Driver's side door stuck

[Dawgvet06]

Any thoughts on this issue?

01 Wrangler, was in storage over winter, I just recently bought it. Previous owner reported that the driver's door "wouldn't shut" until her teenage granddaughter slammed it a few weeks ago. Now it's stuck closed and won't open from the inside or outside. It won't unlock with the key from the outside. The inside door lock (rocker style, not-electric) won't completely unlock. This leads me to believe that something in the locking mechanism is stuck. I think I could fix it, if I could get the door open, or get the inside door panel off. I don't want to make it worse, and I'm thinking about just taking it to my local Jeep dealer.

Any help is appreciated.
Many thanks,
JW

 

[SteelHeadz]

Spray some WD40 on the latch assembly through the window sill and work the unlock lever/rocker from the inside until it unlocks. It happens to me every so often during the winter. I make it a point now that when it's accumulated a lot of dirt, clean it and lube it with a silicone lube.

 

[Utah_jeepster]

Try what Mikey says but if you have to pull the cover there is adjustment rod that is held in place by a split metal retainer that is known to slip making both door handles and especially the outside one, not able to pull the activator arm.

P.S. if you have to pull the door cover use a split nose retainer removal tool to pull the three plastic retainer rivits. If you damage them only Jeep has the right length replacements.

 

[Dawgvet06]

I'll give that a shot tonight and see what happens. Thanks a lot.

JW

 

[Dawgvet06]

If it comes to taking the panel off, I'm probably going to take it somewhere. I'm going to give the WD40 a shot tonight and see what happens. Thanks man.

JW

 

[Dawgvet06]

Totally worked man! The first night I sprayed with the small WD40 straw and pretty much got nowhere. Tonight, I took a large drinking straw with a flexible head and directed it using a high power LED flashlight to deliver a much higher volume of the stuff onto every rod, joint, and moving part I could see inside the door. With some rocking of the lock, it finally broke free and the door and lock now work fine. Thanks a ton man. You saved me a trip to the shop next week and now I can enjoy driving my Jeep on this gorgeous weekend in Michigan.

Have a great one!
JW

 

[SteelHeadz]

Food for thought. That was just a band aid. I would recommend in your spare time that you still remove the door panel and with the window up. Remove the door latch assembly and clean it with a solvent to degrease it. Get all the old grease and grime off the mechanism and re-lube it with a teflon type or a silicone type lube. Be generous with it on all the moving parts. If you do this, you wouldn't have to worry about it for a long time.

 

[Dawgvet06]

Now that I can get door open, should be no problem.

Thanks again!