Door catch adjustment

[mean_in_green]

One of my doors has an annoying habit of needing to be closed more than once to properly close it, you know: when you think you've shut it but it isn't?

Two questions:

1. Is the adjustment in the catch plate fitted to the door jamb, or is it an adjustment of the door catch itself?

2. What are those weirdy fasteners that look like Torx bolts but aren't? I tried a Torx for size, but decided against trying it as the fit wasn't good enough.

Simon.

[nesslar]

Try this item on eBay from R J Tools. Worked for me! Only $8.00 BIN + shipping.
170159650839
It's the "triple square" or "12 point" bits..... The 8mm bit fits the door plate.

[ulrichd]

I was looking for the same topic and found this:

Hmm, from my experience door latching issues on older cars are a symptom - the actual cause is usually the hinges (worn) - not the latch.
You could end up chasing your tail - realigning the latch to an out of whack door fit?
I'd check the hinges first - door fit panel gaps - has the door dropped a wee bit? Does it move up and down on the hinge pins?
A temp fix is to pack between the hinge plate and door with gasket paper to elevate the door back up to realign with the latch.
I think Wayne may have covered this topic more or less in his 101 book?
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[nesslar]

Could be, but it sounds to me as though the plate might be too far "in", toward the inside of the car, so the door doesn't quite catch even when it looks closed. I experienced that while fiddling with my door plate, and the whole setup is fine now.

[mean_in_green]

Thanks for the pointer with the correct tool name. Located the same here in the UK and ordered a set online, as a quick look around the car suggests they may come in handy.