dufrain

I searched all over to find out how to get my door open on my 98. Most threads are for older 1st gen cars. I read those and finally figured out how to get this door open from the outside of the car without pulling the door panel. All you need is a chainsaw wedge, harbor freight prybar set, small flashlight also from harbor freight, a hammer, and something thin and about 2 feet long. I used a cheap slim jim but a long screwdriver or whatever you have lying around ling and thin enough will work. Roll your window down and get started .

Take your stihl wedge starting from the end closest to the latch and pry up the door panel and hold in place while you move the wedge closer to hinges prying the door panel up as you go like you did with screwdrivers as a kid on your bike tire, until it is in the position in the first pic . Push it down with the thin edge facing down to hold the panel in place. Your cheapy harbor freight light will wedge in place so you have light.

Look down in the gap to see the white place piece over the latch in the second pic. Take the prybar turning the bend the direction you need to get on the plastic and break it off prying or with your hammer. your window is in there so don't hit it and be sorry. Break the white plastic as in the fourth pic and use a long screwdriver to rip the black foam rubber out of your way, the lever your looking for is directly under it.

Opening the door is a 3 handed deal but you can do it with 2. Look down at the latch and see what lever the inside door handle moves when you pull it and also the one the door lock lever moves. Now the three handed part. Get your long thin tool I used the skinny slim jim. Pull the door lever you will see the lever by the latch move up, with the same hand pull the door lock **** and you'll see it moves its little lever up as well. Now keep the door lever pulled, let up on the door lock , push down on the little lever you saw the door lock **** move and push the unlock lever, if you are moving the right lever down it will unlock. Scroll down and look at the last pic the little lever is the part the one the spring is hooked on toward the right of your screen. Dont hold down hard on the lever by the latch ,just pull on the unlock and push the slim tool in different orders until the door unlock will go to unlock position. The little lever you are looking for is closest to the latch side behind the lever the door latch rod hooks to,you cant see it until you pull the door latch. I wish the last picture was better ,Ill take one when I get the door latch out.

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

never heard of this issue. so you have to do this EVERYTIME you need to open the door, or is this for a permanent fix? Confucius says i am confused!

dufrain

Here is how to get the door panel off , not too hard.


http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/body/fdoorpanel.html

dufrain

No this is how to get it open when the spring breaks and you cant get the door open to get the panel off to get the latch out to replace the spring to be able to lock and unlock your door again. Ill put up pics of the latch and spring when i get it out, Im doing this thing in real time

dufrain

The Latch is behind the oval shaped piece of plastic pinch the adhesive between your fingers and peel it off. Cut the yellow tape on the two sets of wires that run to the two white plugs and unclip them. Gently pry the plastic trim from the edge of the door as seen in the second pic.

The window rail has to come out to get the latch out, there's 4 torx screws holding it in ,one at the bottom inside the door and 3 under the trim piece along the edge of the door. You have to roll down the window to get it out from the top. Watch out or put a rag on the end or you will scratch the paint.

Take the 3 torx screws out of the latch at the edge of the door. Unhook the linkages and and lift it out.

Remove whats left of the plastic shield there is one small screw and a place where it pinches around a nub . You will probably see the broken spring laying there. I replaced mine with a 70s number spring in the drawer at ace hardware, I forgot the exact number but take yours to compare. Its sure not a fun job. Now time to put it back together.I left the plastic piece off in case I ever have to do it again. Here are some pics to help

dufrain

Here is the new spring with the old junk one laying beside it