ok, major problem. i had a new door skin put on my car a week ago, and when i got it back, the actuator (i think) went out on my drivers side door. the door WILL NOT open. i had a mechanic try for three hours today and he couldnt do a thing. it will not open from the inside or outside. i dont know what to do. i was thinking of taking it home and taking my drivers seat out to get the door panel at least mostly off to have more room to work, but i dont want to break anything else. is there ANY way to get this thing open??? they are talking i may need to have my new door skin cut off to open it and then having a new one put on and painted... again! that will put me out bout $500. i already have the actuator. and by the way, i have a '99 civic ex. please help me out...

 

bump for my buddy Ryan, I am as stumped as you are my friend

 

bump

 

you could try ripping the door panel from the inside the car and trying to open it that way.

 

that wouldnt work becasue the dash is in the way....is there any way he can take his door handle off from the outside??

 

You cant take the door panel off because of the dash? Since when?

If you take the door panel off youll have access to the door handle and everything else. Should be an easy fix.

 

his door is constantly in the lock position, meaning the dash is always up again the door panel, and last time I checked, you had to pull the door panel out to get it off..how are you gonna pull it out when the dash is up against the door panel?

 

bump

 

bump before class

 

You will have to, I repeat have to cut into the door panel to remove this. He should be able to cut into the door panel and pull one of the metal rods for the actuator.

You can remove the door handle from the inside, but you won't have much room to work as it is a fairly small area. If you can come up with another way, go for it.

EDIT: checked all your fuses for the power locks? Also, when they put on this new door skin, did it involve them moving around or messing with the door lock actuator? Not pointing fingers, but who is to say whomever put on the door skin didn't cause this problem.

 

Couldn't you go to a lock place and have them slim jim the lock open on that side..

 

hammer....

 

so he is probably looking at a new door panel...hell, better than a new skin....and when he told me what happened...I was like if it was like this when you picked it up...why didnt you say anything?? So hell, I would make htem pay for a new panel, but you never now now-a-days

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by FOC-US 2K &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Couldn't you go to a lock place and have them slim jim the lock open on that side..</TD></TR></TABLE>

I didn't even bother to think of this.

 

have u tried putting the key in the keyhole and trying to unlock from the outside?

 

I would call a locksmith, and let him open the door, save your reciept. I bet whoever put the door skin on f'ed up the locking mechanism.

 

well he said the the locking mechanism(actuator, or whatever?) is broken and stuck the the locked postion, he has tried using his key to open it, and still wont work