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Car Forum / Ford / Ford Explorer / December 2004Drivers side door won't open/shut (cold, winter, ice) 2002 FE
I live up in Vermont and have had this problem since last year that is bugging me and I want to solve it. When I get up in the morning I cannot open the drivers side door (it feels like its frozen shut). I then have to go in the drivers side rear door and lean over the seat and manually pull the door un "stuck". I can then go back and pull pretty hard on the door and it will open. It seems as if its stuck from ice or snow. This morning I tried to use some deicer on the door latch but that didn't work. I am wondering what I can do in order to either a) prevent this from ever happening or b) fix it when it does happen. Its a real pain driving down the interstate holding the door shut :( Thanks! Spray the rubber door seals with silicone spray every few months. That will keep them flexible and also prevent them from freezing. While you're at it, run the window down and spray the channels. >I live up in Vermont and have had this problem since last year that is >bugging me and I want to solve it. When I get up in the morning I [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >Its a real pain driving down the interstate holding the door shut :( >Thanks! So basically its the seals that are preventing the door from closing? It doesn't have anythign to do with the latch/locking mechanism inside? That'd be great if thats all it is... So are you referring to the sticking door in the morning or the fact that the door won't close? Or both? I don't see how spraying the door seals will allow the latch to lock after getting the door open (so it will close again)...am I missing something? You're right, sounds like you are describing two different problems. The silicone spray will fix the problem with the door freezing shut, but won't fix the latch problem. I'm not sure how to fix the latch, but would start by taking the cover off the door and lubricating the latch linkages. Jim Warman should be a pro at this if he is online. >So are you referring to the sticking door in the morning or the fact >that the door won't close? Or both? I don't see how spraying the door >seals will allow the latch to lock after getting the door open (so it >will close again)...am I missing something? [top posting fixed] >>So are you referring to the sticking door in the morning or the fact >>that the door won't close? Or both? I don't see how spraying the door >>seals will allow the latch to lock after getting the door open (so it >>will close again)...am I missing something? > You're right, sounds like you are describing two different problems. > The silicone spray will fix the problem with the door freezing shut, > but won't fix the latch problem. I'm not sure how to fix the latch, > but would start by taking the cover off the door and lubricating the > latch linkages. Jim Warman should be a pro at this if he is online. My '93 Aerostar has a chronic problem with exactly these same symptoms. It is caused by water getting into the cable that runs from the inside door handle to the latch mechanism. I've fixed it by thawing out the cable and blowing out the water with compressed air, then lubing the cable with Tri-Flow or equivalent. Maybe I'll just get in the passengers-side door :) I can't be opening up my car door and working on it outside for extended periods when the ambient temperature is usually around 5f. :) (no garage, and definitely not a heated one!) Thanks though for the info...If there's anyway/thoughts to do this without taking the door apart i'd love to know :) Thanks! >[top posting fixed] >> [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >cable and blowing out the water with compressed air, then lubing the >cable with Tri-Flow or equivalent. Cheers, -sd http://www.zoom.sh Ok I found a fix for this problem which has worked for one day so thats a good start :) I'm unsure if its a GOOD fix (the for long term) but it worked this morning at 10f :) Basically you spray the deicer on the door latch and on the locking latch when the car is warm. This morning the door opened *easily* (and it was colder than yesterday) and it closed just fine. I noticed that *all* doors are affected by this problem (god forbid I have to hold the passengers side door closed while going down the interstate (no just kidding, that'd be a bungee situation)...but so there's a fix..try it out for your aerostar..can of deicer spray while the car is warm. |
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