EazyRice1

Well, today I walked out to my car and driver door would not open. I see the thing that indicates whether the door is unlocked or locked move a little, but not all the way. I don't get it, it was opening just fine yesterday. Any help would be appreciated. By the way I have 95 ls400.

–Steven

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

Steven you need to always IDENTIFY what you are driving in the heading or list your LS in your personals....... all models are not the same...

Mike posted this in the sticky's
PLEASE use a descriptive title in your "Please help", "Need Help" "Help" posts. As an Example "Need help- '98 car does not start". "Need Help - '98 spongy brake pedal".

A generic "Need help" is going to return several thousand "need help" titles. Do you want to read several thousand to find an answer? For the benefit of those who may have similar troubles your precise title will help them find the answer quickly and return accurate search results.

In the body of text:
Year, miles on car and description of problems/symptoms.

dicer

And driver door would not open???? Do you mean it would not unlock? If you go in the passenger side and manually unlock the door will it then open? Or yes it is unlocked and you grab the door latch lever like normal and it still does not open? If that is the case its a mess.

EazyRice1

Well, I try do it from inside to open manually and feels like something is in the way cause I can't push it all the way. Sorry I'm not good at explaining things.

dicer

So then the latch is not letting it go? I know the loop that the latch hooks to goes through the B pillar I don't know how it is held on I'm guessing a couple of nuts.
And maybe it can be moved forward enough to release if the latch is the problem. I've see a lot of different posts about people having this problem but never has anyone come back and said what they did to get it fixed. Taking the door panel off doesn't do much if you can't open the door, and besides you'd mess the panel up doing it that way. There are screws that hold the latch that are accessed only after the door is open.
Fixing these door latch problems is one of the worse things that can happen next to the hood latch not working, on these cars. It would be a real fight not to goof stuff up battling with either one.

UNCNOR

iTrader: (1)

My first Lexus,a 1991 ES 250,had exactly the same problem and the dealer fixed the problem because it was covered by a TSB,apparently.Did not have any further problems with the door.

dicer

If would be nice to know what they did.

bradland

This happened to my first LS, a 91, and it was an absolute NIGHTMARE. I drove it for at least a month climbing in and out of the passenger door. It was at least 12 years ago so my memory isn't crystal clear plus this is one of those memories I tried to forget. I do however clearly remember Scottsdale Lexus on McDowell Rd telling me to go away as they wouldn't even try to get the door open. That's when I really got scared!!!

Long story short I finally found a guy at a local Nissan svc dept who seemed confident he could get it open. I tossed him the keys and said "Do what you gotta do..." I knew it was my interior latch mechanism which I picked up from a salvage yard. The Nissan svc tech threw that in and I was good to go but it took FOREVER to find the right guy. I hope in your case enough years have passed and now more people know how to address this.

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

the first thing you will need is a door trim panel that is like yours, because you will have to cut yours up to get it off, the back half for sure, so you can gain access to your door lock/latch and release it.. NOTE CUT AWAY BACK PART
NOTE, FOLLOW DUFRAIN TUTORIAL BELOW, AND SAVE SOME MONEY..

dufrain

On my 98 it was the small spring , i got a replacement at ace hardware, this happens to toyotas alot . I did mine through the window opening . I did a tutorial a couple years ago .Ill see if i can find it

dufrain

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...-tutorial.html

dicer

I don't know the gen 2 stuff, but if there is a way to use a slim jim all its going to do is do the same thing the door release handle will do and that is move the linkage to the latch. The latch is all covered and there is no way to access it when its in the door. I would think the newer stuff is even more burglar proof so I don't really understand the fix.

dufrain

You have to wedge it open like in the pics in the link and break the white plastic piece. The whole thing is a nightmare

dicer

Did you need to take the window out to get the latch out? I took some good pics of a gen 1 latch, I wish we had some good fix it stickys on here.

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

no, once you get the door open, it comes right out (at least mine did on my old 94)