How to Fix a Car Door That Won’t Open From the Outside
Introduction
When you have a car door that will not open from the outside, it is pretty easy to fix. However, doors can be hefty, and getting them back in place can sometimes require that you get help from someone else. Before you begin working on the door, try to determine if your handle has decided to quit or if there are just some cables off their track. When your car starts to show signs of malfunctioning as far as opening and closing doors are concerned, this may mean that there is something wrong with the cylinder itself or something else, such as residual dirt in the hinges of your vehicle. Today I will be discussing how to fix a car door that won’t open from the outside.
Why won’t Car Door Open From the Outside?
When a car door doesn’t open from the outside, it is generally due to three reasons:
- Sometimes, the safety feature on the car door will automatically lock the doors when you shut them to keep them from opening and injure someone. In these cases, press down on the button or flap that unlocks them so that it can be opened. They are usually located in between each of your windows near your side view mirrors inside your car..
- The other reason could be due to any damages or rust that has occurred on your handle and its mechanism because of wear and tear and weathering factors such as rain which may not enable you to open it anymore.
- Another possibility for this would be if someone broke into your car and filed down the “dog teeth” on your door’s latch so that it can’t be opened from the outside.
Step-wise Guide on How to Fix a Car Door That Won’t Open From the Outside
If your car door is stuck and you can’t open it, there are some things you can try. One reason it might be stuck is if the car was parked on a hill. Another reason might be that your remote isn’t working right. You can try opening the door manually from the outside. If that doesn’t work, there are some other things you can try that might get the door open.
If you’re able to open the door with your interior key and it’s only locked by its deadbolt when you try opening it from the outside with your remote control, then follow these steps:
Step 1 – Test Your Remote Control Before You Begin:
Ensure that the power to your car is turned off and check if your remote still works. If it does, then you may not have to go through the following steps. Call your car locksmith and let him know that your door just jammed. He’ll open it for you from the inside in a matter of minutes. The next step is to take out the screws that hold the door panel in place. Use a screwdriver to unscrew them so that you can access the inside of your car door.
Step 2 – Unlock the Car with Your Interior Key:
Get yourself inside the car by unlocking the door using your interior key if possible before you continue any further. For safety reasons, turning off your engine is important as well. In addition, it’s recommended that you place something like a thick towel under the exterior keyhole so that when you unlock it with your interior key, there’s no chance of getting your clothing or flesh stuck there due to its slippery nature.
Step 3 – Get Yourself Out:
Try opening the door with your exterior key. If this does not work, get an object like a small screwdriver and insert it into the slim slots between your car’s rubber weather stripping. Then, slide it through to the other side of the hole and try opening the door from there. If you can still open it even after using a cable or prying tool, proceed to Step 4.
Step 4 – Use A Small Flathead Screwdriver:
Use a small flathead screwdriver to slide along your car’s interior paneling, and then try sliding it underneath all four sides of the door by prying them up. Once you have done this, use something strong enough but won’t cause any damage, like parts of a hammer or heavy screwdriver, to pry the door open. If your door is still stuck, consider calling a locksmith to get it opened for you as soon as possible. This task may take some time, and he’ll be able to get things done in half an hour or so.
Step 5 – Forcefully Unlock Your Car Door:
Tilt your steering wheel all the way down and use a strong tool like a screwdriver, pliers, or wrench to unlock the car’s locking mechanism if testing your remote control doesn’t work for you. Avoid using too large tools because they can strip off surrounding parts such as plastic panels from your car when misused. Another thing to avoid is forcing any part of your body into the space between your car’s exterior and interior, as this can cause serious injuries to you.
Step 6 – Use a Smart Approach:
If Steps 3 or 5 don’t work for you, consider using a rubber mallet to gently tap on the top of your door from the outside to break it free from its distorted state. Tapping on the bottom section may also get things done but be careful when doing so as this area is more sensitive than the upper portion of your door. Keep trying different spots around your car until you can open it from the outside without damaging it.
This task should only take about 10 minutes with some patients involved, but if it’s taking much longer, there could be an issue with one of your locks that needs to be checked out. So get a locksmith to take a look at it for you as soon as possible and avoid damaging your vehicle further by forcing the door open. The lock may be frozen in place, or there could be another problem. The most important thing is to get the door open and get on your way as soon as possible.
Step 7 – Consider Calling a Professional:
It’s always best if you can find someone who has experience working with cars like car locksmiths or mechanics to help you get back inside of your car in case this issue occurs again. Car locksmiths are beneficial because their businesses typically have hundreds of tools that they use on the job. Hence, there’s little doubt that they’ll be able to get things done quickly without causing any damage to your vehicle in the process.
Precautions While Performing How to Fix a Car Door That Won’t Open From the Outside
- Be sure to park the car in a safe place as soon as possible after recognizing that it is not opening from the outside.
- Do not leave your car doors open overnight, and do not try fixing things while driving along because any unexpected event can take place, such as getting into an accident or being attacked by someone using the opportunity to break into your vehicle. At the same time, you are preoccupied with trying to fix your broken door.
- Never forget that you should never lock yourself out of your own vehicle unnecessarily since there is always the possibility of being locked inside it for no reason at all ever again!
- Most importantly, be careful not to cut yourself when sharp tools or metal parts might be protruding from the door because you could hurt yourself terribly if an accident like that happens.
- Make sure to have your car insurance handy if anything goes wrong and get a tow truck for any emergency. The professional may advise you to do so if necessary. Make a record of all these things and keep it with you at all times while on the road so that in case something bad happens, you will be prepared and safe, at least until help arrives!
Common Car Door Problems For a Car
Doors Car door problems may occur due to various reasons, the common ones being:
The car door leaks water when it rains – If your car doors are leaking water when you drive through rain, or you get caught in a downpour, ensure that the rubber seals of your windows and doors are intact. The seal keeps out dirt, moisture, and debris from entering your vehicle.
This is because if this is broken or not working properly, then water enters in.
If this doesn’t solve it, check whether the weather stripping was inserted properly at all places to fit well onto the vehicle body.
If you have just bought a new car this year, make sure that there is no damage to the door over the winter months, which may be the reason for this leakage. Check your car doors as well that they are not damaged, and everything is working fine.
Doors Do Not Open From Inside –
This problem may occur due to various reasons; one of them could be a faulty door handle:
If the door handle is faulty, then there’s no way you can open it from inside, so in such a case, you have to call a mechanic. However, if all other things don’t work or don’t seem wrong with your car, changing the door lock mechanism may be helpful.
Car Door Won’t Close Properly –
In some cases, when you shut the car door, you notice that it does not close properly, and this is annoying indeed because every time you try opening or closing the vehicle, you have to go through the same problem. Also, in some cases, if you put things in the trunk of your vehicle, then this could also cause this kind of problem because they push away the door making it difficult to close.
In such cases, a car doorstop may be required so that you can keep the door open and fix it at one place, and then close it normally. However, in case if nothing works out or you are not sure about how to prevent this from happening again, you must consider getting help from professional car door repair service providers who can give you valuable advice and services regarding the best way to solve this issue without having any problems at all in future.
Conclusion
I hope you have obtained all the necessary information on how to fix a car door that won’t open from the outside. Ensure proper safety while performing the process. Thank you and have a nice day!
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