Can't get the drivers door open. Grrrr.

reddy351 · Dec 7, 2007

Ok. It rained Sunday and Monday. The temps dropped to "well below freezing" near the middle of the week. My car was parked at work all week. (I drive the company Jeep home, during the week.) I went to get into it, last night (Thurs) and the door locks don't work. The key turned, but the linkage in the door didn't move. I kept trying, because it seemed like if I get it past the "bind", it would unlock. It didn't. I felt what seemed like the linkage popping off, inside the door. Now that it's warmed up, the lock still doesn't work. The door handle inside feels "jammed", too. Moving either door handle (inside or out) "wiggles" the little pull, as does turning the key and hitting "unlock" with the remote. It just doesn't unlock the door.

Ok. That bit of wordy business aside, my problem is "How do I get the door panel off to get inside and mess with the linkages, when the door WON'T OPEN?"

Yes, the "Jaws of Life" is out of the question.

gcomfx.com · Dec 7, 2007

Guess I"m confused on what vehicle is broke, the mustang or company truck?

Door panels don't usually get pressed in the seals of the door. It might not be easy, but you should be able to get something in there to pry a corner up enough to get the fasteners to release? Is there a screw for the armrest?

inphiniti · Dec 7, 2007

gcomfx.com said:
Guess I"m confused on what vehicle is broke, the mustang or company truck?

Door panels don't usually get pressed in the seals of the door. It might not be easy, but you should be able to get something in there to pry a corner up enough to get the fasteners to release? Is there a screw for the armrest?

the mustangs the broken one...

i tried to answer this question and saw myself backspace a 100000 times... man this is really mind boggling...

reddy351 · Dec 7, 2007

Yup. Sorry. I should have been more clear. It's the Mustang that has the issue. My mind is boggled, too. That's why I'm asking here.

The armrest can be removed. I think I'll need to get the whole door panel off, to get the door open, though.

I'm thinking I may have to break something, to get the door open.

earleys94gt · Dec 7, 2007

Is there any way to get in thru the passenger side?

Maybe you can either get in that way, or GENTLY pry back on the window and try

to hit the interior handle.

This is definately a mind numbing problem.

urban96 · Dec 7, 2007

do you have keyless entry? what happens when you unlock/lock the door? does it make any difference?

DDSTANG94 · Dec 7, 2007

mine does the same thing eveytime its cold, put some lock DE-freeze in there....

reddy351 · Dec 7, 2007

I got in through the pass. side. I got it home from work that way. Climbed throught the drivers window, after I rolled it down.

The inside handle is just like the outside handle...jammed.

The keyless entry is no help.

The pull (the part that pops up when you unlock the door) does wiggle with any input. Door handles or keyless entry.

DDSTANG94 said:
mine does the same thing eveytime its cold, put some lock DE-freeze in there....

The tumblers work fine. It was ice on the linkage...inside the door. In fact, the passenger door opens fine, now that it's a little warmer.

My problem is how to get the door open so that I can get the door panel off and fix the linkage INSIDE the door.

Seriously, scratching my head.

BlownFiveLiter · Dec 7, 2007

You might be able to angle the door panel upward toward the rear of the door to gain access to the latch, but I'm betting the driver's seat needs to come out (via the passenger side ) in order to gain enough clearance to flex the panel inward. There's still no guarantee that it won't break the panel however.

toyman · Dec 8, 2007

reddy351 said:
Ok. It rained Sunday and Monday. The temps dropped to "well below freezing" near the middle of the week. My car was parked at work all week. (I drive the company Jeep home, during the week.) I went to get into it, last night (Thurs) and the door locks don't work. The key turned, but the linkage in the door didn't move. I kept trying, because it seemed like if I get it past the "bind", it would unlock. It didn't. I felt what seemed like the linkage popping off, inside the door. Now that it's warmed up, the lock still doesn't work. The door handle inside feels "jammed", too. Moving either door handle (inside or out) "wiggles" the little pull, as does turning the key and hitting "unlock" with the remote. It just doesn't unlock the door.

Ok. That bit of wordy business aside, my problem is "How do I get the door panel off to get inside and mess with the linkages, when the door WON'T OPEN?"

Yes, the "Jaws of Life" is out of the question.

Ever heard of a slim jim, leastwise thats what I think it's called. They are tool used by those who frequently have to unlock doors when people lock their keys inside. If you belong to AAA they should be able to help you out. They are a flat bar with notches that when slipped down pass the window and trim allow one to snag, for the lack of a better term, that part of the latching mechanism that will unlock the door.

BlownFiveLiter · Dec 8, 2007

It sounds like the lock works toyman, but the handle linkage is broken/popped off, so it doesn't release the latch.

toyman · Dec 9, 2007

StangGT1995 said:
It sounds like the lock works toyman, but the handle linkage is broken/popped off, so it doesn't release the latch.

His words were "Now that it's warmed up, the lock still doesn't work."

Even if the linkage to the interior or exterior handle has come free I still think that the unlocking mechanism can be pulled as I described.

baglock1 · Dec 9, 2007

And the interior handle doesn't work either?

If that's the case, it sounds like you're going to have to roll down the window and get in through there with a hooked device (slim-jim, stiff wire with a hook, whatever) to get a hold the door catch and retract it.

Grab a friend to hold the flashlight, throw a towel over your head so you can see into the door better, and practice your dexterity.

reddy351 · Dec 9, 2007

toyman said:
Even if the linkage to the interior or exterior handle has come free I still think that the unlocking mechanism can be pulled as I described.

I have a slim jim. I'll give it a try when it stops raining. I'll post here, whether it works or not.

I took the winter beater Jeep out of storage, this weekend. Now, I have about 3 months to figure this out. (If worse comes to worst, I'll call a locksmith. That'll cost a pretty penny, though. )

Thanks for the help. There doesn't seem to be any easy solution, other than the SJ. (I hope it works.) If y'all think of anythng else, let me know.

urban96 · Dec 9, 2007

if you can find another door panel (ebay, corral ect...) tou could carefully cut the stock one out of there to gain access to the inside of the door

reddy351 · Dec 10, 2007

Ok. I got it fixed. Thankfully, nothing was broken. The slim jim worked, but not necessarily the way it was designed to. (I "fished" around with it and then decided to hit the button on the remote. Must have knocked the jammed rod loose.) You can see the white plastic piece with the rod going through it. That's what had popped out.

Thanks for all the replies! This one had me stumped. (Even "where to start" wasn't clear.)

rd · Dec 10, 2007

Good info here, I have two of these with inop pass doors! My new 93 LX notch parts car and my 87 Tbird turbo coupe donor.

I can't remember this stuff, and I have had the doors apart a zillion times.

Good photos.

Can't get the drivers door open. Grrrr.

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