Hi everyone,

Having some issues with my driver side door and hoping for some answers. I've searched the forums and have come up with the following possibilities:

• Door actuator failing
• Electrical/battery issue

Brief description of the issue: When hitting the unlock button on my key fob, the door handle pops out as expected. However pulling on the door handle does not open the door. As you can see in the 2nd image below, the lock light is still illuminated, and pushing unlock does not do anything. The only way to open the door is by pulling the interior silver handle. Once the door is unlocked, I am able to open/close the door as I please from the outside as long as I don't lock it again.

If this is a simple electrical issue solved by replacing a fuse or battery, hopefully I can fix it myself. If it's a door actuator issue, how DIY-able is this? What are your thoughts on the cause? Thanks in advance!

 

Try some lock lube on the lock and in the keyhole where the emergency key goes. It can't hurt anything and it may resolve the issue.

 

What year is your car and how old is the battery?

 

Just from the feel of the pull on my handle I suspect a mechanical interface after the handle has extended though I have no real idea how things work in there, possibly something is supposed to slide into place but has gotten sticky and doesn't. In this situation I would be severely tempted to buy a high quality endoscope for a look-see, you could possibly determine the cause as well as the DIY feasibility and just need to pop a couple panel fasteners rather than peel the whole onion. Just responding to this question is starting to justify the buy... finding dropped tools, fasteners, mystery smells, dribbles, noises, etc. in extremely tight spaces.

 

Hi Valerie, it's a 2017 and the battery has not been replaced. Thanks!

 

You're not wrong! An endoscope would be a useful tool to have in the bag for more than just this.

Yes when pulling the exterior door handle, it really seems like it's mechanically not engaging with something. But without knowing how it works inside, it's hard to say for certain what the problem is.

So far, the local Jaguar dealership is quoting me between $1000-1600 (pending finding the correct door actuator part based on VIN). The local shop has quoted me $768 ($438 for parts and $330 for labor).

 

a decent visual of taking the inside door card off.. may help you see what's amiss with the handle.

 

I had my door handle work only partially and it turned out to be a contact. But Jaguar only offers a complete door handle! The part was $400! the labor was $450. My extended warranty claimed it was wear and tear! My local dealer got Jag to pay for the part and I paid labor.

 

Had a similar issue happen on my passenger (Left hand - UK) door, but my issue was with the interior handle not opening the door. Turned out the interior handle to lock cable had detached from the rear of the door card meaning the outer cable was not fixed, absorbing the movement of the inner cable. See pic below



Thankfully easy fix by pressing the outer cable back into its housing.

The outer door handle is attached to the door lock by a pull cable just like any other car door handle and I suspect using similar fixtures to the interior handle. It's only the initail 'pop out' that is actioned by a small servo. The door card is not difficult to remove, a few torx screws and the usual plastic trim retainer clips (released with large trim tool). Video posted by Valerie shows you how to do it.




I suspect once you have the door card off, you will find the pull cable (item 11 above) has detached from its fixture and is therefore not actioning the door lock. Alternatively the cable may have snapped or the 'nipple' at each end may have sheared off. Cable is T2R81366 priced at $68.11.