ashwinearl Posted February 7, 2023 Share Posted February 7, 2023 05 LGT wagon, driver side rear door latch not working from inside or out. I started to feel it going over period of a week, where it required pulling up on the exterior door handle way farther than typical and with less resistance in the door handle. But it was opening. After this latest cold snap, it won't open. I tried from the inside too and not opening. Any recommendations? I haven't tried really pushing hard from the inside yet. Waiting to warm up maybe the weather stripping is still stuck to the door. I hope Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xt2005bonbon Posted February 7, 2023 Share Posted February 7, 2023 Not providing a solution for you. But I hope the outside door handle is not broken.. Strange that you can't open from the inside either. Child safety on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashwinearl Posted February 8, 2023 Author Share Posted February 8, 2023 It opened a few days ago, so assuming child locks weren't activated. I should have taken the door card off and investigated when I started to feel that this door handle was acting differently than others. In normal operation, when you lift the door handle somewhere in the arc you'll feel resistance of it pulling on the cable tension. With this handle started to have a much longer dead stroke in its arc before feeling the tension on the cable. The point that it was almost to the last of its movement and just the final few mm seemed to get the door to unlatch and open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xt2005bonbon Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 Actually the exact same thing happened to me 3 weeks ago (outside handle opening the door at the very end of the stroke). But then it came back to normal. So I'm keeping an eye on it and making sure the child safety is off. Have you tried locking and unlocking several times in a row? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackobxt Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 (edited) Literally went through this recently and had a post on it. You can roll the window down and get in between the belt Moulding and the door panel where the window would be if it was rolled up and use a long flathead to pop the plastic cover off the door latch mechanism and push the lever on the top down and the door will pop open. Edited February 8, 2023 by blackobxt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pleides Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 The rear door latch mechanisms are not the most sturdy on this car. Would recommend replacing the failed one if you get the door open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m sprank Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 It's not easy to explain in words, bit I think @blackobxtdid a decent job of trying. The trick is rolling down the window and actuating the mechanism manually. I had to do it for a few months parting out an LGT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xt2005bonbon Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 I admit it is a bit hard to picture what needs to be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m sprank Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 Wish I had a pic, but I do not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xt2005bonbon Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m sprank Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 LOL. Old enough that I saw it premier, not in re-runs. No Soup For You!!! Dammit me wanted the soup too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackobxt Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 Lucky for you but unlucky for me I need to get into my doors tonight so I’ll take some pics of what needs to be done. I have enough door lock actuators sticking that the bcm is detecting a fault and keeps taking the locks offline. Kind of a pain in the ass with two little kids 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m sprank Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 Trials and tribulations of daily driving a 15+ year old car. They are not built to last, lol. Spent 2 years working out the gremlins on my 03 Forester build prior to driving daily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackobxt Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 11 hours ago, m sprank said: Trials and tribulations of daily driving a 15+ year old car. They are not built to last, lol. Spent 2 years working out the gremlins on my 03 Forester build prior to driving daily. Tell me about it, shes definitely starting to show her age. Things did not go as planned last night; I got into the door and not only did the release cable break on the end that clips into the door handle but the exterior door handle broke in the exact same way as the other side did three weeks ago. So now I’m looking for a new latch assembly and some handles. I just need to make a list of interior odds and ends and start sourcing parts. OP, these cars are getting to the point where there are going to be a lot of things breaking simply because they are old. If you are feeling abnormal resistance on something, expect to be learning how to fix it lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m sprank Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 Replacing door handles on an lgt/obxt is a suck job. You have my condolences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xt2005bonbon Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 AND I believe you'll have to spend more $$ to paint them if you want them to match your car color . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackobxt Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 Lol the whole care needs painted. I’ll probably try wrapping them for now. I can find them all over online new in textured black even sold in pairs for $50 but none in paintable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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