Driver side door won't open on my VW Cabriolet

Something is apparently jammed in the locking mechanism for the driver side door of my 1988 VW Cabriolet convertible because I cannot get it open with the key, or by trying to open it inside or outside of the car - and I have yanked on it pretty forcefully. Yes, I've pulled up the little locking knob.

Other than just destroying the door to get it open, what else can I do? Thanks.

Reply to
Papa
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Is it well below freezing where the car is?

Does the lock button action feel similar to the button on the passenger side?

Reply to
Tom's VR6

Hi Tom.

Well, I thought about the freezing weather, and the temperature has been, and will be, in the teens and mid-20s until the middle of next week around here (central Ohio). So you could be right. I did try squirting some anti-door freeze liquid into the keyhole, but that didn't help. Both lock buttons feel about the same.

Tomorrow I'll try using my wife's hair dryer on it.

Thanks for responding.

Reply to
Papa

It is possible that the door gasket is frozen rather being the lock that is holding the door shut.

Reply to
Tom's VR6

that might work if you know the issue is the lock in the handle. But if it's something else you might not hit the right spot w/the hair dryer.

is there anyplace you can park the car for a few hours in a "heated" (enough above freezing) garage so the entire door area can warm up? That might allow whatever it is to thaw out.

Reply to
Matt B.

I wish there was. My garage is not heated, and this entire area has been in a deep freeze for a week. Guess I'll just have to be patient. Fortunately I have another car.

Reply to
Papa

I live in NE Ohio, my garage is not heated, but the garage hasnt dipped below freezing yet this year...

Reply to
Biz

I'm sorry I missed the start of this thread, and if this has already been covered.

Assuming you can get in the car through another door...

Here's a trick my father taught me long ago, for when you need to heat up the entire door. His Oldsmobile used to freeze the latch mechanism deep inside the door, and a later Chevy used to freeze the rubber seal around the door to the door frame..

You put a blanket over the door and put some bricks on the roof to hold it down. Make up a set of "side holders" from two bricks each and a length of rope between them. The "side holders" go at the front and rear of the door, one each. One brick on the roof, the other you put under the car to hold the blanket up against the side of the car, fore and aft of the crack in the door. You want the seam inside the sealed off section. Then you open the window and either start the car and use it's own heater, if you suspect it's going to un-stick quick enough, or you put an ordinary electric space heater in the car. Dad used to use the space heater overnight. Won't work if it rains or snows, of course. Either way the blanket ends up soaked, but if it's just cold, as far as I can remember, it always worked. Well, as I remember, it even worked a couple of times it snowed, even though the blanket ended up soaked, but usually when the blanket got wet too much heat got sucked out through the wet blanket and it didn't do the job.

- Bill

Reply to
Bill Leary

Hey Bill. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll give it a try.

Reply to
Papa

I'd very much like to hear back if it works for you. We've done this for years and years when we just can't get the car indoors and, if it's really a frozen something-or-other problem, it's always worked. Unless, as I mentioned, it rained or snowed during the attempt. Even then, it works some of the time. One time we THOUGHT it was something frozen, but it turned out to actually be that the latch had broken, which we didn't find out until spring when we had a chance to take it apart.

- Bill

Reply to
Bill Leary

Will do. I am beginning to think that it might be a latch hang-up of some kind rather than frozen because the door just feels too solidly locked, but I'll post back with whatever solves the problem. It'll have to wait, though. We are in the middle of a snow storm and I don't want to be out there in my poorly lit garage feeling around with a coat hanger wire.

Reply to
Papa

Finally I got the door open, and I was right. The lock was not frozen. The mechanism was jammed. The coat hanger I was using must have done the trick. Then I was able to take the door handle off so I can clean up and lubricate the mechanism. It was pretty cruddy inside. All it took to remove the door handle was to pry off the chrome decorative piece, unscrew the Phillips screw underneath, and unscrew the bolt in the side of the door (which I couldn't get to with the door closed). I just hope that I can re-install the door handle without having to remove the door panel on the inside of the door, but probably will in order to connect to the door handle linkage. I haven't moved the inside door latch or the lock button, so maybe I'll get lucky.

Reply to
Papa

It goes back the same way it came off. No need to get inside the door.

Howard

93 Carbiolet Green 05 Golf TDI Silver
Reply to
Howard R Garner

Hi Howard:

Yes, but I wasn't sure. Anyway it went back on just as you said, and now I have a door I can open and close.

Regards.

Reply to
Papa

Glad it was simple.

Assuming it's the same way as on my A2 (I think A1s and A2s have the same handled) is that there's two tabs on the inside of the handle...one for opening the door and one for unlocking it. The tabs hit little levers just inside the opening when the handle is in place on the door. With the handle out you can see them...it's pretty simple.

Reply to
Matt B.

Hi Matt:

Yes, that's the way mine is configured, and, as you say, it is pretty simple - and I like that because not much can go wrong. The problem with mine was that it probably had not been lubricated for 16 years. Now it works like a new one again.

Reply to
Papa

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