Non-opening door Catch-22
06-05-2021, 05:19 PM
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Non-opening door Catch-22
As it says in the subject line, I had the experience this morning of finding that the drivers side door on my 92 968 won't open, whether using the outside door latch or the inner handle. Nothing happens when I turn the key in the lock, nor is there any response to pressing the lock/unlock switch on the console. I checked the fuse that protects the door lock switch's circuit, and it's fine. So, I need to remove the door panel to investigate, but since I can't get the door open, I can't remove the panel (right?), thus the Catch-22. I have a feeling the answer is going to give me a palm-to-forehead reaction, as I'm probably overlooking something breathtakingly obvious, but for the moment, my predicament has me scratching my head. Any ideas? Thanks.
06-05-2021, 06:48 PM
#3
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
I've thought about that - I tried removing the bezel around in the inner latch handle to see if that gives me access to the mechanism, but no dice - the bezel is held captive by the handle.
06-05-2021, 08:55 PM
#6
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Thanks - I'd seen the top video, but since he does his work with the door already open, I didn't see that it would be very helpful. But the second video, which I hadn't seen, does a nice job of explaining how the mechanism works. I hope the complete drivers side mechanism is still available for about $80, but somehow I strongly doubt that. Looks like a slim jim or the equivalent is the solution. Off to the auto parts store.
Edit: Before I attempt this, which I've never tried before, could someone who has actually done it give me a few pointers? The videos I've watched are primarily on cars with mechanical locks, and they use the slim jim to grab the bar that runs from the inner door latch to the door button, and pull up on it, and while that should work on a 944, I'm not sure it would work on a 968. So is the slim jim the right tool, or do I need something with a different shape? Thanks.
Edit: Before I attempt this, which I've never tried before, could someone who has actually done it give me a few pointers? The videos I've watched are primarily on cars with mechanical locks, and they use the slim jim to grab the bar that runs from the inner door latch to the door button, and pull up on it, and while that should work on a 944, I'm not sure it would work on a 968. So is the slim jim the right tool, or do I need something with a different shape? Thanks.
Last edited by Cloud9...68; 06-05-2021 at 10:59 PM.
06-05-2021, 10:49 PM
#7
Drifting
Thanks - I'd seen the top video, but since he does his work with the door already open, I didn't see that it would be very helpful. But the second video, which I hadn't seen, does a nice job of explaining how the mechanism works. I hope the complete drivers side mechanism is still available for about $80, but somehow I strongly doubt that. Looks like a slim jim or the equivalent is the solution. Off to the auto parts store.
I had problems with my locks back a bit, let me see if I can find my postings and if they shed any light. Mine were more of the pulling the handle and door locks motion put it in a state where the trigger is loose.
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06-06-2021, 12:54 AM
#8
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
There are plates in there to protect the car from a slim jim type device.
I had problems with my locks back a bit, let me see if I can find my postings and if they shed any light. Mine were more of the pulling the handle and door locks motion put it in a state where the trigger is loose.
I had problems with my locks back a bit, let me see if I can find my postings and if they shed any light. Mine were more of the pulling the handle and door locks motion put it in a state where the trigger is loose.
06-06-2021, 09:08 AM
#9
Drifting
I'm not 100 percent sure, but I think you should be able to remove the panel with the door in place, the hard part I imagine is the seat is in the way and getting at the door pocket and speaker screws. You could remove the seat but extracting that across the center tube would for sure need two people. Perhaps a right angled or stubby screw driver would help.
06-06-2021, 02:56 PM
#11
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
It's a track car, and installing the racing seat was possibly the most difficult, miserable part of the whole conversion, so that thing is NEVER coming out, lol. I don't think it's possible to get the panel off with the door closed. Honestly, after replacing the torque tube, which involved taking half the car apart, I'm pretty burned out on spending every free moment working on this car, so I'm calling a locksmith. I bet someone who knows what they're doing can pop it open in less than a minute, where it would probably take me four hours. The fact that it's covered by AAA seals the deal for me.
Last edited by Cloud9...68; 06-06-2021 at 02:58 PM.
06-07-2021, 01:18 PM
#12
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Well, crap - AAA doesn't cover my situation, because I'm not actually locked out of the car, which makes sense.
To answer Toureg's questions, I'm not hearing the door lock move at all, and there is no humming, so power doesn't appear to be getting to it. There's basically no response to anything - the outside door handle, the inside pull lever (or whatever it's called), the key, or the door lock switch on the console. Fuse #15, which protects the door switch's circuit, is not blown.
Has anybody here actually unlocked their door using a Slim Jim or similar device? The fact the Porsche installed plates in the late 944's and the 968's doors to protect against break-ins using a slim jim has me concerned that this is not going to be easy. Given the age of these cars, this has to be becoming a pretty common problem. If anybody here has ever had to "break in" to their 968 because of a broken lock, please let me know how you did it. I've played around with a pick with a hooked end, with no success whatsoever. I don't mind paying a locksmith, but if there's a relatively straightforward "trick" to popping it open, I'm willing to give it a try, but I don't want to spend four hours futilly trying to open it if somebody who knows what they're doing can pop it open quickly. Thanks.
To answer Toureg's questions, I'm not hearing the door lock move at all, and there is no humming, so power doesn't appear to be getting to it. There's basically no response to anything - the outside door handle, the inside pull lever (or whatever it's called), the key, or the door lock switch on the console. Fuse #15, which protects the door switch's circuit, is not blown.
Has anybody here actually unlocked their door using a Slim Jim or similar device? The fact the Porsche installed plates in the late 944's and the 968's doors to protect against break-ins using a slim jim has me concerned that this is not going to be easy. Given the age of these cars, this has to be becoming a pretty common problem. If anybody here has ever had to "break in" to their 968 because of a broken lock, please let me know how you did it. I've played around with a pick with a hooked end, with no success whatsoever. I don't mind paying a locksmith, but if there's a relatively straightforward "trick" to popping it open, I'm willing to give it a try, but I don't want to spend four hours futilly trying to open it if somebody who knows what they're doing can pop it open quickly. Thanks.
Last edited by Cloud9...68; 06-07-2021 at 05:27 PM.
06-07-2021, 02:16 PM
#14
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
As I said in my latest post, I'm willing to do that, and will most likely end up doing it, but given how old these cars are, I suspect this is becoming a common problem, so I want to see if anyone has found a "trick" to "break into" their 968. If I don't hear back from anyone, I'll call a locksmith.
06-09-2021, 05:03 PM
#15
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
I heard back from Paragon Products that a replacment door lock mechanism is available, for $249 (a far cry from the $80 mentioned in the thread linked by thomasmryan above, but not surprising, given the complexity of the part), but it has to come out of Germany, so it's a ~2 week lead time. But that leaves me in a dilemma - I'm reluctant to call a locksmith to open the door, because I'm not sure I will be able to close it, depending on the nature of the problem. If I can't close it without needing a locksmith to open it again, I'm stuck being unable to drive the car for a couple of weeks while waiting for the new mechanism. Being primarily a track car, it has to close securely. But I still drive it on the street, so I'm reluctant to gut the door and rig up some sort of manual opening mechanism. Jason wasn't sure if individual replacement parts that commonly break in the mechanism are available.
I'm surprised my situation hasn't generated more responses, because I would think that given the age of these cars, door locks should be dropping like flies by now. Guess I'm going to be crawling in and out of the driver seat through the passenger side for the foreseeable future...
I'm surprised my situation hasn't generated more responses, because I would think that given the age of these cars, door locks should be dropping like flies by now. Guess I'm going to be crawling in and out of the driver seat through the passenger side for the foreseeable future...