Hi there, I recently aquired a 1984 XJ6. Beautiful car and runs perfectly. Unfortunately only the drivers door opens. The passenger door lock seems to operate but it wont open. (from the inside or out, with the key or without)

The front passenger door card is removed, I can see the rods for the lock and handle operating. They appear to be moving the latch mechanism, but the door is sealed like a bank vault.

Does anyone know how to free it up? Used a whole can of WD40 to no avail. Tried tapping it with a hammer and driver (although I don't know where I should be tapping). Tried prying the lever the door handle operates further then the rod was able to....

Should I just crow bar the darn thing open and fix it up? haha

 

Okay, no one seemed to help but I made progress regardless. I manged to get the front passenger door open. The rears are still stuck, I didn't even try as its already too late. These are my findings.

After taking apart both front doors (one good, one bad) so I can have an idea about how things should work. I found that if you actuate the door handle the rotating waffer on the latch that actually grabs the frame latch bar is supposed to move (if its actually in the set position, grabbing the bar. I used a screw driver to make it think its closed and pulled the handle to find this out). So what I did was I held the door handle in the open position, stuck a very thin and long screwdriver that I bent at the tip between the door and the frame (from the outside of the car) and started to try to free up the rotating waffer that physically locks the door. This didn't work...exactly...but what it did do was get that waffer moving ever so slightly and maybe helped free up some of the corrosion. Could I have opened the door without doing this? Maybe, but I felt it made progress and it almost worked a couple times before I gave up.

Step two, (maybe three if you count liberally spraying everything with wd40) was to look at the latch mechanism from the inside of the car with the door panel (door card) removed. Both the inside handle and outside handle ultimately actuate a small tab.

(there are serveral peices moving, but if you trace it, ultimately there is one small tab they both end up moving, and you can't see what the tab moves because its too far in the mechanism.)

This small tab goes from East to West if the front of the car is north. I found that it was actually moving only half as far as it should be when you actuate either handle. All I did was held a handle in the open position (whichever handle seems to move it further). Stuck my bent tiny long screwdriver I made earlier into one of the two holes on the top rearward end of the door, tried to land the flat head of the screw driver onto that small tab, and pushed it further then the door handles were able to push it on their own. Then I let go of the door handle, and pushed the tab in the opposite direction (may not be needed, but I felt it helped). After repeating this several times the door handles (both) seemed to move this tab further then it did before. Then I just actuated the handles over and over again and finally I heard a "pop". The door just opened right up. Afraid to shut it again I played with the mechanism some more and finally grew some ***** and shut the door. It opened right up again. Finally this door is unstuck.

Now to try this on the rear two doors.





Oh, a little tip. When you actuate the inside door handle. It feels pretty easy for the first little bit then at some point you'll feel slightly more resistance. This added resistance is when its actually moving the tab, the easier first part is just taking up the slack before it contacts the tab. I noticed the broken door had a far shorter time in the "resistance" portion of its movement. If your doing it right this "resistance" portion should get longer and longer until it finally moves enough to open the door.

My broken door had about half the travel of my good door once the added resistance is felt. The rods have some give, so just pulling the door handle harder will only break them. The total movement always stays the same, its just when the resistance is felt that gets longer and longer.

 

Good work :-)


Cheers
DD

 

Hey Thanks 84 XJ6. Sorry you had to go through all that, however I am also having a door problem and your post may help with that. Best Regards, XJ6guy

 

ok, so you did get the doors open, but did you find that it's a mechanical problem at the door latch mechanism, or is it stuck because of the solenoid actuator/vacuum system that controls the entire locking mechanism of the car? wm

 

In my case it was mechanical. I got one more door open this afternoon. The last door is finally apart and it looks horrible. The other doors were a bit dirty and somewhat corroded but this last one is just too far gone. Its seized solid. The whole mechanism won't move, not even a little. The rust is so bad its just breaking apart when I try to move it. Its really dissapointing, in retrospect the two passenger doors I did get open were pieces of a cake, once I figured out what needed to get moving more.

Oh well, at least the car is useable with only one stuck door. Maybe I can find a new door or latch mechanism somewhere. I rather have a new door, when I opened the panel it was soaking wet in there even though Its been in the sun for a few days. The solenoid seems rusted out too. I think this door is a total loss.

 

I have a 88xj6 and the doors are always a problem, I have it rigged up as best i can, the back doors dont open on the outside (one is due to a broken handle) but when i take it apart, i can tell whats wrong, the metal rod going from the outside handle to the actuator is to long and it is adjustable, so all i need to do is shorten the rod, but it is very difficult to access on the back door, so i cant get any tools in there and i am having a hard time disconnecting the rod from the handle.

I was wondering if you encountered anything similar when working on your back doors.?

I have worked alot adjusting the different doors, when i first got the car no doors opened at all, and your methods used sounded the same as the way i dealt with my door

 

I got all my doors working 100% power locks and all now. (a while ago really, but forgot to post). Didn't buy have to buy any parts at all.

I can see how disconnecting the rod from the outside handle may be difficult. On my frozen rear door I ended up removing the latch mechanism completely to fix it. That will give you an extra "hole" to work through.

The only other thing I can recommend if you can't get your hands in there (I can't im 6'2 230lbs) is make some tools to poke around in there. I primarily used a thin needle nose pliers, long bent needle nose pliers and I made another tool, basically I took tiny, very thin and very long Philips screwdriver, probably 8" long and no more then 1/8" wide. Heated up the end and bent the end to about 45 degrees at the last half inch.

It made the job a LOT easier being about to manipulate the little tabs and rods from outside the door where your hands have plenty of movement. Where the rods connect to a mechanism there is a clasp that swings down and clamps on to the rod to keep it from falling out of the hole. I used my bent screw driver to undo and redo the clasps, the job was almost impossible without it.

The main thing is don't give up and don't get worked up. Give yourself lots of time and be gentle with everything. It will all work out eventually, you just have to let your car know your not going to be defeated by it and eventually she'll give in. If you get frustrated take a break, drink something refreshing and get back to it.

Good luck.

 

Yes, you can go the garage to buy a new door.

 

Thanks, for the input. I see now there is lots of parts available. But the door works 100% now after some more work to it.

But if you just go out and buy a new piece every time its broken then you have no business restoring classic cars. Mind as well just buy one that already been restored. I've worked at a few autobody shops and classic cars just need some know how and some persistence. Almost everything is fixable, especially in Jags as I've been learning over the last few months.

To be honest, it would have been more work removing the door and hanging a new one then fixing the one I had. Plus then it's the wrong color needing paint, (and how do you put new paint to only one door? it will look perfect and the rest of the car properly aged) probably a different door card, may not line up right and maybe its not perfectly functional either.

 

Hi, your idea is nice.
Your though it very correct. Hope you can work it well.