1992 Celica GT driver door won't open from the inside or out.

[eazzye]

Hello, I have a 1992 Celica GT and I having problems with the doors. The driver side door won't open from the inside or out. The locking mechanism works and the lock moves but when you pull the door handle it won't open. I have noticed a similar problem that is happens on occasion with the passenger door. On it you can open it from the inside but not the outside. I'm afraid that my fiance that drives the vehicle as a school car will get stuck inside.

I would appriciate some hands on advice to fix it myself because I don't have the money to have it repaired at a service shop or dealer and it is too good of a car to sell.

Thank You.

[stepho]

You will need to take the inner door trim off and see what is causing the problem inside.
Of course, if you can't open the door then this will be difficult.

If the door eventually opens by jiggling the key, handle, etc or if you can pop the lock using blue packing tape (ie like a theif) then you can continue on to take the trim off.

If you are unlucky like I was with my 1980 Toyota Carina then what I had to do was this:
- remove everything you can from the interior side (all screws/bolts, window winder, grab handle, lock button, map pockets, etc).
- the main trim is now held on only by the edges and the body of the car.
- slide a ruler or wide screwdriver under trim and try to pop up all the locating studs around the edges.
- now grab the middle of the lower edge and pull out gently with much swearing while also pulling the top of the trim up.
- if you are lucky then the left/right edges will also pull towards the centre of the door and be freed from the body of the car - this will take many repeated efforts and much swearing - it ain't easy.
- remove door trim and finish swearing.
- fix the inside (should be easy after all that work to get the trim off).
This basically comes down to brute force with a small amount of finesse to minimise the damage to the trim.
Or you can rip the @#&%* trim off and buy some new trim at the wrecking yard.

- Stepho

[WARREN29]

I had the same problem with my 91 GTS. The lock mechanism is corroded. Keep spraying WD40 or equivielant into the key opening and down through any opening around the window. If you are lucky like I was, it may finally open. If not, you will have to cut into the door trim to get to the lock mechanism. IF you get it open, take the lock mechanism off, clean it with naval jelly, and grease it. Otherwise, it will happen again. GOOD LUCK

[eazzye]

Thank you WARREN29for the advice. I was able to get the door open by just using the handle a few hundred times. I could see the mechanism working and all the rods were moving and attached. The problem was that the door latch mechanism was rusty and not releasing all the way. After taking the door panel off and spraying the whole latch assembly with DW40, it works perfectly!!