Door wont open from outside or inside

SOURCE: unable to open driver side door with inside latch

take the bezel off around th door handle. take the screw out of the armrest. pull out the window switches and pull out on the door handle and pull up .disconnect the last two plugs then you can see the whole door handle

SOURCE: driver side door does not open from inside my 1999 chevy suburban

Remedy is a new inside door latch. These used to be only available thru Chevy but today NAPA has them too - pricey but what can be done about that? Inside door liner pops off with several plastic rivets designed to release with moderate pressure, a screwdriver helps but can also lead to broken rivets which are almost sure to happen with the gentlest touch anyway. Sometimes there are screws to remove around the armrest area, check from below. There will be a sheet of plastic that needs to be pulled out of the way, do it any way that can be reversed when the time comes for that. Then you'll need to drill out the rivet that holds on the old door latch and drill out that hole in the door and the hole in the new latch to use a small bolt. You'll also need to buy a proper sized bolt. The door latch slides into position in the door proper after the rivet is removed to allow movement of the entire door latch.

Then undo the links. Operational link attachments are tricky but you first swivel them out away from the rod which allows the 90 degree bend in the rod to be removed from the door latch proper.

Step by step not applicable, it's a learn as you go experiance. Different jobs and models have their unique pitfalls, sorry no free pass around those. Do pay attention to you own level of expertise here and hire it done if you don't feel that you can do it after the above discription of the process.

Later on you will need to replace the door latch proper as they are next on the list to fail. This is a slightly more difficult job, but both can be accomplished with stamina and a cool temper. These are also available from NAPA. Inside door handles fail because they are made from pot metal (zinc) which is way too soft but CHEAP. Latches fail mainly due to mis-alignment of doors that hammer out the metal part of the latch. Use a 6 foot 2by4 or other stronger lever and blocks with 2 or three friends to bend the door up so that it closes in alignment with the body if you want to prevent buying a door latch on down the road. Driving with the door open hastens this condition so don't do it.

joecoolvette

• 5660 Answers
• Posted on Aug 15, 2009

SOURCE: 1972 corvette stingray, driver side door does not

Sounds like the door latch mechanism is worn out.

The door latch mechanism for your door is operated by rods, from the inside door handle, and the outside door handle.
It is highly unlikely, (Though not impossible), that all those two rods have fallen off. (Spring clips hold the rods in place. Opening Rod Control Clip. In the link below they are shown as Item E)

With the window all the way down, carefully use a long flat tip screwdriver, to push down on the lever for the door latch mechanism, to open the door. Make sure the lever for the door lock, in the door latch mechanism, is in the fully unlock position.

This link may help show you the inner door hardware, I'm referring to above,

http://www.mamotorworks.com/corvette-c3-door-hardware+1968+1982-inner-1-106-9491.html

You can see that when you pull out on the inner door handle, it pulls a rod forward. This rod is attached to a Bellcrank. The Bellcrank in turn pulls down on another rod, which pulls down on a small lever in the door latch mechanism, to release the door latch.

When you push down on the outside door handle, it pushes a small rod that is attached to that same lever as the inner door handle. Looking down through the window opening in the door, it is that lever that you're trying to push down, to open the door.

Viewing down through the window opening, try to operate the outside door latch a little. Watch to see what lever it tries to move. That's the lever you have to move Down, with the flat tip screwdriver.

With the door open, it is a matter to check out,

1.The Inside Door Opening Control, (The inside door handle is attached to it), to see if the locking part of it is functioning correctly. Make sure that it goes to the full Unlocked position.

2.The Door Latch Mechanism. Make sure it is functioning correctly. It, along with the various door hardware parts inside the door, needs to be lubricated at specific intervals. The more it's used, the higher the interval rate goes up. (I find that owners seem to Skip this task a lot! I use Lubriplate White Lithium spray)

To replace the door latch mechanism, I suggest you buy a manual for your car, so you can view all of the door hardware to remove, to remove the door panel. Then view how the spring clips come off of the rods, and the three screws come out of the door latch mechanism.

SOURCE: driver side sliding door problem...manual door,

something jammed between lock /pin or inside door lock rod damaged or disconnected need to remove interior door panel to access lock and latch area

Johnny Brown

• 5763 Answers
• Posted on Dec 26, 2009

SOURCE: drivers door won't open from inside vehicle

you may have a broken inside handle, open the door, remove screws holding door panel on,then pry door panel off, it has plastic retainers that hold panel on they pry off and pop back when installing panel, once the panel is off you will see if the rod just came off or if handle broke if its the handle replace it remove screww holding it and install new one, some are held with revits, drill revit to remove,use screws to reinstall. hope this helps.