Thread: Can't open rear door - tailgate door

Managed to get the lock out with a bit of a struggle with the three bolts. Cleaned all of the linkage connections and pivots wit a tooth brush and turps. Gave it all a good lube with some dry chain lube which has proven itself on my bicycle chains for years. Put it all back together and viola, it all works properly again.
I must be having a door problem. One of the springs in the shed door has now let go.....

Originally Posted by Markf

Managed to get the lock out with a bit of a struggle with the three bolts. Cleaned all of the linkage connections and pivots wit a tooth brush and turps. Gave it all a good lube with some dry chain lube which has proven itself on my bicycle chains for years. Put it all back together and viola, it all works properly again.
I must be having a door problem. One of the springs in the shed door has now let go.....

Don't let it lull you into a false sense of security! That bastard will fail again just when you least expect it! Those locks are so evil it probably talked your shed door into breaking

I blame the dust that tends to build up on the rear door seal (especially at the bottom) for this problem.
I used to have this problem quite often because much of my driving is on dirt roads, Since I have been giving the bottom of the rear door a good squirt every now and then the door has operated perfectly.
Each time I hose out the bottom of the seal a Heap of dust comes out

I had a similar experience with my Defender rear door a few years ago... central Australia, packed to the gunnels, cargo barrier, rear door jammed! Classic Defender mistake. Something heavy pressing against the door from inside, jams the latch, especially when filled with desert dust! ...I eventually managed to squeeze a tent pole out through the cargo barrier, slide open a side window and somehow get enough leverage on the inside door handle with the end of the pole to flick it up! It only took a couple of hours! ...needless to say I have packed more carefully ever since.

There was a fix many years ago that involved a spring on the child lock. Maybe it will come up in a search.
I removed the lock lever (the thing that you push down from the inside to lock the door) after part of the load in the back moved and dropped on the lever locking the door.
I also had the lock fail with cargo barrier and a full load for the Simpson desert. Happily it was on the first day out of Melbourne.

I'm tellin' yas, push on the door from the outside and pull on the handle. It'll open.....

jwb, I reckon that might have been on a D1. D2 locks are differently designed.

Mark, the opening technique is the ballbag one for sure.

Then replace the mech at your earliest convenience (?). When you have the lock in bits, check that the handle is properly adjusted and it gets full opening throw at early part in its motion.
hth

Pete

Originally Posted by ballbag

I'm tellin' yas, push on the door from the outside and pull on the handle. It'll open.....

Yep, Ive been saying it also. People don't want to hear it and start smashing the doors with mallets, prying bits off etc. I don't give a **** anymore, let them do it the hard way.