door won't open from inside or outside, how do i get it to open so i can access the locking mech? Options

[pete914]

anybody had this problem?
also, removing the window crank...any suggestions? how do you remove it so that you can completely remove the inner door liner?
thanks in advance
pete

[davep]

The window crank has a single screw under the plastic cover. Pop the cover off to get access.

To access the door latch you will have to remove the door panel. Than means removing all the screws from the door pocket, the winder & the inside release. Pull panel up and out to unhook from the top. Tricky with the door closed. I've never heard of both failing together before. Probably one failed and was not repaired before the other failed; a bad mistake. You have to keep on top of these things.

[swl]

to add to Daves post.
You will also have to remove the bezel around the door handle. The plastic cover pops off by slipping a screwdriver under it. Retaining screw is obvious when you get the plastic off.

Before you pull up on the panel you have to pop the push pins at the bottom and sides of the door. Be really carefull doing that because there is not much holding the pins in the door panel itself. Easy to rip the pin out of the panel. I should go get a picture of a panel cause it is hard to describe.
You need a very fine pry bar that you can slip between the door panel and the frame. Find the retaining pin, get as close as you can and pop it out gently. The key is getting close to the pin - it has a wide shoulder and you are then levering on the pin rather than the panel material.

I too am not sure if you can do this with the door closed. It will probably be a real pain.

[lotus_65]

i'd try a slim jim if possible before potentially damaging the door panel.

do you have AAA? they may be able to get it for you.

[wbergtho]

I would try this: Take the plastic bezel and remove the inner release handle mechanism. With this out of the way you have a small access area to investigate. Perhaps the silly push/pull rod has jammed or popped off the release mechanism. If you can somehow grab it with a wire, needle nose or whatever, give it a pull and if it is still hooked to the door latch....wallah...your door is open and you inner panel is still snuggly fitted to your door...thereby eliminating the need to destroy the door cardboard and the plastic pins. Worth a try.

[TheCabinetmaker]

Hey, sounds like a great idea wbergtho. If its the inner handle that is broken, you can maybe use a pair of needle nose to pull the rod and open the door after removeing the trim piece.

[736conver]

Sounds like you need a cutting torch or sawzall (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sawzall-smiley.gif) . That'll open her up.

Then you can take off the door panel and find out whats wrong. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/screwy.gif)

[Cap'n Krusty]

It's not uncommon for the screw that holds the inner door handle trim in place to limit the travel of the handle, making it impossible to open the door. Remove the screw and see if the handle works. If not, remove the handle and pull the rod that way.

The Cap'n

[wbergtho]

Hey, sounds like a great idea wbergtho. If its the inner handle that is broken, you can maybe use a pair of needle nose to pull the rod and open the door after removeing the trim piece.

The rod should not be that hard to see once the inner door handle is removed. The rod slides through plastic bushings on the surface of the inner door panel...so if the rod end is still attched to the door latch (which is what you are ultimately trying to pop) you won't have any problem pulling the rod and getting that familiar pop...and badda bing...badda boom....you've got your door opened. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

[Thack]

I have a feeling the piece/lever the rod is attached to could be broken. That's why the outside handle doesn't work either. I can't see you getting the panel off while the door is shut. Play it safe and have the door opened with a sim jim if you can't get the rod to open the door once you take off the inner handle. A lot cheaper to "pop" the lock with a jim than to rebuild your door panel.

[Cap'n Krusty]

I have a feeling the piece/lever the rod is attached to could be broken. That's why the outside handle doesn't work either. I can't see you getting the panel off while the door is shut. Play it safe and have the door opened with a sim jim if you can't get the rod to open the door once you take off the inner handle. A lot cheaper to "pop" the lock with a jim than to rebuild your door panel.

The inside and outside mechanisms operate separately. The Cap'n

[orange914]

i'd try a slim jim if possible before potentially damaging the door panel.

do you have AAA? they may be able to get it for you.

try local auto parts store, they have a fairly cheap tool that has a screw driver type handle with a wide slotted tip and a prying fulcrum. get under the clip and lightly pry, poppings the clips out away from the door frame.
i've never had to do this on a 914 with the door shut but have on a few other cars tighter that a 914. just take your time, walk away for a few minutes if you cant get it, it'll come off in undamaged condition.

mike

[wbergtho]

Just pull the rod and the door opens! No need to damage the door panel!

[Thack]

Did you fix this? It's kind of odd both door pulls don't operate the latch.

[pete914]

hey,
first, thanks for all the info guys, i could not own this car without the help of this message board. I've been tuned out because of school, i'm in the middle of finals (i'm in dental school) and i'm preparing to treat my first patient this coming friday, so other things have taken my attention.
however, you are absolutely right. i purchased the car with the door handle broken on the passenger-side, so i was being lazy not getting that fixed. just got the new auto atlanta catalog and it seems like there's free shipping so i'm going to place and order for a new door lock mech and other goodies and this weekend take a crack at figuring out how to get the door open. ill put to test your suggestions and report back what ended up working the best.
thanks guys

[swl]

LOL - if you are going into dentistry you don't have to worry about money. But seeing how as you're still a starving student ... The outside door failure is most commonly a failure of a small plastic cam that is separately replaceable. You most likely can get away with a cheap part rather than the whole mechanism.

[Cap'n Krusty]

BUY THE WHOLE MECHANISM? Whattareyounuts? Diagnose, purchase what you need, repair. You could spend hundreds of dollars when it could be repaired for just a few bux. I've replaced MAYBE one latch mechanism on a 914 in 34 years of working on them on a day to day basis. MAYBE. Besides that, the catalog is probably a lot better than the experiences of a lot of listers here in dealing with AA. The Cap'n

[McMark]

Cap'n has it right. Don't start buying parts before you even know what's wrong.

Check out this tech article for some pertinent pictures

It's not hard to take the door panel off, take it step by step. At least it's a project that you can do without taking the car off the road. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[lotus_65]

i'd just add to both this thread and the tech article that in my case, the latch mechanism had to be cleaned and adjusted quite dramatically.
the mechanism was dirty and sticky, and the arm that transferred the movement from the handles to activate the release was skewed badly. no matter how well i cleaned and adjusted the other parts, the doors wouldn't work properly until i tweeked the mechanism.
my situation was certainly out of the ordinary, but it was a lot of work and i recommend a full cleaning and complete adjustment of the mechanisms in addition to the above procedures to avoid future issues and broken handles.