Issues with door latching/locking

[Pazuzu]

So, i pulled the window frames out of my car this weekend, and when I put everything back in place, I had some very specific issues with the passenger side door.

If I lock the door, then it's locked, and the outside latch obviously just kinda freewheels in the door frame, as expected. When I unlock the door, the outside door latch does NOT become enabled. The inside latch IS enabled, and will open the door. If I open the door with the inside latch, then close it, NOW the outside latch works just fine over and over. Until I lock the door again.

It appears that something is binding when I lock the door, such that it's not sliding back into place to allow the outside latch to work immediately? I sprayed everything down in there with PB blaster thinking something got bound up.

Did I bump something out of alignment when I removed or replaced the window frame? Unfortunately, I did not learn about this until I had the driver's side all back together, so I cannot see how that mechanism works, so I'm not sure what should slide into place when the door is unlocked that enables the outside latch.

Thanks!

[bkreigsr]

No clue as to what car you are working on?
No clue as to which door (or both) are screwed up?
Are both doors equally non-functional?
Bill K

[Evans, Marv]

Not much (that I can think of) in the actual outside door handle that would make this happen. I'd go back and remove the door card and check the rods and pivot that operate the locking mechanism and check the operation of the mechanism bolted to the back of the door that secures the door closed and locks it. You didn't say if it was the door handle (keyed part) or the knob on the door sill you were doing the locking & unlocking with.

[Pazuzu]

Only the passenger side door, 1980 coupe.

The pin activates when you pull the outside trigger, it's intact. When the door is locked, a finger is moved out of the way, the door handle pin pushes a spring loaded assembly, which then moves into empty space and does nothing. When the door is unlocked, the finger is moved in front of the assembly, and the door handle now presses against something that opens the door.

In my case, the door handle pin presses against a spring loaded assembly, but that assembly doesn't seem to spring back into place. The inside door latch always works (locked or not), it doesn't use this assembly/finger thing. However, when I pull the inside latch, it then pushes the spring loaded assembly into place, so the door handle pin can activate it again.

It makes sense when it's being viewed

There must be a spacer or something that I broke when removing or replacing the window frame, that forces the spring loaded assembly to remain in place against the door latch pin. It ended up floating, oh maybe 1/2 inch away from the pin, so the door latch does nothing at all.

a bit of searching shows things like cracked door handle triggers, I don't think that is the case. When the outside latch is working, it is plenty strong, and pops the door open firmly and quickly.

I did not have the nerve to open everything up, that will probably come next...

[Pazuzu]

Seems that the pieces that the door handle pin presses against might be bent out of the way (common problem), except that in my case, if I use the inside pull, the outside pull will work just fine then? Whereas it seems that in general if that piece is bent, then you lose all use of the outside door latch, at all times under all circumstances?

[Pazuzu]

Well, it only took me about 2 years to finally deal with this...

Problem solved.


Image stolen...
The red circle shows a small circlip that holds the spring in place. I must have popped mine off when I reinstalled the window frame. So, the spring would expand, not have enough tension, and no longer put everything back into place after the door was locked.

Solution? Well, the right way is to spend a few days hunting down a tiny circlip, leaving the car dead for all of that time.

My solution? There was a second circlip on the far right side of that same shaft. It was meant to keep part of the locking arm located, but I found it really wasn't needed, I was unable to for the arm out of position by hand, and every time you use the door handle trigger it pushes everything back into alignment anyways. So, I took that circlip and put the spring back under proper tension.

Grease everything, and put back in place. Now I can open the door for my wife!

[evan9eleven]

Thanks for the update. Better late then never! :-)