Passenger door won't unlock..

It isn't just frozen shut is it? If not then spray some oil into it, leave it a few days and then try again, pulling the door handle linkage should free the mechanism and a good shove on the door should release it. Then just replace the lock assembly, I haven't come across any that need breaking up in situ to get the door open, IIRC there is a plastic cover over the mechanism that can be prised off to gain access to much of the mechanism.

Exactly, that happened to my car monday morning. The door couldn't close properly as the finger mechanism was already in shut position. I could only drive while snow entered the gap and onto the driver. However, it all went back to normal when temperature increased. I dosed it with WD40 to prevent it happening again.

Thanks guys, but no, it isn't frozen. It's in a fairly warm (16C) boatshed (DNP planners wouldn't let me have a garage but approved a boat shed and the Building Control Officer approved keeping vehicles, in addition to boats, in it..go figure). Also, unfortunately, I couldn't see anything that looked as if it was a cover that would prise off.

I might try drilling a small hole or three and topping it up with WD40. Thanks for reminding me that there is an engineering alternative to a big hammer!

I'll have another look tomorrow, for that cover.

-- Sue

Don't drill holes in your door. The WD40 comes with a thin tube you can attach to can. Then you can spray directly into keyhole.

the rear offside door does not have a keyhole, she means to drill a hole in the lock cover inside the door and then apply wd40 using the little tube.

Someone sent this to me accidentally: "Try one more thing if you can get a small hammer in the door try tapping the mech. GENTLY while working the door handle and lock button (not the power lock) remove the cylinoid" magic.man.joe

Incidentally Sue, they are asking for you on uk.legal

Mrcheerful

It's OK - I have the door panel off and so it was the plastic of the lock case itself that I was intending drilling into.

Although, if it was possible to drill a tiny hole through the door itself, right at the spot where the lock could be disengaged, I'd "happily" do that, in preference to breaking the lock apart via the hole behind the door panel.

I think maybe a trip to the scrappie is in order, to see if I can get hold of a lock to practice on.

-- Sue

I have experienced this many times in the past. Not sure why it always happens to the O/S/R door though!

Now you have the door panel off, you need to drill a hole in the plastic body of the lock, so you operate the catch with a screwdriver and release the door. You will need a drill with a 10mm drill bit, and a flat blade screwdriver.

If you look at the visible exterior part of the latch on another door, you will see there is a 'U' shaped fork that latches around the pin mounted on the car body. At the bottom of the recess containing the fork, there is a small catch that can be seen to move if you operate the internal or external door handle. This is the catch you need to operate to release the door. You can take approximate measurments from the other rear door as to where to drill to access the release catch.

HTH

Anthony Remove colour from the sky to reply.