Guys
Have a 52 plate almera and basically the door wont catch when shutting it. I have an auto care policy with Arnold Clark but im pretty sure this wont be covered (the wording is very vague) The garage wont be looking at it till Monday Morning but bearing in mind they are robbing b's! if its 100% not covered id rather take it elsewhere.. Any ideas?
Have you tried a bit of oil?
Rob Graham
Could be that the mechanism is broken, or simply that the striker (the bit of the latch attached to the car chassis/door pillar) has moved too far inwards and needs adjusting. The latter is a fairly trivial job, a few minutes, and maladjusted/loose strikers do happen from time to time. The former could be expensive and it's a bit of a pain to change, but a trip to a scrapyard could make it a cheapish job.
You could also check that the latch snaps shut on the door by pushing it with a screwdriver until it clicks shut, but remember to 'open' it again by the handle before slamming the door shut or it may cause damage! If it won't budge then it could be siezed, try some lubrication on it. Applying WD40 and working the mechanism should free it off, but oil it with something heavier once it's freed. It should move with a snap- a strong spring action that you'll have to overcome with significant pressure. If it doesn't, the spring may be broken.
Morse
All car doors I know have two levels of latching to prevent them flying open. Does it work on the first one?
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