The driver's side door has started making a strange creaking noise when I open it. It's the only door that gets much use. I've put machine oil and WD-40 on everything that I can reach and it didn't help. Anyone have any idea what could be causing this? What the cure is? Don't want to take it to be serviced just for that - but don't want to just let it go in case it is something serious.
I've noticed on my same year Corolla that sometimes the bolts holding the hinges get loose. Perhaps they always were. Tightened them down, greased the hinges, etc... problem hasn't came back. I did this on all doors by the way.
The creaking noise is probably from the door check, and WD-40 is not a heavy enough lubricant to do the job.
When you open the door, there is a long flat piece of metal that has a black plastic coating with 1 or 2 bumps on the plastic. This is the door check. When you open and close the door, the bumps catch on 2 pieces of rubber inside the door to hold the door in position. If it gets dried out, pulling the door check acts like a violin bow across strings, making a creaking or groaning noise.
Use an aerosol lithium grease - most cans come with a plastic snorkel to help you apply it in tight places. Insert the snorkel in the spray nozzle, and stick the snorkel past the rubber flaps on the door opening where the check bar passes through and give it a very liberal dose of grease. Try to aim up and down to get the rubber.
If that doesn't work and you want to remove the inner door panel, you can apply a paste grease to the rubber snubbers, which is what I've done.
Some Toyota dealers give the door check a little squirt of grease when they change the oil to keep this from happening, most independents and oil change places do not so you have to do this yourself.
It seems you're damned either way with this door check problem. Either the thing in the door works (and makes a noise) or you lubricate it and it is silenced, but then every time you park on a slight incline and put your foot out the door, the door closes on your ankle. Ya can't win.
Living in the San Francisco Bay Area taught me not to put your foot out the door unless your shoulder is farther out than your ankle!
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