1985-1998 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
 | [Main 9000 Bulletin Board | BBFAQ |
Prev by Date | Next by Date | Post Followup ]
Member Login / Signup - Members see fewer ads. - Latest Member Gallery Photos
Re: Doors won't open Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Tue, 13 Jun 2006 07:19:37
In Reply to: Doors won't open, njoroge, Tue, 13 Jun 2006 04:42:03 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
The first thing that comes to mind is that there may be rust in the chassis, and that the body has shifted slightly. This can cause the latches to grab a bit. It's typical with just one door (driver's side), as it gets the most use, and will show wear first. But if all the doors are acting up, it can be a sign the chassis is settling. Gone over any really big bumps? Accidents? Rust?
Try this trick - when you open the door from the outside, don't pull on the handle. Instead, put your thumb on the non-moving part of the latch, and gently pull the lever. When you pull the handle, you also pull the door; that puts a load on the latch mechansim, and if it is prone to sticking, it'll stick worse. The levering motion doesn't pull the door out.
If that doesn't work, put one hand on the top of the door, pressing into the body slightly, as you move the door handle lever. This also unloads the latch mechanism.
If either of those works, you have two options - first, modify your door opening technique. Or, you can try adjusting the door latches.
To adjust, first make sure the latch mechanism on the door itself is OK. Make sure the bolts are tight. If the latch is a little sloppy, it'll bind.
Next, Adjust the door post on the jamb (chassis side). This can be tricky. It requires a good 6 point 17 mm socket or wrench - the post is usually torqued down pretty good, and there isn't a lot of metal to grab onto. Don't even think about using a 12 point socket or wrench. If you can loosen it, try moving it outboard slightly. Very slightly - a millimeter or two. Tighten it back down and try again.
If the inside latch is working just fine, sometimes the problem is due to lost motion in the unlach mechanism inside the door. The inside latch has a lot more motion than the outside latch, so a little lost motion doesn't matter much to the inside, but is a big deal on the outside latch. For this, the best you can do is remove the door inner panel, and peer up into the mechanism at the latch side of the door. I can't give much guidance other than to move the latch and watch how the mechanism works. In the past, I've had good luck bending a bit of metal here or there slightly so that the outside door latch has less lost motion (motion before the lever engages the latch mechanism.)
posted by 192.249....
, Tue, 13 Jun 2006 07:19:37 <-- Viewing This Message
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
