Door not closing!

[450Nick]

I've left my Chim in the garage for a good couple of weeks now with one door slightly open as I forgot to close it.. I come back and now it won't close! The lock will engage if I push a screwdriver into it, so I'm guessing that maybe the door has dropped?

I can push the door to what looks like closed, with no sound of the bolt dragging on the lock, so it can't have moved by much... I have also tried slamming it with no joy. Before I get the spanners out and see what's what, are there any obvious cures to this?

[V8 GRF]

I've had a problem that had the same symptoms and in my case it was the return spring in the catch that had stretched.

On the Griff, and I assume it's the same on the Chim, there is a panel in the carpet just behind the door that you can drop down to get access to the lock, you just need to pull it out from the door seal and it's held by velcro.

I got a new spring from X-Works but I guess any spring of the correct size/strength will do.

[tonys]

I doubt that the door has dropped. Even it it had, it should still shut once you'd lifted it up a bit.

If not the lock (as mentioned above) have you also tried fiddling with the door opening button, locking solenoid etc, just to check that the fact that when the door was probably 'half closed, if you see what I mean, hasn't confused the electrics side of it (from the photo, yours appears to be a facelift with the mirror button).

[450Nick]

Hmm thanks guys, food for thought.. I'll have a look at it this weekend. I have had a bit of trouble with it draining the battery after the pads that push the door pins were taken off and not replaced after it's respray. I have sorted one side but the drivers door is still not closing the door pin when I shut the door. Perhaps this is having an effect? Although I can't see how it would. It should just mean that the lock button won't work and the interior light stays on right?

[tonys]

Nick
Couple of other posts relating to similar issues:

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0... not shutting properly


http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0... locking / shutting problem

Comment on them about the internal release cable, might be worth a look as well.

I've noticed with mine that if the door isn't properly closed, the door opening actuator / solenoids keep clicking away trying to work. Yours could have been doing this in the garage and either stuck or given up the ghost.

Good luck

[Goaty Bill]

450Nick said:

<snip?
It should just mean that the lock button won't work and the interior light stays on right?

Not necessarily in my experience.
Mine locked, interior light off, heard 'the bees' on cornering, battery died a couple of times.
Tightening the door latch (making the door close more tightly) fixed it. A rubber bumper might have worked just as well, but I was in the hands of a trusted mechanic so I went with his fix.

Not helpful to your more immediate problem maybe, but something to be aware of.

[carsy]

All be it on a griff but i had this problem. Turned out the cable where it locates at the internal door handle had become slightly unseated in its holder.