# Passenger's door won't open. Any ideas?



## Wheelnut (Apr 27, 2016)

So, I'm now two weeks into TT ownership and thought I had got all the issues fixed.

Fitted a recon dashpod which sorted the dodgy electrics. Checked brakes and suspension. Changed oils and filters. Cleaned and polished the exterior. Conditioned the leather seats. Fixed the squeaking window mechanisms. Buffed up the faded and oxidised headlamps. Final task was to fit a s/h passenger side door lock as the old one wouldn't open from the outside. Fixed and all working. All done and now 'fit for service'.

And so it was - for all of a blissful 24 hours. Drives beautifully too.

Then, disaster! The passenger door now won't open from inside or out. Central locking appears to unlock the door (you can hear the solenoid) and it seems to lock and unlock using the key, but the latch mechanism appears to be stuck. This is the replacement mechanism just fitted, but I am certain that it was all assembled properly. And it was all working fine from the inside and outside door handles. So, it seems the 'new' latch mechanism has packed up and the only way of getting to it is to open the door. Which can't be opened, of course.

Any ideas? I have thought about destroying the door card to get to the mechanism, but that won't actually help if it is a fault within the mechanism, as I still wouldn't be able to unbolt the latch unit without opening the door first.

Any suggestions gratefully received.

I'm assuming the window microswitch wouldn't cause this. Or would it?


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi, No microswitch wouldn't cause the prob.
Put some pressure on the outside of the door & then try to open with the handle, assuming you've unlocked with the fob first. Does yours require two presses to unlock passenger door ? 
Hoggy.


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## uncle nick (Jun 30, 2016)

Hoggy said:


> Put some pressure on the outside of the door & then try to open with the handle, assuming you've unlocked with the fob first. Does yours require two presses to unlock passenger door ?
> Hoggy.


This worked for me plus contact Wak as he knows a trick or two about opening doors!
Man's a genius, saved me a load of grief! :lol:


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## miknix (Jul 26, 2015)

The EXACT same thing happened to me to the driver's door. It was pain in the ass, I had to enter and exit from the passenger door for two weeks! It felt ridiculous too, always waited for people to go away before attempting the circus!

Luckily one week before happening I had left my TT at a body shop to do some work so the garage accepted to repair the door issue without charge - the owner is a really nice guy.
Don't ask me how they got to it, what I know is that they delivered the car without a single extra hole in the door. The only thing they told me was that one plastic thingy belonging to the mechanical latch/pulley mechanism had broken and that was preventing the door from opening (from inside or outside).
EDIT: They showed the broken piece to me so I'm going to search on the internets to see if I can identify it.
EDIT: EDIT: I can't identify the piece 

TRAP TO NEW OWNERS: If you feel your door opening handle doesn't pull all out as usual and the door is not openning - DON'T FORCE IT! - this is how I broke mine! Just try again gently and next time you have a chance, put some WD40 into the door latch mechanism.
My passenger door started doing it recently and after putting WD40 there now it opens like a wet gal.



Wheelnut said:


> Then, disaster! The passenger door now won't open from inside or out. Central locking appears to unlock the door (you can hear the solenoid) and it seems to lock and unlock using the key, but the latch mechanism appears to be stuck. This is the replacement mechanism just fitted, but I am certain that it was all assembled properly. And it was all working fine from the inside and outside door handles. So, it seems the 'new' latch mechanism has packed up and the only way of getting to it is to open the door. Which can't be opened, of course.
> 
> Any ideas? I have thought about destroying the door card to get to the mechanism, but that won't actually help if it is a fault within the mechanism, as I still wouldn't be able to unbolt the latch unit without opening the door first.
> 
> ...


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## Wheelnut (Apr 27, 2016)

Many thanks for the suggestions, and apologies for not replying earlier.

Haven't had access to the internet for an entire week, due to leaving my phone and my ipad in Oxfordshire then driving to Cumbria for a week. No problem, I thought, just use the laptop. But that crashed when it took exception to the latest Windows 10 update and took a week to get fixed!

Anyway, will have another try at the door lock tomorrow.


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## Wheelnut (Apr 27, 2016)

Right. Here's the fix for the problem, thanks to WAK who generously offered to talk me through how to fix it (what a hero!).

The problem turned out to be that the short cable linking the outer door handle to the lock mechanism was too tight. There should be a small amount of play in this cable.

To release the door, pull on the outer door handle, which exposes the outer end of the short cable, the end of which has a tiny plastic moulding which is recessed into a grooved channel in the door handle. Using a small flat-bladed screwdriver, prise the plastic moulding out of the channel and reseat it slightly closer to the door skin, thereby creating a small amount of slack in the cable. The door can now be opened from the inside or outside, and the cable adjustment is correct.

When prising the cable end out of its channel, don't worry if the cable disappears into the door, as the door can still be opened using the inner door pull, and the cable can then be refitted in its groove (leaving a little slack). You may have to release the actual lock mechanism to facilitate this.

So, I am mightily relieved that the door now works and I am deeply indebted to WAK who solved the riddle. The man really is a genius. Thanks, WAK!


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