Fiesta 2002 TDCI 5 door hatchback - Drivers door will not manually unlock...MOT due

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Wed 13 Jan 2016 08:46
Fiesta 2002 TDCI 5 door hatchback - Drivers door will not manually unlock...MOT due - claire05

Hi all

I was wondering if anyone could give me some advise on how to approach the following issue:

For a little while when I went to close my drivers door it would bounce back as if it were hitting the seat belt...I know now that it propably wasn't...Anyway last week I was on my way to a hospital appointment and it did the same thing, I looked at the lock latch and it was loose but I needed to close the door to get to my appointment...now know that was a mistake. Now I can not open the door, the outside handle is just loose and the inside handle will not open it either. When I lock/unlock the car with the fob or manually by pushing or pulling on the handle all handles including the drivers side handle do move as they should, but the drivers door still will not open. So I am assuming the latch is stuck and nothing is pulling on it to lift it.

I think I can get the inside card off since there are no bolts or screws that I can not get to but I have no idea what to do once I have done this. There also seems in videos to be another door card with bolts that stops you getting to the lock mechanism...pretty much all videos and advice stop at this point. so I have no idea about this, I would be grateful if anyone can give me any information, advise on this. Also:

Can I for example lift, move the latch so that I can open the door?

With the outside handle been loose could that have broken from the mechanism, and would that lead to the inside handle not working?

Am I probaly going to have to replace the whole locking mechanism and if I get a second hand one is there any reprogramming or anything involved, or is it just a straight swap?

Thanks for reading and any advise on how I should proceed with this would be great.

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Wed 13 Jan 2016 15:04
Fiesta 2002 TDCI 5 door hatchback - Drivers door will not manually unlock...MOT due - elekie&a/c doctor

Once the door card is off,there is a large plastic panel bolted to the door.This will need to be removed before you can gain access to the locking mechanism/actuator.Not easy.If the locking unit has failed in the lock position,then the only option is to smash it off.A new or s/hand unit is a direct fit with no coding required.However,I would suggest you check the wiring to the door pillar, at the round plastic multi-plug, for breaks or fractures before attacking the door internals.

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Thu 14 Jan 2016 07:52
Fiesta 2002 TDCI 5 door hatchback - Drivers door will not manually unlock...MOT due - claire05

Thanks for your your reply it is greatly appreciated.

Why is the plastic panel difficult?

Also the wiring to the door pillar, the round plastic multiplug would I take off the door pillar off to check this , where is it?

I had thought that if it is the latch that as failed I would have to smash the locking mechanism off, thanks for letting me know it is at least a straight swap.

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Fri 15 Jan 2016 16:56
Fiesta 2002 TDCI 5 door hatchback - Drivers door will not manually unlock...MOT due - claire05

Just in case anyone else looks at this thread for help...I sorted it by taking it to my mechanic to ask if I had to smash the lock out would it be better for him to do it and replace it? He looked at me strangely and then proceeded to do the following:

He took off the outside window seal, rolled the window all the way down, sprayed a shed load of wd40 oil sort of mix down into where all the mechanism is. He then kept pulling the handles internal and external and hitting the door around where the external handle is and it worked. Both internal and external handles work and open the door. Sorted.

Edited by claire05 on 15/01/2016 at 16:57

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Fri 15 Jan 2016 17:09
Fiesta 2002 TDCI 5 door hatchback - Drivers door will not manually unlock...MOT due - elekie&a/c doctor

Glad you got it sorted.Looking at your original post,i would think that the striker plate being loose has probably caused the mechanical side of the lock mechanism to run out of alignment and cause it to jam up,in which case the electrical parts will not function correctly.

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Fri 15 Jan 2016 23:25
Fiesta 2002 TDCI 5 door hatchback - Drivers door will not manually unlock...MOT due - bathtub tom

Just in case anyone else looks at this thread for help...I sorted it by taking it to my mechanic to ask if I had to smash the lock out would it be better for him to do it and replace it? He looked at me strangely and then proceeded to do the following:

He took off the outside window seal, rolled the window all the way down, sprayed a shed load of wd40 oil sort of mix down into where all the mechanism is. He then kept pulling the handles internal and external and hitting the door around where the external handle is and it worked. Both internal and external handles work and open the door. Sorted.

Brilliant! Get him to deal with all your servicing and repairs. Someone like that's worth keeping on your right side. He managed to do what no-one on this site could suggest.

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Sat 16 Jan 2016 19:32
Fiesta 2002 TDCI 5 door hatchback - Drivers door will not manually unlock...MOT due - galileo

Just in case anyone else looks at this thread for help...I sorted it by taking it to my mechanic to ask if I had to smash the lock out would it be better for him to do it and replace it? He looked at me strangely and then proceeded to do the following:

He took off the outside window seal, rolled the window all the way down, sprayed a shed load of wd40 oil sort of mix down into where all the mechanism is. He then kept pulling the handles internal and external and hitting the door around where the external handle is and it worked. Both internal and external handles work and open the door. Sorted.

Brilliant! Get him to deal with all your servicing and repairs. Someone like that's worth keeping on your right side. He managed to do what no-one on this site could suggest.

Sounds just like my local indie, who started work on Morris Minors 40 years ago and has a huge range of 'fixes' for problems which could otherwise cost a fortune.

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