Passenger door gremlin

[Shinjuku79]

Sometimes my passenger door refuses to open from the inside (i.e. at the end of a journey and the passenger wants to get out). It usually requires either (i) the driver's door to be opened first or (ii) step (i) plus some flicking of the door lock/unlock button on the centre console. Ideal if you're some sort of sex pest, but not otherwise.

This usually happens after I've not driven the car for a while and presumably the battery has gone a bit flat causing the door module to get a bit out of sync or something. Usually after the car has been well used it will, at some point, return to normal. It seems pretty grumpy at the moment though and is resisting my overtures.

Has anyone else come across this. Is there a way to reset things?

Thanks
Shinjuku

[Jon39]

What you describe is probably a fault, but I think I read recently about a recall (possibly USA) to do with door opening.
My interpretation was just that they don't like having to pull the handle twice to, open a door.

[Shinjuku79]

Thanks. It's defo not the double pull - which I don't mind. The good people of the USA don't seem to like any wasted effort.

Any other offers on this. I'm sure it's some sort of voltage related issue, and I wouldn't mind if there was a way to "recalibrate" as per the windows.

Shinjuku

[abanks]

Had the same problem on my DB9 - the handle mechanism goes out of tolerance. Push the interior door handle in with some pressure and then pull it out towards you. Fixed the issue on mine.

[brakedwell]

It is a simple job to removed the interior cover. The heath robinson cable may have slipped out of it's socket.

[Shinjuku79]

Thanks chaps, I will have a look at those options.

Shinjuku

[divetheworld]

The cable is easy to get to. Its held on a small bracket in the door handle. At a push, you could make a minor adjustment to that bracket to give it a bit more leverage. That's if that is the problem.
You could take it off and pull the cable by hand and see if it opens properly. If so, adjust. If not, broken.
Do you know how to dismantle it all? I've got an instruction sheet that might help if you need it.

[Shinjuku79]

No, I've not got anything like that. Could you post something or PM me?

Thanks
Shinjuku

[divetheworld]

Shinjuku79 said:

No, I've not got anything like that. Could you post something or PM me?

Thanks
Shinjuku

This is for DB9/DBs but its pretty much the same for a Vantage excluding the wing mirror mount and the screw at the outer end of the door capping
https://www.divinatech.com/v/vspfiles/manuals/dbs_...

[Shinjuku79]

Thanks for posting that. I don't fancy risking loosing the misfire correction factors by removing the battery though. If I only want to remove the door handle plate to get to the back of the handle is there any reason to disconnect battery?

[brakedwell]

There is no need to disconnect the battery. It is a meccano type job with a torx screw driver.

[divetheworld]

Shinjuku79 said:

Thanks for posting that. I don't fancy risking loosing the misfire correction factors by removing the battery though. If I only want to remove the door handle plate to get to the back of the handle is there any reason to disconnect battery?

Probably because its in the AML service manual. If you disconnect things and put your key in, you can find all sorts of stuff that needs resetting.
If you're not disconnecting any modules or don't switch on any systems until you've put everything back, there is no need to disconnect the battery.
I expect only parts of that document are relevant to you, but hoped it might point you in the right direction.

Edited by divetheworld on Friday 12th August 21:10

[Shinjuku79]

As an update on this I've had my car hooked up to a CTEC battery conditioner the last couple of weeks. The gremlin has gone away and not returned. So, my conclusion is that this is probably a symptom of low battery voltage and that performing a charge and giving the system time to settle down might be a good option for others with the same experience.

Shinjuku