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Rear door not latching

ManOfTheWest

Active Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2017
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64
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wales
Just half an hour ago I loaded the 120 for a trip to the dump and found the door would not latch shut! So that's been cancelled. I've taken a look and it seems that the door will close fully but the latch will then not "click" or catch around the piece of metal that sticks out on the body of the vehicle. I also notice that the rear door handle doesn't seem to have any effect on the latch - it doesn't seem to engage or disengage anything. Any idea what I should do next - is this a latch replacement job or might it be something like a spring that has become detached inside the mechanism?

Not too bothered about minor issues, but this one is fairly major as it's preventing me from locking the car!

EDIT typical, just when I need my Haynes manual I can't find it...

Thanks
Dan
 

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Your door isn't locked is it? When the courtesy light switch went on mine, the central locking would kick in after 30 seconds or so and relock the door if I just had the back open!

Also check the striker plate is tight and it hasn't shifted.
 
Vague memory suggests i solved a similar problem by removing the inside door handle/opener and finding a bar had popped out of a little plastic clip ????????
 
Your door isn't locked is it? When the courtesy light switch went on mine, the central locking would kick in after 30 seconds or so and relock the door if I just had the back open!
Thanks very much. Initially I thought this might be it, but turned out not to be the case, sadly.
 
I've had similar issues on my 120 a couple of times. Resolved by pumping in a load of WD40 around the latch. It gets dust and muck in there. You can work the latch open and closed with a screwdriver too. Mine has tended to lock shut rather than open though. Needs a very firm, sharp tug on the handle to open.
 
You can work the latch open and closed with a screwdriver too.
Rob, do you mean that you can mechanically open/close it from inside? I've poked the latch mechanism with a screwdriver and it certainly moves, and seems to OK, but hard to tell...
 
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You can operate it from the inside, but you have to pull the door panel away and force your hand into a small, sharp-edged hole. I would not recommend this.

The screwdriver is to work the latch you can see, and you photographed, back and forth, to free it, and any local mechanism from gunk.

The other issue could be the door has dropped and now doesn't line up properly with the hook screwed to the body. Usually caused by the door skin splitting in the lower corner, below the hinges.
 
Eventually I took it in to my local independent, as the driver's window was going clonk and I also wanted the rearview camera to be looked at. When they took it apart they found that the latch was gummed up with crap but otherwise working fine. The regulator was hitting another part that had bent (maybe the arm holding the strap?), so that has been fixed, and the camera appears to be kaput. That last problem might be related to the alternator, which was blowing fuses like bubbles before I had it replaced a few months ago. I'll pick the vehicle up today and see how it goes.

Thanks to everybody for the help.
 
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