Passenger door locks jam

[Underton]

I'm having problems with my passenger door lock jamming between the lock and unlock position. The only way to get it out is to cycle back and forth between the locked position and this middle position until it pops open. It's also very hard to open the passenger door from the inside and outside. I think something with the door latch is broken inside but I want to see if anyone else has had this problem before I go out and buy an entire new door latch assembly.

 

[blubuckaroo]

I'm having problems with my passenger door lock jamming between the lock and unlock position. The only way to get it out is to cycle back and forth between the locked position and this middle position until it pops open. It's also very hard to open the passenger door from the inside and outside. I think something with the door latch is broken inside but I want to see if anyone else has had this problem before I go out and buy an entire new door latch assembly.

There are lots of lube points along the way for the door mechanisms. I've found the lever at the back of the door pushbutton especially needs attention. You can't just pull the interior door panel and go to town with a can of spray lube. It will get all over the places that shouldn't be lubed. I put a drop light in the door and use a mirror and can of Break Free, applying lube to anyplace that swivels, slides, or pivots.

 

[langester]

I had similar problem with mine. I removed the latch to inspect it and found it to be covered in old sticky grease. I cleaned it up and lubed it with lithium grease and seemed to fix my problem. Not sure if yours will be the same or not. Just my experience. Good luck.

 

[wegngis]

I'm also having these problems. You have to be a gorilla to open the passenger door from the outside, and the lock gets stuck too. I hit all the old crusty parts with PB Blaster last weekend, and I'm going to follow up with actual grease this weekend. Did you have any luck getting yours to work better?

 

[deltarat]

I regard to the lock issue, the clean and lube is the place to start,but the rods also may need adjusting. If I remember right, I shortened the rod from the button to the lock cured the same problem. It doesn't make sense but the rod holds the mechanism in a certain place to let the lock release.

 

[69red]

if the lock gets really stuck, you can release it from inside the door. there is a lever on the bottom of the door latch mechanism. just push it down and the door will pop open and the lock button pops up. of course you have to get the inside panel off first.

 

[wegngis]

the lock button pops up.

If his is like mine, however, that lock button, which is connected to a long rod, is physically jammed. It won't pop up if it's getting stuck. I had my door panel off and could see the weird jamming taking place. I think it's time & wear issues going on that are allowing things to get out of alignment, so to speak.

 

[dgold_881]

I had the same issue once turned out to be the door was resting to much on the lock assembly causing it to stick when trying to release it with the push button or inside handle. I re-adjusted the door up to latch perfectly center and the issue went away.

 

[69red]

If his is like mine, however, that lock button, which is connected to a long rod, is physically jammed. It won't pop up if it's getting stuck. I had my door panel off and could see the weird jamming taking place. I think it's time & wear issues going on that are allowing things to get out of alignment, so to speak.

I cant figure out why mine gets stuck - its all straight and clean.

if I lock it with the door open, the lock still gets stuck, but if i then close the door the button pops up and unlocks as the door latches. thats where I got the idea to poke around on the back side of the latch. I've just left the passenger panel off for now.

 

[wegngis]

Just keep looking at it while you try to cycle the lock. Took me about 5 minutes of just trying to move it that until I saw where the hangup was happening.

 

[americanhorses]

Mine is jammed shut right now. Can't open from in or outside. Taking it apart this weekend.

 

[deltarat]

Try shortening the rod from the button to the lock and couple of rounds. I think it gets stretched over the years.

 

[Mikey]

I went round and round on this issue and finally bought brand new latches.....solves the problem nicely. What happens is a peice of the sheet metal lever mechanism is supposed to ride on another in a slot. When the latch wears, that peice of sheet metal lever slides over too far and jams tight between the slot and the other mechanism rather than riding in the center. I know it doesn't make sense unless you pull the latch out of the door and fool with it. I suppose you could hammer the slot closed a bit or try to tighten the pivot of the lever so the lever can't physically move off center. I gave up and just bought new. Time and hassle factor makes the pricey new latch worth every penny!