So...ummm..does anyone know about auto body stuff?

[Scroby 0]

So my passenger door is stuck shut. I can't open it, I can unlock and lock it but I can't open it. The handle on the outside is stuck in the up position and won't go back in the normal position. Can anyone give me some advice on what I should do?

 

Oh and yes, getting a new car is on top of the list.

[In Credible 0]

Can you open it from the inside?

[Guest Vitamin X]

Car doors have been a pain in my ass from a couple cars ago, to the one I have now (which I've had for about 5 years). If you can, you should learn the basics of taking apart and putting back together the inside panel; you'll save yourself a lot of hassle and be able to resolve these kinds of issues (it sounds like something's jammed with the wiring inside) easily and quickly.

 

It's a lot more difficult when you have power door locks and power windows, though.

[Scroby 0]

Can you open it from the inside?

No I can't, so its going to be VERY hard for me to get the door panel off.

 

And yes, I do have power locks but it has to be something inside the door that I can't get to without taking the panel off and I can't even tell how to take the panel off. There's some screws on the bottom half but there's nothing on the top half, so I can't tell how to take the panel off.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Inside door panels come off simply, although the difficult part would be if you had a window lever (that knob or whatever that you crank to bring your window up or down). Then you need a special tool to get out the pin that holds it together.

 

But usually, at least on my car, a screwdriver and my hands do the trick. Especially if the door panel is made out of plastic. All you do is take out any visible screws, as well as a screw that's harder to find (this will usually be around the door handle or "armrest" on the panel. From there, the panel is held together by parts that "snap" into place into the metal part of your car door. These can be easily removed just by yanking the damn thing out; although I'll warn you, you might want to have a long day ahead of you and maybe a friend with you spotting you in case you might accidentally pull a vital piece off your car or that he/she can lend a hand. It's just screw and unsnap, when it comes down to it, really.

 

I know this stuff because when I had a nicer car, I was a bit of a car audiophile, so I was constantly replacing and working with speakers inside cars, and that requires intimate knowledge of working with interior panelling. Although, like I said, it's not difficult. If you're saying there's no screws on the top half, it probably just snaps right off.

[Scroby 0]

So after trying to remove my door panal, i realized I can't. Its pretty much impossible to get to a few screws with the door shut because the seat is in the way. Plus some of the stuff I need to remove, like the door handle on the inside and the window...dealy I need a speical tool. Well maybe not with the window dealy because I actually didn't see how I could remove that. I think I need to take it to a auto shop.

[Black Lushus 0]

Scroobs, taking it to a shop is going to be your best bet at this point.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

If it makes you feel any better, the passenger door to my '88 Corsica hasn't opened from the outside for seven years. I consider it an anti-carjacking device. Then again, the fact it's an '88 Corsica should be all the anti-carjacking material I need.

[Scroby 0]

If it makes you feel any better, the passenger door to my '88 Corsica hasn't opened from the outside for seven years. I consider it an anti-carjacking device. Then again, the fact it's an '88 Corsica should be all the anti-carjacking material I need.

I wouldn't be so pist off about it if the door opened at all, but its just solid shut.

[In Credible 0]

Yeah, I think you need to take it somewhere and get some ideas from them. At least if they can somehow get it open you can start the process of taking off the inside panel and tinkering.

[Scroby 0]

Yeah, I think you need to take it somewhere and get some ideas from them. At least if they can somehow get it open you can start the process of taking off the inside panel and tinkering.

Now the question is, do I take it to a auto body shop or a mechinc (sp?) ? There's also a place that apprently specialize's in car doors but thats all the way out near Oakland (25 minutes away from me).

[Guest Vitamin X]

I was just telling you to take off the window thing you get a tool from advance auto parts or whatever cheap auto parts store is by you.. pep boys? It's like, $2 at most. And the door handle almost assuredly has a screw on it somewhere, look closely. Not so much the handle but the thing that's keeping it in place.

 

Don't waste your money on an auto body guy. Hell, I've had guys at advance auto or whatever help me out before if I just ask them a question, they've come out and seen what was wrong, especially if it's something that's relatively easy to fix.