Door won't open!

[alinton]

Hi guys, can you assist with a problem that's just appeared here please?

My driver's door won't open.

Was working fine last week, no-one's done anything, now it doesn't work. Pushing either button does nothing - no window drop and no latch release.

I did some fault-finding:

Removed door card and although a couple of the connectors have been wet and are green and corroded looking, I think they're still making contact because when I press the door button I can hear a relay in the control box in the boot clicking.

Tried resetting the box - unplugged and replugged - no joy. Although on the first subsequent push the window did drop - but door sisn't unlatch and it didn't work again.

Checked operation of the proximity switch - all OK. Short with door open, open circuit with door closed.

Passenger door works fine.

Window buttons work.

Can anyone advise please?

2 more questions: Whats the best remedy for the green corroded connectors?

What does the plastic box wedged in the door with the large connector do?

Thanks chaps

Andy.

[Marian]

I had this early into my ownership, if you take off the panel that hides the seatbelt you will find a nut that you can adjust(by hand) just adjust that till the door openssmile

Here is the spot on advice I received from SlvrCrb when this was happening to me.

Remove the trim behind the seat, where the seat belt enters. Towards the back of the recess and down a bit there's a piece of studding (3-4mm) coming through the door opening solenoid unit. Usually the nut has moved up slightly on the studding and this in turn stops the door opening, but you get the clicking. Screw the nut a bit further down the studding until you find the point where the door opens again.

[alinton]

Thanks but I don't think thats it, as there is no electronics happening.

The window doesn't drop and the door lock doesn't activate.

I'd like to know which pair of wires at the control box run to the solenoid, so I can manually fire it.

Although I'm suspecting the control box is faulty - as its not dropping the window or firing the door release solenoid.

Andy.

[alinton]

Just bumping this cos someone *must* ave some advice!

Ta

Andy

[ridds]

I reckon it's your door button.

If the window works then the electrics to te motor work.

The door requires a signal from the window micro switch before it will open.

You could try leaving the window down about 2 inches to prove that part.

I'd also take the door card off again and check for continuity across the switch when pressed.

Also as good as you think the connections in the door are they are very dodgy.

Spend a lot of time cleaning any corrosion off and use some Dow Coring electrical compound on the terminals.

[alinton]

Thanks for that, however, when I press the door buttons (either) I can hear a relay in the control box clicking.

I have tried it with the window down, no result.

It appears that the control box isn't both dropping the window and firing the door solenoid.

If someone could tell me what wires go from the control box to the door solenoid, I could meter them and see if a pulse occurs.

Also if I knew what all the wires did I could swap the wires from the pass door and see if the pass side circuit fired the drivers door.

In short, I'd love a wiring diagram of the control box and door actuators.

Cheers

Andy.

[crazymatelot]

Had this problem myself recently and thought it might be the switch. It took three goes at cleaning up the connector blocks in the door before it would work normaly again. Cleaning the femail part of the connectors can be a nightmare. If you can get some electrical contact cleaner use that, it worked for me. If you trawl through the threads on here you'll find that in 99% of cases it is the connectors at fault. I hope that's all it is, cos it is an easy and cheap fix. Good Luck.

[crazymatelot]

You can find wiring diags etc here:

http://www.tvr-cerbera.co.uk/workshopmanuals.html


edited to add: The High res files are best.

Edited by crazymatelot on Monday 13th April 17:54

[Spawn]

Marian said:

Remove the trim behind the seat, where the seat belt enters. Towards the back of the recess and down a bit there's a piece of studding (3-4mm) coming through the door opening solenoid unit. Usually the nut has moved up slightly on the studding and this in turn stops the door opening, but you get the clicking. Screw the nut a bit further down the studding until you find the point where the door opens again.

Is it this the nut you are refering to? The one peeping out from behind..

[Ireland]

Andy,

I'd go for cleaning the contacts really well before ripping much further.

They were the culprit on my car on a couple of occassions (once for the door and a couple for the window).


BTW if you want a loan of my manual CD / print-outs of wiring diagrams / etc give me a ring and I'll drop it to you as I'm passing near you every evening at the moment.

