Driver's side full door will not unlock

[SD NY TJ Owner]

Hi all

I need help! i replaced the outer door handle on my 1998 TJ a few days ago. Worked great. Today, I went to lock the door (my first mistake) when I was out to do an errand but the paddle lock button on the interior felt funny. I now cannot unlock the door using either the key or the paddle lock button. I managed to get the interior door molding off so I can access the hardware inside the door.

I removed the two metal rods (one goes to the interior handle; the other goes to the cylinder lock) that attach to the ends of the white plastic rocker. The rocker barely moves and I cannot manually unlock the door by moving the white plastic rocker.

So? What do I do? I've sprayed the mechanism with air to clear debris away. I've used Blaster to lubricate it. Nothing works. Advice?

I have my half doors, which I want to put on so that I can possible replace the lock mechanism. How can I get the door open though without being able to unlock it? I don't want to cut the striker plate if possible. Is there a way to get a flat head screwdriver into the striker plate area to be able to unlatch the door?

 

[Robbieg]

I had the same problem with my passenger side. The mechanism has a couple internal plastic pieces that have to all align together when unlocked to open. They get gummed up and then one of them doesn’t move in unison with the other. You can keep playing with it and might eventually get it open. I got it open after fiddling with it for half an hour. Then like a fool trying to figure it out I opened and closed it a few times trying to figure it out and then it got stuck again. The second time I wasn’t so lucky. I ended up having to use a sawzall from the inside to cut the striker latch and then I replaced the lock mechanism and the striker bar I had to cut off. You can find some YouTube videos that show how to take it apart and clean it out but the results are mixed.

 

[SD NY TJ Owner]

I figured it out. Started by undoing what I did when I installed the new exterior door handle. As soon as I removed the cotter pin and removed the rod from the post, the lock mechanism would open and close. The old handle allowed the connector rod to completely settle (so not impede lock mechanism) whereas the new handle keeps the rod slightly engaged. I will need to adjust the rod a bit, but problem solved.

 

[SSTJ]

I figured it out. Started by undoing what I did when I installed the new exterior door handle. As soon as I removed the cotter pin and removed the rod from the post, the lock mechanism would open and close. The old handle allowed the connector rod to completely settle (so not impede lock mechanism) whereas the new handle keeps the rod slightly engaged. I will need to adjust the rod a bit, but problem solved.

Very helpful. I came here with the exact same problem, having just replaced my exterior handles. Shut the door without realizing it was in the lock position, and could not unlock it. Fortunately the panel was still removed, so I could access the lock mechanism and detach the two smaller bars that you mentioned (one to keyhole, one to interior 'lock' button), but like you I could not get the white v-shaped rocker mechanism to cooperate.

I tested your theory on the other door. Sure enough, with any tension on the large, v-bent rod that runs from the exterior handle to the bottom of the door and then back up to the latch, the rocker mechanism will not unlock. I disengaged that rod as you suggested, by removing it from the post on the inside of the exterior handle. With that tension relieved, the white rocker mechanism unlocks just fine. Now that I think about it, maybe this is why the interior 'lock' button had been broken when I bought the doors. Seems like someone had forced it in too hard.

For anyone else who comes across this thread, see the pics below. The white v-shaped piece is the "rocker" mechanism that SD NY was referring to. In order to unlock, it needs to rotate "up" (or clockwise, from the photo's perspective). If there is tension on the large rod just behind it, then it will only be able to rock about half-way, even if you have removed the other two rods, as I had done. To adjust the rod, you need to pop the threaded end out of the clip located right above and slightly behind the white rocker (see pic). Then re-attach the other end of that rod to the post on the inside of the exterior handle. Finally, pop the threaded end back into the clip without any tension on it.