Please help me with my stuck door dilemma.

[hondagirl88]

Hi there! I just discovered this forum and I've been researching all day trying to understand my problem.

I have '91 Honda Accord EX/4 door. It has power windows too.

About a month or two ago, my driver side door became stuck and impossible to open/unlock. Apparently this is a common problem with early Accords because there's a lot of discussion about the issue. What I want to determine is.... what exactly is my problem?

I've seen the drilling tutorial to unlatch the door but there must be another way! I'm not even confident that it's my lock actuator yet - what if the rods are just jammed in some way? I've read about other people avoiding all the drilling work by taking apart the door, lubricating the lock rod parts with WD-40 and managing to wiggle and free whatever was jamming the locking mechanism... and presto! it was fixed. That would be ideal.

The manual inside lock on the top of the door has been unable to go down completely ever since the problem started. When I wiggle it around, it has a little leeway but it feels mechanically jammed and it stays in an almost unlocked position. HOWEVER, when I pull the door rods/handles to the open position, the manual lock can almost move normally... almost... but it's stuck.

This is the first car that I've ever worked on and this problem seems pretty bitchin but I'm determined to figure it out anyway. So my questions are....

• How can I determine what the problem really is inside my door?
• How can I tell if it's the lock actuator/latch/or the rods getting stuck somewhere?
• Do I need to completely remove my door panel? And if so - how can I loosen the power window electrical connector?

So I'm going to assume that my answer is going to require taking a look inside my door and opening it all up for better access. Well, I'm already a step ahead and I've just run into a frustrating problem in getting my door panel completely off. I removed all the screws, all the clips, all the plugs.... EXCEPT! the biggest connector that's attached to the Power Window assembly. My Hayne's manual says to just pry to the whole assembly out of the door panel but being new to mechanics, instructions like that are really vague - especially when I feel like I'm going to break something.

So here's some pictures to exemplify what I'm talking about...

I assume that I'm gonna have to completely remove my door panel. correct me if I'm wrong. but if I do, I'm gonna have to figure out how to disconnect this bitch of a connection.... I've tried everything. brute force. pressing on all the spots that SEEM like theyre meant for removing it... I hope I'm an idiot and theres a really simple reason for why I cant get this out.




my manual door switch...



okay... now here are some pictures of my actuator unit and the rods...



maybe somebody who's done this before can see something funky in these pictures and tell me what's up.

either way! thanks for reading.

[TypeG]

it's probably the lock actuator since you said the door locks are stuck.

when my door latch failed internally, i could lock and unlock the door normally, it just wouldn't open.

i've never had the lock actuator go out on my car, but i know others have and i recall some of their symtoms being like yours.

try unplugging the wire harness that goes to the door latch. i remember doing this on my old latch and it was moving the motor a bit. later.

[ilovemycb7]

That is the neatest post I have ever seen. Nice job.

Can't help with the stuck door problem, however I had a lot of trouble getting that connector off as well. I just pushed the two tabs on the sides in and pulled on the actual wires (I was afraid I'd rip them out... guess it's not the case) as hard as I could and I got them out. I'm not the strongest guy either, so maybe try more force. I also tried a flat head screw driver in between the plastic to pry... but this was only bending things.

[hondagirl88]

it's probably the lock actuator since you said the door locks are stuck.

when my door latch failed internally, i could lock and unlock the door normally, it just wouldn't open.

i've never had the lock actuator go out on my car, but i know others have and i recall some of their symtoms being like yours.

try unplugging the wire harness that goes to the door latch. i remember doing this on my old latch and it was moving the motor a bit. later.

I'm just hoping it's not the door lock actuator because I'm kind of poor and I already need other parts for my car... my time is worthless though and I have plenty of it, so if I can find another solution... here's hoping.

quick question... where is the wire harness that goes to the door latch?

That is the neatest post I have ever seen. Nice job.

Can't help with the stuck door problem, however I had a lot of trouble getting that connector off as well. I just pushed the two tabs on the sides in and pulled on the actual wires (I was afraid I'd rip them out... guess it's not the case) as hard as I could and I got them out. I'm not the strongest guy either, so maybe try more force. I also tried a flat head screw driver in between the plastic to pry... but this was only bending things.

Thanks for the compliment! lol... I purposefully tried to be as clear as possible because I want to get the most informative answers and rule out any unnecessary problem solving. I also tried a flathead to see if I could budge the connector out but I realized shortly that that was not the solution. When you say the 2 tabs on the sides, do you mean the long sides or the short sides? because it doesn't really seem like it has tabs to me.


ok, also... this is a thread which leads me to believe that MAYBE... just MAYBE... I won't have to resort to drilling my door, lol.

http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthre...ht=lock+jammed

[Skiers Eat Beef]

On the long side....

