Drivers door - Mk1
Discussion
My door has stopped working on my Mk1, was fine one minute, pulled up at a petrol station and it wouldn't open. I have fiddled with the lock and the handle and nothing is happening, and clambering in and out of it via the passenger door is not the most elegant solution. My question is, how on earth do I get the door card off to investigate if it won't open?
Cheers, Ollie
Cheers, Ollie
My door lock plays up sometimes, have you tried turning the key to lock it, then pull the handle, then unlock, pull the handle again, and mine opens.
If i ever check my car is locked, i have to do this to unlock it again, as a turn of the key as normal doesn't do it. Very odd.
The doorcard just pops off, get a flat blade screwdriver and go around the edge of the door card all the way round, just prising the poppers out. Careful though, otherwise half the poppers that hold your door card in place might end up in the door instead of staying with the doorcard.
Once you're inside, there might be a little spring loose in the bottom of the door, i believe its a common problem, there is a write up of how to fix it on mx5nutz somewhere.
Hope that helps a bit, someone might be able to tell you in more detail how to fix it!
If i ever check my car is locked, i have to do this to unlock it again, as a turn of the key as normal doesn't do it. Very odd.
The doorcard just pops off, get a flat blade screwdriver and go around the edge of the door card all the way round, just prising the poppers out. Careful though, otherwise half the poppers that hold your door card in place might end up in the door instead of staying with the doorcard.
Once you're inside, there might be a little spring loose in the bottom of the door, i believe its a common problem, there is a write up of how to fix it on mx5nutz somewhere.
Hope that helps a bit, someone might be able to tell you in more detail how to fix it!
Thanks for the advice, I'll give that a try. I've had the door card off loads of times before, but only when the door has been open. What I mean is, when it is closed isn't the doorcard sort of held on by the fact the door is closed? I know I'm not explaining this very well but if you imagine the top strip of the door card, that is sort of wedged between the door and the dashboard.
Am I just confusing this further?
Am I just confusing this further?
Yes the doorcard is a f**ker to get off if the door is shut.
you can usually pop all the popper things and lift the card enough to dis-engage the bit near the window enough to be able to bend it away and see into the door.
I had a similar issue and it turned out to be a broken small spring on the lock mech.. it still does it occasionally now but can usually be cured by pulling the outside handle and then "pushing" it with a bit of force to shock the lock mech a bit.. then it will open with the key.
you can usually pop all the popper things and lift the card enough to dis-engage the bit near the window enough to be able to bend it away and see into the door.
I had a similar issue and it turned out to be a broken small spring on the lock mech.. it still does it occasionally now but can usually be cured by pulling the outside handle and then "pushing" it with a bit of force to shock the lock mech a bit.. then it will open with the key.
If you really cant get the door unlocked (its usually possible with a lot of fiddling and swearing) removing the door card with the car door closed is difficult but not impossible. As NeoVR states you need to lift and pull the door card at the same time from the inside (hood down window down should make this easier) once you have access to the door interior you should be able to manually unlock it from the inside. then you need to replace a small spring which sets back the lock mechanism. its not a difficult job (i have done it twice) its fiddly but not too bad and the replacement part costs a couple of quid only tool you need is a pair of fine pliers.
I think when the spring is gone it will lock itself up if you try the handle while the car is locked. so if you can avoid doing that before getting around to fixing it you should be OK.
I think when the spring is gone it will lock itself up if you try the handle while the car is locked. so if you can avoid doing that before getting around to fixing it you should be OK.
Pete Franklin said:
I think when the spring is gone it will lock itself up if you try the handle while the car is locked. so if you can avoid doing that before getting around to fixing it you should be OK.
Mine has done that for ages now, at first i couldn't get it to open without swearing and locking/unlocking trying handle etc, but now if the i (or a thief) trys the handle when its locked, i have to unlock it, pull the handle (nothing happens), then lock it, try the handle, then unlock it again, and clunk, the lock releases, try the handle and hey presto, i'm in. Funny how many times i have locked the car, not tried the handle and it is buggered when i return to the car. Someone must be trying their luck at some point...
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