Door Latches Won't Defender 110 1992

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

My recent purchase of a 1992 Defender 110 trayback ute has brought along with it an issue with both the driver and passenger doors. They will not stay closed or "latched".

Can the latches be fixed so they actually stay closed ... and open again later? Or, is it a case of simply buying new latches - such as those pictured below?

Kind regards
Lionel

[grey_ghost]

Is it an adjustment issue?

I had an issue with my Perentie - a year after buying it the drivers door would fly open when you drove along (sometimes it would happen when I was driving in a straight line - the door would randomly fly open)...

Anyway the issue was a combination of age and worn component.

Adjusting the front hinges, striker plate and latch fixed it.

It was easier to watch the latch/striker plate from the inside of the car as someone else gently opened and closed the door..

Cheers,
GG

[Lionelgee]

Hello Grey Ghost.

Thank you for the reply.

There is black plastic coated sort of boomerang shaped latch inside the door. This latch is then meant to engage with the door pillar striker. The boomerang latch for quite some time - according to the previous owner - positions itself so that it is in a closed position and the latch just bounces off the striker.

Moving the boomerang latch up or down before attempting to close the door makes no difference.

The only way to keep each door shut is via an elbow out the window while tucking the door closed. Meanwhile, the latch bounces off the striker.

Kind regards
Lionel

[grey_ghost]

Hi Lionel,

I *vaguely* remember that my boomerang thingy was doing the same thing. My poor memory was that the manual lock from inside was jammed on. I locked/unlocked it a couple of times and then the boomerang thing started to work properly.

My other memory was that due to age, wear and sagging - the boomerang thingy would hit the striker but not enough to grab it. Hence I would hit a bump and the boomerang would flip off the striker and the door would open.

Perhaps as you suggest - the internal workings are buggered ?

Mine started playing up on a 500+ km trip home, and I had to use the elbow technique the entire way home..

[Lionelgee]

Hello Grey Ghost... and Others,

I just had another look and the driver's door is performing differently to the passenger side.

If the driver's door is opened and with the outside door opening button pressed I can use my finger to flick the boomerang latch to an open position. With the door closed slowly and with the impetus off a hip against the door it will latch and stay closed. Pressing the outside door button will allow the door to open.

The passenger side. Pushing the outside door button will allow the boomerang latch to shift to the open position. However, no technique will allow the latch to close. Once the door is opened slightly the latch falls into the closed position in the door. From that point it resumes its bouncing off the striker without door even getting near the closed position.

Pressing the outside door button on the driver's side will move the latch in the side of the door.

Pressing the outside door button on the passenger's side door does absolutely nothing.

Yes something is very amiss within the internal operations of the door latch.

I have yet to try what happens with the side window wound down and the inside door lock button pressed down. This may engage the latch into the striker?

Okay - with the aid of a torch, I wound the door windows down. The driver's-side door that can be made to latch has the inside door release handle flush to the door panel. The passenger side door that cannot be made to latch has the end of the inside door release handle sticking out into the cabin about 1.5 cm. This difference could account for the passenger door not being able to latch closed - amongst whatever internal mechanisms are buggered anyway.

The Defender was a farm vehicle - having doors that latch - no biggy! The latches could have been like that for years - or tied up with fencing wire or baling twine.

Kind regards
Lionel

[Patrick110td5]

I had a similar problem on my back left door, adjusting and replacing stricker did nothing. Seemed to be that there's some grease in the latch that has gummed it up and it wouldn't close unless if the door is held closed and the button released.
After some degreasing and clean up with a cotton bud plus the occasional spray of wd it functions as should.
Might be worth a try before replacing anything