Hard opening front door

[AndrasL]

Hello,

I have a small issue with the front passanger door handle. It is a bit hard to open. The other doors open smoothly, but this one needs extra force. This is an issue, because passangers sometimes think that it is locked.

Before I take the whole door apart, do you have any tips on how to mend this?

I made a video of this: https://youtu.be/XOEQHtygS0I
You can see that it opens hard on first try, then easier on second.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by AndrasL

Hello,

I have a small issue with the front passanger door handle. It is a bit hard to open. The other doors open smoothly, but this one needs extra force. This is an issue, because passangers sometimes think that it is locked.

Before I take the whole door apart, do you have any tips on how to mend this?

I made a video of this: https://youtu.be/XOEQHtygS0I
You can see that it opens hard on first try, then easier on second.

probably lack of maintenance for the door locks .. some oil on the catch parts and a dab of grease on the door post bracket make all the difference :-)

[Markos01]

Get some white spray grease (might be lithium grease?) in a can that has a straw with it, and liberally spray in any openings in and around the handle as you hold the handle open. Spray inside the lock mechanism too in the side of the door. Do this several times over a few weeks and you should get some results.

[AndrasL]

So you are saying that the issue is probably around the handle itself. I greased the mechanical parts on the side, but not with spray. I will try this, thanks

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Markos01

Get some white spray grease (might be lithium grease?) in a can that has a straw with it, and liberally spray in any openings in and around the handle as you hold the handle open. Spray inside the lock mechanism too in the side of the door. Do this several times over a few weeks and you should get some results.

Then wipe off all the horrible white mess you can see afterwards which does nothing but attract abrasive grit look horrible

[Clan]

Originally Posted by AndrasL

So you are saying that the issue is probably around the handle itself. I greased the mechanical parts on the side, but not with spray. I will try this, thanks

No it is not the handle which is the problem it is the friction on the catch ... WD 40 is good but dries up fairly soon . so i would use WD40 first to free it up , open and shut the door ten times to get it free . then after a few days use some light grease UP in the catch on the door .

[AndrasL]

Originally Posted by Clan

No it is not the handle which is the problem it is the friction on the catch ... WD 40 is good but dries up fairly soon . so i would use WD40 first to free it up , open and shut the door ten times to get it free . then after a few days use some light grease UP in the catch on the door .

I skipped the WD40 part, but sprayed some grease up the catch (did not put any around the handle). It is still not perfect, but is a lot better. I went around and did all the doors, they work really fine now.

[lockstock]

Originally Posted by AndrasL

I skipped the WD40 part, but sprayed some grease up the catch (did not put any around the handle). It is still not perfect, but is a lot better. I went around and did all the doors, they work really fine now.

fyi if ever using wd40 to free up mechanical stuff like this make sure you clean it off and grease it after. wd40 is a water displacer and solvent so it doesn't lubricate well and in fact will remove grease. So it shouldn't be used alone as a lubricant