Please help. Door won't open from outside. - Honda Prelude Forum

95srv · 04-12-2003, 05:49 PM

Sorry if the answer has been posted already but I couldn't find it with searches.

Hey Everyone,

Wondering if anyone can offer any help.

This morning when I tried to get in my car, I couldn't open my driver side door from the outside. No biggie, I just figured something was loose so I open it from the inside via the passenger side.

I'm driving along and it's hot in the car so I open my driver side window. About half way done I hear some kind of crunching noise, like the window is caught on something on the way down. -- Next thing I know, my driver side door pops open and refuses to close. The latch won't catch for some reason!

Anyway, I can't drive around with my door hanging open so I take it to Honda to have it looked at and they charge me $100 just to take the door panel off. While they were looking at it, they manage to get the latch to catch and the door closed but they lock my keys in the car! Anyway, they get my key serial number and cut a new key to get in. Then they come back and tell me the latch is broken and I need a new one. $400 for a new latch! How they could tell this without actually taking the latch out and looking at it is beyond me. Oh, but wait, they just happenned to have one that somebody ordered but didn't pick up and they'll sell it to me for $300 because they want to get rid of it -- and if I buy now, they'll throw in the labor since they had the door taken apart anyway - one time offer. Sounds fishy right? I say thanks but no thanks, just leave the door panel off, close my door up so it stays closed and let me drive it home.

Here's the thing. If it's the latch how come it opens from the inside and it's only the outside door handle that doesn't open the door? What was the crunching sound I heard when lowerring my window?

I inspect the handle mechanism when I got home and it seems like the rod which connects the outside handle to the latch mechanism is missing a screw, it may have loosenned some how. I can definately feel that there is a screw hole there and no screw. (I just got my car painted and I think they removed all the moldings and door handles so it may have happenned then? )

Anyway what should I do guys? I don't want to pay $400 for a "latch" when all it needs is a screw. Does anybody have any idea whether or not they're pulling my leg or do I really need a new latch? Please help!

TIA

Porschify · 04-12-2003, 07:29 PM

it is prob one of the connecting rods inside the door, take the door panel off and make sure they are all attached and working properly.

j_t_heilbrun · 04-12-2003, 08:53 PM

I would bet the door latch rod came off the exterior handle. I have my handles off right now for painting and I started rolling down the window and it caught on the rod. If you roll your window back up does the door latch. Also take it back to the body shop since they probably removed the handles to paint it and didn't reinstall them right.

95srv · 04-13-2003, 12:29 AM

Thanks for the suggestion guys. I thought about what you guys said and I took my passenger side door panel off to compare.

AND I FIGURED IT OUT!!!!!

I know exactly what happenned now. The rod from the outside handle popped off while I was driving and got caught by the window when I was rolling it down ( the crunching noise) which forced the door to unlatch and open. (porchify and j_t_heilbren you were both right on the money) The window then pushed the rod down further and forced it against the rod that activiates the locks - locking the latch mechanism closed. That's why it wouldn't latch when it first happenned. It also bent the rods.

It took a few hours to figure out and fix but I did it. I took pictures while doing it too and will be writing it up in case this happens to anyone else in the future.

Which brings me back to the Honda dealer. For the record it was Regency Honda in Vancouver - Chris was the mechanic who looked at my car and Robert Dent was the service advisor I dealt with. ABSOLUTELY trying to rip me off!

There was no way they could have missed the problem because the outside handle rod would have been out of its housing and just dangling there in plain sight. In fact they took the trouble to put it back in the housing so I wouldn't know that that's what happend. And, they adjusted the length (when I post pictures you'll see how the length is adjusted easily) so that it would not operate the latch thereby making me think that I really did need a new latch when in reality it was just the rod had popped out and gotten bent up a little.

Remeber in my post it sounded fishy?
Before they looked at my car they told me that if it was the latch, it would have to be a special order part. It's something that they've never had to replace because they've never had one break and so they've never had to keep a part like that in stock.
After they looked at my car, all of a sudden they had the special part and lucky me, they'll give it to me for $100 cheaper than what it would normally cost and no extra labor to put it in.
No wonder they just "happenned" to have a special order part in stock!

What should I do now? Go and file a complaint with Honda Canada? Go to the media? Better Business Bureau? All three?

What would you guys do if someone tried to rip you off? Makes me sooooooo mad!

__________________
-95srv

shiftgearz · 04-13-2003, 03:35 AM

honda dealerships are generally rip offs.....

I know, it sux

went there cuz pedal kept sticking, and I had to friggin kick it to make the gas go down. (wouldnt get stuck while gas was down, jus from up to down.) went there and they told me they could do a cleaning package that would "probably" fix the problem... no guarantees. Cost: $100

I watched the process and all they did was spray some sort of lubricant into the intake manifold and throttle body.... oh yea they also added some fuel injector cleaner whoop dee doo.

anyhoo, I eventually figured out the problem was the throttle body itself, the butterfly valves were getting stuck. Thats when I figured I had enough of the h23a and ordered my jdm h22a, sux cuz b4 I ordered my h22a I think I had spent in around $800 in repairs on the h23a and it still had an oil leak and the throttle body problem....

anyways sorry for rambling and taking this post to another direction, but yea honda dealerships suck for the most part.

sigh

GroundZero112 · 04-30-2003, 01:50 AM

hey i had the exact same problem as u...the rod popped out...i took it to my mechanic and he opened up the door for me for free....he said the thing the rod is connected to is worn out and its not holding...how did u fix it 95srv? u live in vancouver? wanna help me out? lol....well its fixed for now....but my mechanic told me i need to goto honda and buy a new connector thing to hold the rod which will cost like 50 cents sooo...i dont know....right now i got this medal thing holding the rod.....and yeah the window bent my rod too.....