanism. I bent a coat hanger and got it into the hole of the mechanism and pulled it up. The same is true for the opening mechanism but it is a few inches below the locking mechanism. If the window is up, you won't be able to see to get it in the hole, but if you roll the window down, you can easily see the mechanism. It's only about 6-8 inches down. If you can somehow hook below the mechanism, or even better get the hook the hanger IN the mechanisms hole where the linkage WAS and pull up, you should be able to get it. The other option if you cvan get in the other door is to take the panel off from inside the car. It can be done. Once you get the panel off, you can see the mechanism to pop it. The linkage connector clips can be bought at your local auto parts store in the help section.
Hope this helps. :smash:
[Modified by 79MakoL82, 6:22 PM 8/9/2001]
Hope this helps. :smash:
[Modified by 79MakoL82, 6:22 PM 8/9/2001]
Racer
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 433
Likes: 0
Re: Door won't open, what now? (CWUin82)
This happened to me. Luckily I have a convertible 
The latch was simply stuck due to years of grease and dirt. i used a really large and long allen wrench and a ton of WD40. Wound down the window and sprayed in tons of the stuff down through the window 'slot'.
Then tapped the area with the allen wrench and heard it go 'click'.
Then the door opened.
Took the door panel off, got some nice new grease and oiled up the whole mechanism.
Hope that helps.
The latch was simply stuck due to years of grease and dirt. i used a really large and long allen wrench and a ton of WD40. Wound down the window and sprayed in tons of the stuff down through the window 'slot'.
Then tapped the area with the allen wrench and heard it go 'click'.
Then the door opened.
Took the door panel off, got some nice new grease and oiled up the whole mechanism.
Hope that helps.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 4,660
Likes: 3
From: South Central Louisiana
St. Jude Contributor
Re: Door won't open, what now? (CWUin82)
This happened to me just a few weeka ago. Luckily i had my door skins off as I had just painted, reinstalled the doors, putting the new locks and door handles in and reattching the latch mechanism. Closed the driver door and neither the outer handle or the inner would open it. Got some advice hear on the forum went back out, lifted up on on of the plates near the latch and it opened. I knew what I needed to do, pulled the latch assembly back off, brung it to a friend with a parts washer, had it DEFUNKIFIED, and reinstalled. If neither of your handles open it then you may want to bring it to someone that KNOWS these latch assemblys thoroughly. If that dont work get a bigger hammer and :smash:
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 773
Likes: 0
Re: Door won't open, what now? (CWUin82)
Thanks for the replies. I'll try thre coat hanger trick first to see if I can pop it open. I don't think it's from lack of grease, I lubed it up last year when I replaced the door andles. Have a hunch it's one of the rod clips that has popped off. If all else fails, I'll take the panel off from inside. (was hoping I wouldn't have to do it)