[Bigboz]

Numpty question here, but just how do you get the door card off. The interior door opening button was intermittent on mine but now not working at all. Works fine on the outside however so I assume it must be the connectors. Thanks.

[itiejim]

Baz,

there's a series of allen key headed machine screws around the door which need removing. Open the door and look down on the top of the door by the A pillar, then just follow them round. There's about 8 I think, it's only a 2 minute job to get them out.

[jammy_basturd]

Find the door/window control box, take connector off. Plug it back in.

[Marian]

I think so I just put my hand in and felt around a bit till I felt it then gave it a couple of turns without looking in.

Spawn said:

Marian said:

Remove the trim behind the seat, where the seat belt enters. Towards the back of the recess and down a bit there's a piece of studding (3-4mm) coming through the door opening solenoid unit. Usually the nut has moved up slightly on the studding and this in turn stops the door opening, but you get the clicking. Screw the nut a bit further down the studding until you find the point where the door opens again.

Is it this the nut you are refering to? The one peeping out from behind..

[Spawn]

Marian said:

I think so I just put my hand in and felt around a bit till I felt it then gave it a couple of turns without looking in.

Spawn said:

Marian said:

Remove the trim behind the seat, where the seat belt enters. Towards the back of the recess and down a bit there's a piece of studding (3-4mm) coming through the door opening solenoid unit. Usually the nut has moved up slightly on the studding and this in turn stops the door opening, but you get the clicking. Screw the nut a bit further down the studding until you find the point where the door opens again.

Is it this the nut you are refering to? The one peeping out from behind..

Not sure mine would turn by hand.. i'll take another look sometime in the next few days.

[alinton]

jammy_basturd said:

Find the door/window control box, take connector off. Plug it back in.

That was the first thing I tried!

A.

[scott666]

I've had the same problem a couple of times. The proximity mag switch failed. You can test the continuity with a multimeter and it will operate ok when shown a magnet, but when under voltage load it doesn't work. I found that the window wouldn't shut until I unplugged the control box.

[Guy J Russell]

alinton said:

jammy_basturd said:

Find the door/window control box, take connector off. Plug it back in.

That was the first thing I tried!

A.

It can be worse than that! When i replaced my broken control box i couldn't get the new one to work at all! After looking at the wiring diagram (kindly supplied a link by someone on here) and testing all the positive and negative feeds to the box i was ready to give up but then i heard the relay's in the box clicking so i opened it up and tested from the relays to the socket and i was getting power to the socket! I pushed the multmeter probe down the plug while someone was pressing the button and hey presto! In the end i had to clean up all the connections and sprain the pins to make them connect better. It was lucky that i found it because it could have kept me looking for hours and hours!

[alinton]

Well done you, that is the sort of fault that can have you baffled for ages.

However, with the help if 'Ireland''s circuit diagram printouts, I think I've fixed it.

Box looked fine, there were voltage pulses appearing at the correct outputs to fire the lock solenoid, but it wasn't firing.

So I connected 12v *backwards* to the feed to the solenoid, thinking that it had maybe jammed on and by doing this it would force it OUT (if it has a return spring maybe that's too weak or broken), and it clicked, then when I applied the voltage the correct polarity it also clicked and the door opened!

So it seems that's what had happened. The solenoid had jammed on. Now I guess I need to get into the B-pillar and see whats going on and whether its likely to happen again.

Has anyone ever replaced a door solenoid?

Thanks for pointers guys.

Andy.

[Guy J Russell]

Oh nice one! Another free fix then! I actually had mine stick the over day (posted on here for advice) but the window was dropping each time and the door lock clicked but didnt fire open. I just took the door seal off and pulled the trim back in front of the lock mechanism. (its the one that the seatbelt goes goto and you have to unbolt the seatbelt first) I moved it whith my fingers and it freed off and has worked fine since. (i'd check to make sure but i believe its the same solenoid as the boot which i replaced not long ago? I got my replacement from Maplins for under a tenna as its a standard universal one that is used) TVR's, You gotta love em! Lol!

Edited by Guy J Russell on Wednesday 15th April 02:14