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Drivers door jammed closed


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Hello all.

My Defender has been off the road for about 8 weeks with a knackered clutch. When it went I decided that I would use it as an excuse to do all the other little niggly jobs that are needing done.

Needless to say it has sat outside the house untouched for 8 weeks. Yesterday I decided to embark on the rebuild.

Car unlocked no problem. It started first time off the key and everything looked rosy. I closed it up locked it and went into the garage to clear the space for it to be moved inside. Went back out to car to move it... drivers door would not unlock!

I cannot get the door to open using either the key or the button or even both at once.

Is there a way to release the door lock when it is jammed closed?

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You will probably find that the wire joining the latches to the mechanisim itself is disconected - easy fix once you get there the trick being prising the door card away while the door is jammed shut. This is possible but difficult.

Take off window handle, take off the piece of plastic behind the inside door latch (held in with piddly philips screw), take off inside door handle. Now prise the top of the door crad awy from the door frame and reach down to the door mechanisim and open it.

If you want a better explanation then the best thing to do is take the door card off the front door that is working and do your home work there before you start on the door that is stuck.

Adam

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Just unbolt the hinges and lift the whole door off. The you can get at everything to fix it.

Ivan

I wish Defenders were that easy - the last time I had to unbolt the door hinges I ended up having to use an angle grinder......the bolts were rotten and got stuck and the philips screw heads are not helpfull in getting any torque on to the bolts.

Adam

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I wish Defenders were that easy - the last time I had to unbolt the door hinges I ended up having to use an angle grinder......the bolts were rotten and got stuck and the philips screw heads are not helpfull in getting any torque on to the bolts.

Adam

Anti burst locks might cause a bit of difficulty too.

Get the door card off the other side and take a good look at how it all works. Then try and remove or at least free the upper part of the drivers door card to get some light/access. You may find with the window wound down you can get in through the window channel and unlock it with a slim jim or wire coat hanger.

Failing that have you just tried pulling on the internal handle and giving the door a good shove?

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My drivers door did the same on my old 90. In the end we cut through the two bolts that hold the stricker plate in place. This allowed us to open the door. We replaced the lock with a second hand one.

Martin

1996 Defender 90

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Exactly the same happened to me quite recently. The only way that I could get the door to open was to attack the small plastic spacer in between the door lock and the 'B' pillar with an air chisel. When the door was open, I replaced the lock assembly with a new one. Don't bother with a second hand one, it will only happen again. Good luck.

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TroddenMasses is a liar. What happened was, a creative chap we both know chiselled the striker plate off when his door was stuck shut. He fitted a second hand lock and it happened again. I managed to get his door open with a cable-tie that time.

The door won't unlock if you pull up the button/turn the key while the outside button is pressed in. The problem is that, although the button returns when you take your finger off, the internal workings don't. If you pull the top of the door card away you can loop a cable tie around the relevant bit (on the door 'skin' side of the lock) and get the door open. Then you have to dismantle the door and lubricate/replace the little coil spring that rusts up. TM fitted a new lock too although I think it was unnecessary. (He now has spares though :))

JB

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  • 4 years later...

Hi All

You dont need to take the door card off difficult if the door is stuck shut and the hinge bolts rusted. Get a coat hanger or welding rod etc then from the inside of the cab you can push the mechanism up where it grabs the striker plate . You can practice on the door that opens . You dont need a sledge hammer or angle grinder.

Jon

PS you can even do it in Sainsburys car park no one will ask what your up to

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  • 10 years later...

The most likely problem is that the return spring for the door push button is seized.

take off the inside handle and rotate the windows handle so it’s pointing the front of the car. 
Gently pull the door card out enough to slip your hand in and feel right behind the button.

theres a little U shaped contrivance with a spring on top that pushed the button back out.

if it doesn’t return to a flush position, it blocks the Lock lever. Just push it flush, pushing the button back out. Try the lock. WD and persistence are your friends. Grease it afterwards and it only happen again for at least a week. During that week, order a new door button assembly. Might as well order 4....

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