This happened a week or two ago, and today I finally had the time to dig into it today. I checked multiple threads after extensive googling, and armed myself with a wire hanger and a long screwdriver. I was unsuccessful after a few hours of fiddling with it, and looking at even more threads on Miata sites.
The problem - the driver side door will not open, with either the inside or outside door handle. The door lock appears to be working, but maybe it isn't unlocking enough. Don't know. The spring that closes the outside door latch was broken, and eventually fell farther into the door, but that does not appear to be the only problem, or I think I should have been able to open it from the inside.
I eventually loosened the door card for a better view, and pulled the door card on the passenger side to see how a working mechanism should look. I'm not entirely certain I was successful at determining the difference. It appeared to me, there are two pieces that need to move in concert, when the door is unlatched, and I think only one of them is moving easily on the driver's side (it looks like it has more range of motion actually). When pulling on the door handles, things would move to some extent, then it seem like the various rods and connections were just bending and twisting, instead of making whatever needs to move, move.
Here's a parts diagram I found, and I think the circled part has both pieces that need to move.
I tried manipulating the parts with both the hanger and the screwdriver, but nothing worked to get the door to open. Part of it may be that the lower part is harder to get to, but maybe I'm just looking at this all wrong. Anyone had the same issue and had an easy way to get the door to actually open, then fix it? Once I get it open, I'll make sure to replace the broken spring, but I am certain there is something else messed up, too.
Me... picturing Tim for the next few days until he gets this fixed.
You can remove the hinges at the front, but I'm not sure this would help. Sorry, haven't come across this on a Miata.
Keith Tanner said:
Sorry, haven't come across this on a Miata.
In reply to eastsideTim :
I think you just broke the universe...
I know this happens sometimes in Corvairs (and likely other old Chevies). Some plastic part breaks off and jams. The solution there is to kick the door open from the inside! Although some say just sitting in the car and repeatedly hitting the door hard with your shoulder while working the handle does it.
NOT saying this is the solution!!
But the is how the Chevy issue is dealt with.
OHSCrifle said:
Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) said:
Keith Tanner said:
Sorry, haven't come across this on a Miata.
In reply to eastsideTim :
I think you just broke the universe...
Yeah - Check the book.
Reading this thread, I thought, "Well, Keith will be along soon."
Uh oh...
:)
It's been a long time since I played with one of these, although I did rig one to open with a cable in 2003 or so. It's an anti-burst latch so it's basically two stages. I don't think it requires two things to happen at the same time as that's not how I remember the rods working and that single cable was enough to latch/unlatch. The second rod is the lock actuator, so you can't open the door if it's not in the correct position.
Factory manual isn't much help.
This might be useful - note that it's a UK forum so the pictures will possibly be of what we consider the passenger door.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=185&t=1628942
This is, I believe, the mechanism in question.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
That is part of the problem, but it appears that is not likely what is causing my door opening issue, unless the broken end of the spring is wedged somewhere preventing the mechanism from moving correctly. I used my endoscope camera to take video of both sides, might upload later to see if anyone can see something I missed. Here's a picture of to show roughly what is going on:
The straight arrow shows the direction the lever on the latch moves when the handle is pulled. Then the piece circled in red should rotate a bit and the tip will move downward (in this picture, outward in real life, I think). That part barely moves, and I am feeling a bit of a rough spot when pulling on the inside door handle, like maybe it is dragging over something that is supposed to be engaging. Can't tell for sure, though.
I am tempted to buy a used latch now, just so I can have a better idea how the mechanism is supposed to work. The one in the car may be irreparably broken anyway. My biggest concern now is how to remove it in a non-destructive fashion. My driver side door card is in really nice shape, and to get any more working room it'll need to be fully removed, which I don't think I can do without breaking it. I might need to drill an additional hole in the door frame to get to somewhere to get everything moving properly. Going to see if I can use the scope at some different angle and see if there is anything that can be done without damaging the door.
A bit more info. The piece circled in red does not move at all when the door is locked(on the working or broken side). When the driver's side door is unlocked, it does move a little bit. I think that means the lock mechanism is unlikely to be causing this problem, or it wouldn't move at all. I could be wrong, though.
Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:
Me... picturing Tim for the next few days until he gets this fixed.
Thank goodness it is a convertible. I am not that limber. Kind of hoping to fix it before the car is parked for the winter, but not holding out the highest hopes.
I have a driver's side door sitting in my shed with the latch intact, let me know if you need me to pull it off and send you some pictures/mail it to you.
If it's an NA, I think you can get the door card off. Might be a little tricky pulling it out, but I think it's possible. NB might be a little harder.
Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:
Me... picturing Tim for the next few days until he gets this fixed.
That's basically the same maneuver as me trying to get into mine with the door open, top up, and helmet on.
Success! Armed with a bit more knowledge of what was supposed to be moving, I was able to get the long bladed screwdriver to release the latch. It can take a few tries, but I was able to repeat it. I'll look online tonight and order a used or new latch mechanism. If we have another good weather weekend, might even get it installed this month. If not, well, the Miata now has a full tank of gas with fuel stabilizer, so it's ready to sit for a few months. Had to Dukes of Hazzard it at the gas station.
What a relief! The trunk on my e36 sedan somehow jammed and would not unlock. Unfortunately on the sedan the rear seat does not fold down nor does it even have an pass-through access.
i had come to the conclusion that I was going to have to cut out the rear seat back support, climb in the back, try and figure it out, and then weld the support back in and repaint it.
one day however, I tried it and it magically worked! I quickly took it all apart and found a random bolt that had lodged itself in the mechanism. It apparently fell in from above. From a spoiler or something the po must have installed.
Just in case anyone is curious as to the issue, here's a short video
Jerry
PowerDork
12/6/21 12:40 p.m.
My '90 has had issues from the outside, the handle does nothing. Works fine from the inside at least, so my work-around has been either leaving the window open, or open from the inside through the passenger side.
Eventually I'll try removing the door card, spritzing white lithium grease inside the handle didn't work.
