Car door stuck

Rambosmum

02 reg VW Golf. The driver side door has been sticking with the cold weather but has always opened from the inside. Today it didn't. I had to climb in through the passenger side and even when the car was toasty warm once I got to work it still wouldn't open from either the inside or out.

Does anyone know what the issue could be? and is it legal to drive whilst it is like this?

Id this something my usual independent garage can deal with or is it a dealership job?

TIA

bod1467

It'll be moisture has got into the locking mechanism and frozen it. Squirt some WD40 into the lock, insert your key and give it a few lock/unlock cycles.

Once the door is open, squirt some WD40 around the physical lock part on the edge of the door, then try to manually move the locking hook.

Beyond that, your local indy should be able to sort this easily enough ... it doesn't need a dealer.

forgotmyname

As well as spraying the locks with WD40, Spray the rubber door seals with a wax based furniture polish.
That stops the doors sticking to the rubber seals.

I just mist them lighty and the door frame also. I dont wipe them down after, Just leave it to dry.

A light mist a few times is better than a thick coat.

Its probably legal but not really safe is it. What happens if you have an accident and it damages the passenger door, How will you get out of your car?

Foxy-Stoat_3

Best you read your insurance terms and conditions, saying that the car must be roadworthy and legal it drive, dont want to breach the insurance T's & C's now do we!!!

forgotmyname

The thought of sitting inside a crashed car with no escape would worry me more than what the insurance may think.

Strider590

Locks are unlikely to be the issue (sorry guys), if you feel/hear a clunk when you pull the handle and the door doesn't open then it's simply moisture frozen around the door seal.

When you get it open, wipe the seal down to get it nice and dry, then (if you have some), apply silicone lubricant (NOT WD40) around the door seal with a cloth.

It will also help if you turn down the heater and equalise the inside/outside temperature before you park it for the night.

Gavin83

The inside handle is just a cable that connects to the lock and pulls it open unlike the outside one which is generally electrical. Therefore it's all mechanical and there isn't really much to go wrong. If the inside handle is all flappy the cable might have come away (although I don't see how this is really possible) so the likelyhood is it's the door seal. Follow striders advice above.

Alternatively if the handle won't move at all when you pull it then the actual lock is frozen. Not much you can do about this except heat the car up and keep trying.

Rambosmum

Thanks guys. I think it's frozen lock/ door seal combo. I've WD40'd the lock- both external and in the side of the door once it opened. The handle inside works- the little rod that goes up and down on the top of door near the window (I know if has a name but can't for the life of me remember it!) goes up and down when I pull the handle but wouldn't remain up and the key wouldn't turn in the lock.

I'll silicon lube/ wax polish the seals when I get home and find some.

Strider590

Rambosmum wrote: »

Thanks guys. I think it's frozen lock/ door seal combo. I've WD40'd the lock- both external and in the side of the door once it opened. The handle inside works- the little rod that goes up and down on the top of door near the window (I know if has a name but can't for the life of me remember it!) goes up and down when I pull the handle but wouldn't remain up and the key wouldn't turn in the lock.

I'll silicon lube/ wax polish the seals when I get home and find some.

If you have remote central locking, then don't be surprised.
My door locks don't play nice with the key, the key and ignition barrel have worn eachother away over the years, to the point where it's almost a different key.

Not uncommon for a car with RCL, to find the key won't work in the exterior locks.

BeenThroughItAll

Rambosmum wrote: »

Thanks guys. I think it's frozen lock/ door seal combo. I've WD40'd the lock- both external and in the side of the door once it opened. The handle inside works- the little rod that goes up and down on the top of door near the window (I know if has a name but can't for the life of me remember it!) goes up and down when I pull the handle but wouldn't remain up and the key wouldn't turn in the lock.

I'll silicon lube/ wax polish the seals when I get home and find some.

Order some Gummi Pflege online.

Rambosmum

Strider590 wrote: »

If you have remote central locking, then don't be surprised.
My door locks don't play nice with the key, the key and ignition barrel have worn eachother away over the years, to the point where it's almost a different key.

Not uncommon for a car with RCL, to find the key won't work in the exterior locks.

It's retro fitted RCL which doesn't work (I think the batteries have gone, but as it's both keys it might be a bigger issue, and one I can't afford/ be bothered to fix). The key works fine in the passenger side door, and usually in the driver one.