Driver door stuck shut | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

Driver door stuck shut

robertoa1a

Well-Known Member
Joined
January 24, 2009
Messages
975
Reaction score
8
City, State
Jacksonville, FL
Year, Model & Trim Level
96 5.0 xlt 2wd white/char
Can't open driver door from inside or outside. Lock seems normal but I'm not sure if it is stuck locked or not. The trouble is that it seems like the door has to be open to fix it. Can the latch be manipulated? Will a slim jim work from the inside?
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





Can you manually lock and unlock the door?
 






Hello everyone my name is Sheri my friend was trying to help me. this is the deal. I have electric locks the driver side started not unlocking all the others would unlock. then the door would not open from the inside I thought the handle was not connected so I replaced didn't work. Then it would not open from either side I took off the door panel and cannot figure out what is wrong with it. Telp me please.
 






Can you manually grab the lock plunger and move it up and down or is it frozen?
 






It is stuck locked position. I have even tried to pull it with pliers
 






If you have the door panel off follow the plunger and see what is binding it up. Most likely rust or something is broken.

You may have to take the skin off the other side to see how that one works and give you reference to fix the drivers side....
 






There is a small spring in the latch mechanism that is prone to breaking. When it does, there is a little bar in the mechanism that does not allow the latch to unlock even when pulling from the inside handle or directly on the lock rod. Short of driving down a bumpy road with the vehicle leaned to one side or the other, I don't know of any way to get it to release. (I was fortunate that mine eventually popped open while trying to get it to unlock). Rocking the vehicle from side to side might even help.

If you knew where to look and had a good set of dental picks, very small hands, and some sort of bore scope, it *might* be possible to stick a pick up in there and pop the lock detent out of the way long enough to get the door open, but I wouldn't hold my breath on that method.

Ultimately, you'll likely need to replace the latch mechanism in that door. It's a common failure item.
 






I do have a borescope but it's a inspection camera with a 9/16" tip that would require drilling a hole somewhere. I can make tools if I need to but I only kind of get what spring you are talking about. I would like to buy the replacement parts to have handy at the end of the work.

It seems like I should look at the passenger side for reference then try to get an idea on what is happening on the drivers side. I was hopping I wouldn't have to cut the interior though.

I'm in a bit of a fog thinking about how the lock works but your information is still helpful.
 






OK, as silly as this sounds

If you hit the outer door handle ( using your fist like a hammer) just as you push the electric "unlock " button, you might just pop the door unlocked. Try it repeatedly. If you are alone, do this from the driver seat with the window rolled down


If it is timed just right it will work. Serious
 






When she gets back I'll try that. The drivers side electric lock button is inop so it will be a two man operation.
 






To unlatch drv door latch when sticking...- press in firmly (no need to hit it as that will crack the pot metal handle over time as it becomes work hardened)so press in firmly at the rear edge of the door pull while - simultaneously- working either the key lock/ key fob/keyless entry.
I will soon be removing the panle and latch mechanism because mine has needed this repair for about two years now and the outside door pull is broken.
It has a broken attachment arm, a broken spring and now the handle itself has cracked enough times that the center of it has disappeared.
?? Can I use the drivers outside rear door pull off a 4 dr to replace the Drivers outside FRONT door pull on a 4 dr?? Does anyone know if they interchange? Does anyone have access to the Hollander Interchange Book to cover 1997? I don't expect Hollander to list door pulls, but I would like info on some of the sensors and air intake system parts.
 






Mine sticks in the down position and i put pressure on the out side door skin and handle and press the unlock button and it works...weird I know
 






My rear dr door stuck shut.
The panel is off, the window track off, all the pulls are off the latch and when I move the leverss on the latch mechanism nothing happens.
I fear that the child lock is activated and I have no idea how to release it from the inside of the door yet. Any suggestions or experience w/child lock deactivation?
97 explorer 4dr
 






what is it that pressing on the skin and handle does? It it shortening a rod that has stretched or something? MIne finally broke both the return spring and the rear arm of the outside door pull, but it was opening by that method for a long time before those were broken.
 






you know I have no idea maybe putting pressure on something??? I have seriously had my door panels off about 30 time since I owned it. I just replace the DR interior door handle and PR door rod clip and they boy are not working again after about a week of being fixed. Ford explorers have serious flaws with their doors and it seems like its the same for other ford models
 






Only thing I can think of is maybe the latch is out of adjustment at the striker post or something so that when the door shuts it puts a bind on the latch, because as you know, there isn't really anything else in there that it can be pushing on when you put pressure on the door or handle. It seems like the mechanism is blocked, because when you try to use the key in the door to open it, the latch is physically blocked from turning, yet even then, when you put inwards pressure on it, it will only open if you let off the pressure on the key a little. Otherwise it stays blocked like the pressure has caught something and won't allow it to release
 






I think that when I buy a new latch, I will take the old one apart to see what it might be and post the results. It is a very common problem. Between 5 explorers in my apt complex, there a 6 broken latches!
 






Yep same here and I can press the unlock clicker all day and watch it move about a cm or 2 but wont unlock till I apply pressure. I seen a thread on it in here a while ago but didnt have the problem at the time. They should have recalled it and fixed it for free.. you could end up locked out of your truck as in my case where at one time my driver handle was the only one that operated beside my rear hatch....sucks climb over the seats lol.
 






Wow

I think when I take my door apart I will post a how to thread.

And those door end rod clips are impossible to find and the onse that autozone sold to me are not even close to the stock one, I had to cut it up manipulate it to work half a$$
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





My wife won't drive the truck until I fix it because she is afraid that if the truck caught on fire she wouldn't be able to get out quickly enough.
If replacing the plastic lips and return spring won't do it, then I really don't know what to do except dismantle the latch itself looking for an answer...
 






Back
Top