Thread: Driver side door lock mechanism help needed.

Anyone know what to do if the door will not open at all using outside or inside levers?

It has been getting harder to open from outside for a while and I noticed in the Haynes book that the connector between the outside lever and the lock could be adjusted by screwing it into the door lock connector. So I did. It worked well and the lever actuated the lock a bit sooner in its throw. I was pretty pleased with myself until I went up the street and tried to open the door. No satisfying clunking noises using the outside or inside levers. The door locking knob stiil seems to work and do something.

I forced the inside cover off as much as I could with the door shut and added an extra push to the connecting rod from the inside lever. I wonder if the spring which helps open the lock is broken.

ANyway, the door is shut. The only thing I can think of is to take off the back door so I at least can get to the lock.

Any ideas?

Episode 2
You can get the door lining off with the door locked shut. It just requires lots of heave ho and not worrying about the snapping sounds from the plastic joiners. Anyway, I was able to get into to door lock mechanism, remove the external handle and have a good look. While I was fiddling, something went sproong and the door opened!. I still dont know what it was. I can now see though that the external door handle actuates the door lock less than the internal handle - which is why I was fiddling in the first place. When you pull the external handle it moves a plastic rod horixontally which then pushes on a plate which lifts a rod which pulls a lever which releases the door lock. The problem seems to be that the rod doesnt start pushing the plate soon enough. It also doesnt seem to be worn. There is 1 to 2 cm of rod movement before it touches the plate and starts the push. If I find a fix, Ill report it. If your older disco has driver or passenger door handles which seem to move further than they should before the door opens, this might be the problem. It started with the passenger door
Lachlan