capnjoe
4th May 2006, 09:26 AM
I posted the below information before but could not get the picture on. This could save someone some bucks- it did me!
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The problem: My driver door was very difficult to open from outside- yet absolutely normal to open from the inside.
To start: I took the door apart and took out all of the lock mechanism. The shop manual was of some help.
All looked in order and easy to figure out how it worked so I put it back together. It still would not actuate from outside. I removed the door handle and the problem was not obvious, but after a bit of staring and fiddling I saw the problem in the latch actuating mechanism (the door handle).
The door actuator works when two metal bars slide along each other. One bar has a sort of a T arrangement that rides up the other. The metal had worn and the T was getting hung up halfway (!). Thus, it looked to the casual observer as if it was working to spec, but it would not move enough to release the door catch. Specifically, if you were actuating the door handle, it would feel like it was opening all the way, but it was hanging up before making contact with the rest of the mechanism.
The solution: I took a flat file to the bar where the T slides over- a few minutes of filing and all was well. I bit of lube and it works like a new one. In the picture you see the T-bar riding on the metal beneath it, where I filed. There seems to be a detent designed in that controls the feel of the latch when you open the door, and over time the detent turned into a prevent.
=============================================
The problem: My driver door was very difficult to open from outside- yet absolutely normal to open from the inside.
To start: I took the door apart and took out all of the lock mechanism. The shop manual was of some help.
All looked in order and easy to figure out how it worked so I put it back together. It still would not actuate from outside. I removed the door handle and the problem was not obvious, but after a bit of staring and fiddling I saw the problem in the latch actuating mechanism (the door handle).
The door actuator works when two metal bars slide along each other. One bar has a sort of a T arrangement that rides up the other. The metal had worn and the T was getting hung up halfway (!). Thus, it looked to the casual observer as if it was working to spec, but it would not move enough to release the door catch. Specifically, if you were actuating the door handle, it would feel like it was opening all the way, but it was hanging up before making contact with the rest of the mechanism.
The solution: I took a flat file to the bar where the T slides over- a few minutes of filing and all was well. I bit of lube and it works like a new one. In the picture you see the T-bar riding on the metal beneath it, where I filed. There seems to be a detent designed in that controls the feel of the latch when you open the door, and over time the detent turned into a prevent.