Pass rear door sticking

[stewie]

My passenger rear door will not open. this condition has existed since the saturday of the Fall Fling on Gold Bar Rim. the door does not have any aparent damage from the trail.

simptoms
plain and simple, wont open. the jeep has power locks and before this, it took a few times of wiggling the lock/unlock switch for it to open(already know how to fix that problem). but now even doing that wont get it to open.

i even tried manualy switching the lock/unlock rocker switch on the door and no luck. it will sit fully on the lock side but not go completly over to the unlock side.

i tried to open via the interior handle, and that too was a no go.

im hoping i dont have to pull the door panel off with the door stuck the way it is, but if i have to some tricks of the trade would be apreciated.

95 XJ
4 door (obviously)

TIA
James
"stewie"

[Big Hank]

Only trick I know is to pull on the handle very hard, before you push the button. I know I have seen dented rear doors that would not close unless you pulled very hard on the handle while pushing the door closed with the other hand.

only trick of the trade i know

Gene MJ

[thebrick]

Has anyone tried to break into your XJ lately...any signs of attempted break in?

Sounds like the metal rod that goes from the locking latch to the lock actuator may have gotten damage/bent...preventing it from fully unlocking the latch mechanism...

One of my previous cars had a similar problem...it was because someone tried to use a homemade slim jim to unlock from the outside...didn't get in, but ended up bending the rod from the lock actuator to the latch.

If you know anybody with a slim jim...and knows how to use it...that might help to fully unlock the door.

[andyr354]

My 98 XJ used to do this. I would just push inward on the door a few times and I would hear a pop, I could then unlock it all the way. Only did it in cool weather. I think the grease in the latch mechanism gets thick and causes something to catch.

[djblade311]

this happens to my 99 often. Mostly due to dust getting in the locking mechanism. When I finally got it open, I sprayed it with silicone and it hasnt bound up on me since. I had to remove the interior panel while it was closed to open the latch... Since the FF was raining most of the time, maybe mud got in there and is doing the same thing. Or you just flexed your body pretty good.

[stewie]

ok, tried the pushing and pulling hard on door as its unlocked,

yes, someone has tried to break into the jeep about 6 weeks ago. they ended up gaining entry through the other rear door with faulty power lock,

DJ, how hard was it to remove the interior pannel while the door was closed versus while open? the only hang up i can see would be getting a pry tool on the edge to seperate the pannel from the door. did anything else give a problem?

thanks all for the sugestions!

stewie