C5 Front Nearside Door will not Open??

corsehf · Post by **corsehf** » 17 Mar 2010, 09:51

Just a quick question!!
My front nearside passenger door will not open from either the inside or outside. I can hear and feel the central locking mechanism working inside the door but it will not open.
To check on the workings, i need to remove the door card to check whats what but as i cannot open the door, i am struggling to do even this.

Is there a trick to releasing the door to get to check on the workings??

corsehf · Post by **corsehf** » 18 Mar 2010, 09:05

Any idea's??
Must be a way in??

cachaciero · Post by **cachaciero** » 18 Mar 2010, 09:59

There is a tool which should help you, by chance it's also called C5, theres also one for the C4 which could probably used as well. Only trouble is it's a bit hard to find, if you know some one in the SAS they may be able to help, used correctly I understand it could take the door apart quite quickly or if you use the small version just the lock

cachaciero

corsehf · Post by **corsehf** » 18 Mar 2010, 14:56

It's been a while cachaciero, since you helped out with the Swirl diaphragm. Car has been faultless since except for the impending particle filter blockage!!

Your solution of C5 is a little on the dodgy side and the copper who lives next door but one will want to know my date of birth and want to see my fingerprints and more!!!!

Anything a little more on the 'legal' side??

Post by **CitroJim** » 18 Mar 2010, 19:53

Reminds me of Michael Caine in the Italian Job..

"You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"

Xantias can suffer this and although I have not had it happen I believe it's down to the dead lock sticking in the locked position.

The cure there I believe is to remove the door card from within (just possible but if it is on a C5 I don't know) and then wreck the lock mechanism...

Do a few searches for this problem on the Xantia and it might throw up some clues...

spider · Post by **spider** » 18 Mar 2010, 20:44

I had to login again, session table went awol Jim ?

Back on topic, I agree it sounds like the deadlock is stuck, had this happen on a 406 and was very unpleasant to fix. A lot of cursing to get the panel off with the door shut (!) , and then a large sharp chisel to smash the lock internals out

, to be fair it was the rear door so not 'that' bad, but a good hour.

Worse risk is if you slip or the chisel does, you can quite easily go through the door skin

cachaciero · Post by **cachaciero** » 18 Mar 2010, 21:03

corsehf wrote:It's been a while cachaciero, since you helped out with the Swirl diaphragm. Car has been faultless since except for the impending particle filter blockage!!

Your solution of C5 is a little on the dodgy side and the copper who lives next door but one will want to know my date of birth and want to see my fingerprints and more!!!!

Anything a little more on the 'legal' side??

Hi Andy

If your neighbour is anything like some of the plod I knew years back he's probably got some under his bed or knows a man that can supply

Seriously I am glad to say I havn't had to go there. The only glimmer of light I can throw on this is that this appears to be quite a common problem and it has happened on the vehicle I own when it belonged to a previous owner the good news is that door card doesn't look as though it's been touched although it obviously has to change the lock. I reckon the card will come out with the door closed but it would have been nice to do one first with the door open if you see what I mean.

Rgds Cachaciero

corsehf · Post by **corsehf** » 18 Mar 2010, 23:39

If the general consensus is a dead lock failure, does anyone have or push me towards a diagram of the door internals so that i know what i am looking at before i destroy the door card!!

cachaciero · Post by **cachaciero** » 19 Mar 2010, 09:40

Andy

Go to your local Cit dealer on the pretence of wanting to get a price for a lock assembly they should have a nice drawing of the door and it's internals which they would doubtless print you of a copy if you asked.

Cachaciero

corsehf · Post by **corsehf** » 20 Mar 2010, 15:04

Thanks for all the bits of info - and the solution of C4!!

Just an update, i practised first on the offside door to see whats what then removed the offending door card on the nearside whilst firmly shut. It is possible but you will tend to lose/break the white plastic door clips.
Having not seen this type of door lock before, i opted to remove the item so to get a better look on the bench. It was indeed the deadlock that had jammed and to remove it i had to first remove the (very) hard and brittle white plastic cover that surrounds it and pull out the tiny little motor.
Refitting is just the reversal of removing it albeit slightly easier as the door will now be open!!
The door lock works fine however without the use of a deadlock on the nearside!, can live with that for the time being!

Post by **CitroJim** » 20 Mar 2010, 15:26

Delighted it has had a happy outcome Andy

Some very valuable information in this thread for anyone who has the same thing and good to know you don't have to resort to C-4 to fix this fault