The side that is facing out on that plug. (And By out, I mean the side you can get too with the door panel off) There is a tab. I the first picture you posted, right in the middle of that plug (I can see it in the photo) there is a tab. I don't remember off the top of my head if you put a flat head on top and press down. Or put it underneath and push up. But mess with that little tab. BE GENTLE!!! Honda put a lubricator in all of its electrical connections so that they can and will come apart. If you get the tab the right way, it takes almost no force at all. Once the tab has been depressed just give a little tug on the short sides of the plug to get it out... Can't help you with the door being stuck... Sorry. Hope this helps!

[hondagirl88]

that's an awesome reply, thank you.

I was just out there and I found the tab and realized it clicked up and down kinda like a button. it's natural position was up and I could see through a little hole in the black part it plugs into the way it was holding it in... so pushing it down all the way seems the correct approach. I wasn't out there for very long but it was still giving me trouble. even with the tab pushed down, the connector still seemed stuck... very stuck, I was pulling pretty hard but I won't try to do that again since you say that it will come off gently as long as the tab is properly held when pulling..... I will try this again in just a little bit. let me know if you have any other tips, your instructions have been great and not being able to remove this connector is what's been keeping me from being unable to get my door panel off.

[92vig]

The thing with these motors/actuators is once they freeze up and give out, they won't budge much. My passengers side window motor went out on my Vigor...had to unscrew everything and push the window up and drill/ziptie some brackets to get the window to stay up. The door lock actuator...if you can't open the door, I don't know how you're going to get to it. If you CAN open the door, I'd say pull the actuator out and just use the rods to lock/unlock.

[TypeG]

ok, also... this is a thread which leads me to believe that MAYBE... just MAYBE... I won't have to resort to drilling my door, lol.

http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthre...ht=lock+jammed

have you seen this thread?
http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=52477
later.

[Skiers Eat Beef]

One more thing...

There might be a tab on both sides of the the plug that needs to be pushed in. If you still can't get it off, I will go out and take my door panel off to check just to be sure... PM me if you still can't get it.

[hondagirl88]

hey guys!

sorry for being MIA in my own thread.

TypeG - I did see that thread.... I'm gonna have to look over this all again when I have more time. I think after realizing how much frustration this is going to be... I'm prepared to drill my latch in order to get the door open. I didn't want to resort to that because it seems like such a fucked up solution but whatever is easiest wins in my book.

Skiers Eat Beef - I've tried again and again... and I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or what... but I've been pressing the tab in and pulling on the sides, trying different positions.. maybe my honda's connector is freakishly stubborn. all I know is I need to take a break from trying because I feel like I still have carpel tunnel in my fingers from all the different ways I was trying to get that thing off.

I just started a new job and I haven't had one in a while so I'm getting used to a new way of life... as soon as I have time, I'm gonna get back to working on my car and I'm sure you guys can continue helping me out. in the mean time, I gotta go to work.

[H22Artman]

back in the day.....my memory is kinda foggy......

there was a 90-93 integra i opened from the latch itself from the outside of the car.

i would assume that our latches are similar. but you never know.

all i remember using was an incredibly long, thin screwdriver (maybe an incredibly long 1/4in extension) like 2ft long or more. a flashlight to view the latch. and a window wedge to give me room to move around.

assuming your exterior handle works then you should be able to pop the door open once you have found the latch release. pretty sure the lock tab wont move. so jiggle the handle alot as you search.

that or maybe trying to slim jim it would work.

our cars are embarrassingly easy to open with one of those.

if all else fails have a cop or a tow truck driver come over with a break in kit and see if he can pop it.

good luck

[93accdpj]

back in the day.....my memory is kinda foggy......

there was a 90-93 integra i opened from the latch itself from the outside of the car.

i would assume that our latches are similar. but you never know.

all i remember using was an incredibly long, thin screwdriver (maybe an incredibly long 1/4in extension) like 2ft long or more. a flashlight to view the latch. and a window wedge to give me room to move around.

assuming your exterior handle works then you should be able to pop the door open once you have found the latch release. pretty sure the lock tab wont move. so jiggle the handle alot as you search.

that or maybe trying to slim jim it would work.

our cars are embarrassingly easy to open with one of those.

if all else fails have a cop or a tow truck driver come over with a break in kit and see if he can pop it.

good luck

You probably have this fixed by now. My 93 did the same thing. Agirl at work had the same prob with a 92EX. The lock part of them was broken internally. I pulled the door panel off by pulling the seat all the way back and laying it down. I was able to get it off no prob. Just need one new clip where the dash covers when its closed. I left the window up and broke the lock loose from inside with an air chisel. Just make sure you dont hit the screws that mount it unless you have a donor door to get the screws from. Then I just popped the door open, put in a new latch, and nobody knows. The Honda place wanted to cut through my door to bust the lock, and sell me a new door and paint job. Dumbasses! If you want something done right you gotta do it yourself. Good luck.