driver door latch problem

[mattmac]

My drivers door (county 110) has just started popping open all the time whilst driving-very annoying. Any thoughts to rectify problem?

[Don 130]

How old is it matt? My 130 is a 97 build and a couple of years ago I got sick of trying to adjust my drivers door because the latch started playing up and I was slamming the door to keep it closed. Eventually bought a new one from the UK, and was disappointed to find it arrived in a blue box. It worked ok for a while, but at a round the 4 months mark I pulled it out and chucked it. It would no longer hold the door on the second latch. More door slamming. I replaced it with a much more expensive, genuine LR replacement from the local mob and I should have done that in the first place. It has been working well ever since, with the door closing easily and softly, except when all the other windows and doors are closed. Then it needs a bit more of a shove.
Don.

[wrinklearthur]

To me a poorly shutting door is caused by the seals not contacting the poorly adjusted door evenly.

Have a look at where the hinges are mounted, there are in most cases, shims are fitted under the hinge mounting face and watch out for those bolts being rusty - it may be that those bolts seizing will prevent you completing the job.
After a awful battle, I replaced all of my hinge bolts with stainless steel ones and coated the threads with plenty of 'Molykote Anti Seize' .

There is also, a fair bit of adjustment available in the peg that the door latch fastens onto, you will need a good quality torx bit to work this.
.

[JDNSW]

Are your locks push button or lift handle (changed about 1987)?

John

[mattmac]

it's 1988-so lift handle.

[JDNSW]

While it is possible the lock mechanism is faulty (I think you can still get them, but not cheap), more likely, the striker plate position is adjusted so that it is only latching on the first click, which is insecure, especially if the lock is a bit worn. A similar effect can happen if the striker plate is loose, or if, as suggested above, the door is not fitting snugly against the seal.

John

[swivelrat]

My door seems to be quite hard to close, needs a good slam but then the plastic holder for the lock became loose snapping off the plastic tabs that hold it in place. This in turn makes the door skin loose so I take it off to find the steel brace which also holds the skin on has fatigued in half!?! I will now need to mig the brace which should prevent the skin placing all the pressure on the lock holder. Trick here is to have a well adjusted door that dont need slamming of driving around with it only on the first latch.

[mattmac]

I have played around moving the striker plate and seems to be holding better-i did notice the plastic sleeve on striker plate had been gouged out a bit so assume it was in the wrong position. Also once i close the door and lock it it won't open.

While it is possible the lock mechanism is faulty (I think you can still get them, but not cheap), more likely, the striker plate position is adjusted so that it is only latching on the first click, which is insecure, especially if the lock is a bit worn. A similar effect can happen if the striker plate is loose, or if, as suggested above, the door is not fitting snugly against the seal.

John

[Bearman]

I have played around moving the striker plate and seems to be holding better-i did notice the plastic sleeve on striker plate had been gouged out a bit so assume it was in the wrong position. Also once i close the door and lock it it won't open.

Sometimes if you unwind the lock button a few turns it will cure this.