Did the basic search for "door latch jam" already, saw some symptoms that were close but nothing I haven't tried yet. So here's the issue: I can open and shut the door as much as I want, until I lock the door when it's closed (interior switch or exterior key, doesn't matter). From that point on, neither the interior or exterior handles will cause the latch to release after I unlock the door, and I have to use a long screwdriver to push down on the latch release to get the door to reopen. Then both handles work again until the next time I lock the door.

Efforts so far: had the door apart this weekend, removed and Simple Greened the crap out of the latch and control rods, replaced every clip and a bent door rod elbow, replaced the rubber anti-rattle grommets, fed a generous helping of white lithium grease into the mechanisms, and adjusted everything. Tested the latch and locking mechanism with the door open, simulating the strike with a similar sided bolt. Worked fine, shut and opened the door alternating between interior and exterior handles a few cycles, it all worked like a charm. Then I locked the door from the inside, unlocked, and the neither handle released the latch. The panel's still off and I can see the lock lever travel the expected distance to unlock, but the latch is not released by either handle. Removed the clips from the lock control rods and moved the lock lever manually, still no luck. After I release the latch using the screwdriver trick, all is back to normal until the next time I lock the door when it's closed (manually, or by using either the key or the inside switch).

Any ideas, short of ordering a new latch? Could this be a door hinge or striker adjustment issue, since the lock seems to work without the added stresses introduced by the weatherstrip, etc, pushing the door outward?

Will try to post pics or a short video tonight, if it helps.

 

if you moved the leavers by hand and nothing happened, the latch is dirty or damaged. assuming your clean and re-lube got all the crud out and new grease in I would say time for a new latch. remove the rods and the three screws on the outside of the door and it will come out.

the only other think I can think of is to remove and soak in solvent. Maybe that would get any remaining gunk out. But is could also be wear or a broken tab or spring.

good luck

 

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...elp-maybe.html

 

Thanks for finding the tutorial, it helps frame the issue a bit better (I re-bookmarked that one as I had lost some older bookmarks after a PC re-build). I'll try some of the suggestions in the comments, a few sound exactly like my issue (and I did have to adjust the outside door rod length to get the handle to release the lock, so I may be between a rock and a hard place).

 

The push rod from the outside handle is adjusted too tight. Loosen up on it a little to create some slack.

 

 

It was the outside handle rod. Too bad the brand new lock lever clip decided to break when I was sliding it off the lever arm, and the outside door handle rod clip popped loose at the same time and off came the rod, straight to the bottom of the door... Guess who's pulling the whole thing apart again to get the handle rod re-attached?

But once the outside handle rod was removed from the equation, the inside handle can open the lock when the door has been shut and a lock/unlock cycle has been done using the inside ****. I forgot to bring the keys out with me to try the outside lock... I'll save that for Saturday.

Thanks for the help all!