stevennovak19
New member
Hi all, new forum member here with a problem that I cannot seem to diagnose:
I have a sterling grey '03 z4 and since the day I purchased the vehicle, the passenger door has been stuck shut, unable to be opened from the inside or out. In late November/ December last year, a friend of mine who has done work on mostly Miata's helped me to remove the door panel (with the door closed) and, with the use of a flathead screwdriver, pry bar, and hammer, took out the original door lock actuator, and as a result released the door from being stuck closed. Shortly after I bought a new door lock actuator for the passenger side, installed it, and then, in a lapse of judgement, closed the door thinking that would solve the problem, which brought me back to square one. I have the bowden cable properly aligned in the locking mechanism, and it functions correctly when I pull from the outside, so I don't believe it's anything wrong with the exterior door handle. A slight sound can also be heard from the locking mechanism whenever I lock the vehicle using the key fob, though I am unsure if this is the driver's side door that I'm hearing. I've read just about every post on this forum of people having similar issues, but noticed that it was typically the driver's door. I read a YouTube comment section in which people have said they drilled a hole into or around the vicinity of the actuator, but I'd rather not do this unless I absolutely have to. Any clever tips/ tricks I can try? All suggestions are greatly appreciated.
With thanks,
Steven
I have a sterling grey '03 z4 and since the day I purchased the vehicle, the passenger door has been stuck shut, unable to be opened from the inside or out. In late November/ December last year, a friend of mine who has done work on mostly Miata's helped me to remove the door panel (with the door closed) and, with the use of a flathead screwdriver, pry bar, and hammer, took out the original door lock actuator, and as a result released the door from being stuck closed. Shortly after I bought a new door lock actuator for the passenger side, installed it, and then, in a lapse of judgement, closed the door thinking that would solve the problem, which brought me back to square one. I have the bowden cable properly aligned in the locking mechanism, and it functions correctly when I pull from the outside, so I don't believe it's anything wrong with the exterior door handle. A slight sound can also be heard from the locking mechanism whenever I lock the vehicle using the key fob, though I am unsure if this is the driver's side door that I'm hearing. I've read just about every post on this forum of people having similar issues, but noticed that it was typically the driver's door. I read a YouTube comment section in which people have said they drilled a hole into or around the vicinity of the actuator, but I'd rather not do this unless I absolutely have to. Any clever tips/ tricks I can try? All suggestions are greatly appreciated.
With thanks,
Steven