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Drivers Door Latch ~ Occasionally doesn't work

nyjumpee

Full Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Messages
49
:help: Hi! I have a 2008 LTZ. . .Last week, I "shut" my drivers door and went in the store. .came back out and saw that the door wasn't completely closed.  Now, sometimes when I shut the door it doesn't latch and I just have to keep shutting it. . .almost couldn't get it to latch. . .took about 10 tries! Seems okay now but I'm going on the road in a few weeks and don't want it to give me problems in the middle of nowhere. . .any suggestions? Anything I can check? Lube? Just replace the latch? Thanks in advance to any suggestions  :wave:
 
If you have a window cracked open, does it close no problem?
 
Hey Jet. . nope. . no difference. . .are you thinking it could be an air pressure problem? That sucker's not built THAT tight! But no, never had an issue windows up or down until a week ago. . .sometimes it just bounces off like there's no latch movement at all and since I'm not sure how to check the actual latch for proper operation other than just closing the door, I'm a bit stuck.

Thanks for the reply and hope someone else has had this problem. . .Maybe I should just lube the heck out of the thing? And if that doesn't work, just replace it? Is there an adjustment on the part it latches to maybe? Nothing looks loose. . .thanks again.
 
Need picture of latch.
It might be latched already when open so it just hits the pin and bounces off.

Look at latch from end of door should see a C type thing that is open to door striker.
on top of this opening in the latch is a mechanism that as door closes and goes into latch closes around striker to hold door closed.

Hard to describe with words. but sometimes it can get snagged on clother when you get out or in and latch shut before you actally close door. when this happens it cannot latch onto striker.

You then pull handle to unlatch. and maybe use screw driver or something to open latch back up.
 
Hey YGMN! Thanks for the thoughtful reply. . .I noticed it first when I was out of the truck and nowhere near the latch so it's not clothing getting stuck. I also took a look at it to make sure the latch was "open" when closing the door but I'm not 100% positive what I saw so I'll continue to check on that.

What I'm assuming is happening is the door latch is ready but for some reason doesn't "lock in" around the "striker". . but again, I'll take more notice of what position everything is in next time it happens and get a picture.

Thanks again and I'll post any updates or if anyone else has had this issue and just had to bite the bullet and replace the mechanism.
 
Check your seat belt... My seat belt retractor is pretty worn out after 273k miles on the truck and iI am not careful the seat belt is in the doorway preventing it from closing.

If that is not your case then I would suggest pulling the door panel off and lubricate the heck out of the mechanism with silicon lubricant and work it back and forth. (Open and close the door repeatedly etc)
 
Thanks Redheadedrod ~ I'll check that nothing at all is getting caught in the door. .that's a good tip re seatbelt retractor. . .I had also just taken out and scrubbed my Weathertech Floor Mats and when I put them back in that's when the issue started. . maybe that's causing a bit of interference as well. . .

Just had the door panel off a few months ago ~ outside door handle was loose and had to tighten the nut on the inside. .one of em actually fell off into the bottom of the door panel! So, not a big deal to pull it again if need be and lube the heck out of the mechanism to me sure it's not hanging up or something. . .

Thanks for the tips. . all good things to check!
 
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