Having a problem with my 86 GXL.

Passenger side door won't open. Lock comes up, but handle won't open door from inside or outside. Key is very hard to turn to get the lock up. Any ideas?

Thanx in advance.

 

just to make it turn easier get some graphit in there but about the lock not disengaging (sp?) your gonna have to take the door pannel offa nd see whats up

 

How long of a job would this be for a beginner? Just to take the panel off and everything. I don't have a puller or anything for the clips.

 

Yes, you will need to open up the door panel to see what the problem is. See the Body section of the factory service manual before you start ripping things off your door.
http://fc3s.org

Also, note that you need to be very careful when removing the triangular plastic piece which covers the inside of the mirror, and you need to be careful not to over-tighten the screw in the center of the plastic door latch bezel when re-installing it.

This site has some pics of the right door of an S4 TII. I wouldn't recommend taking the lock cylinder apart, but if the weather cover broke off inside like mine did, then you don't have much choice.
http://www.geocities.com/mcgumrapper/lock
Common problems are:
1) The nylon clamp on the threaded rod shown in the top left pic
2) The handle physically breaking (can't be fixed, must be replaced)
3) The weather cover breaking-off inside the lock and jamming it, shown by the 3 broken pieces in lower left of the bottom pic

 

You don't need a special puller, but it helps. You can get a puller from any generic auto parts store for under $5. It looks like a screwdriver, but has a split tip like a crowbar.

It took me one day to take the door apart, disassemble the lock, clean and lubricate everything, put it back together, and re-adjust the nylon clamp so the door worked properly. I'm slow, so you may be able to do it faster.

BTW, if you have power windows, you will need to keep the interior panel with the switch handy because you need to roll the window up and down to get to different parts. Manual windows rule!

 

I had to replace a doorlock about a month after I got my car. If you have the Factory Service Manual, it's about 2-3 day, "after-work" project. It wasn't very hard at all. Cumatively, it took me maybe 5 hours of researching, tinkering, taking apart, getting replacement pieces, etc. Shouldn't take you much longer than that. It sounds like one of your control rods for the lock is stuck or jammed. If it were broken, the handles would be able to move freely, but that's not what you're describing. You say the keylock turns? There's are control rod from the inside door switch to the actuator(or whatever you call it). That rod might be missing it's plastic end piece or is twisted off or something. Just some areas for you to check out. Good luck, and if you don't have a FSM, get it online or pick up one used, they're invaluable.

Steve

 

Is there any way that I can get the door open without using any of the handles? Also, how am I supposed to take the door panels off if I can't open the door?

 

You have to work from inside the car. Remove all the screws from the interior door panel except the one covered up by the dash (which will be impossible to get to). Now, working from the drivers seat, carefully bend the panel out until you can get your hand behind it. From there, you can grab the rods and manually pull them until you find the one which will open the door (which rod depends on what broke). Now open the door, remove the panel completely and fix the problem.

It is a VERY annoying procedure, and it helps if you're small.

 

That happened to me. I didn't have the time or knowledge to fix it and I was sick of crawling through the passengers side door or the open window.

Apparently something had broken off in the mechanism, so I just payed the $90 for labor and a new lock to have it replaced

 

As a cheap alternative, you can use the 'nail puller' end of a hammer. Works great as long as you have room to move, but in Halfbaked's case, maybe not.

 

To get the door open, I suggest you visit a locksmith or tow truck company. Either will have a "slim jim" that will reach between the window and door frame and directly access the door mechanism

 

Hmm, I work at a car dealer. I guess they would have a set. I was gonna have it fixed for free there, but the kid that works on my 7 wasn't there yesterday and today and is off tomorrow. So maybe I'll see if I can use the slim jim.