Drivers door will not open

bigtom111

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2004
Location
Kentucky, USA
TDI
99 Beetle, 97 Passat, 03 Jetta
Hello all,

The drivers door on my 98 Jetta won't open. Both the outside and inside latch releases feel like they are not connected to anything. My question is: How do I get the door open so I can work on it?

Thanks for any help you can give me.
 

JerryPT

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2002
Location
Michigan soon, 49629
TDI
2005 Jetta GLS wagon
I've had a similar problem, but could open from the inside. Anyway, will the key lock and unlock the door? Try unlocking the driver's door, leaving the key in the lock, and then try to open.

Jerry
 

sfierz

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2001
Location
Rockford, Illinois
TDI
1996 Tornado Red Passat
Check the small roll pin inside the door handle assembly. If you can get the door open, only one screw releases the handle. Be careful, that screw is reverse threaded. At the end of the inside handle, there may be a small pin that is coming out or has fallen out. Check the bottom of the door sill (if you can) for it. You have to put it back in and align it with some other part of the door handle mechanism, but this might fix it. This happens to me all the time on not the driver's door, but the passenger one.

Steve
 

Lug_Nut

TDIClub Enthusiast, Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 20, 1998
Location
Sterling, Massachusetts. USA
TDI
idi: 1988 Bolens DGT1700H, the other oil burner: 1967 Saab Sonett II two stroke
The B4 Passat retainer screws are left hand (reverse) threaded only on the right doors. The retainer screws on the left doors are right hand (normal) threaded.
But that's a moot point if the door isn't open for access to the retainer screws....
Tom, If you can get the driver's window down you might be able to trip the release with a coat-hanger wire or similar.
Open the right front door, remove the door panel to see what you have to trigger, and how it's supposed to be connected on the driver's side. Then, "Go Fish" inside the left door.
 

keks

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2007
Location
pittsburgh
TDI
98 porcelain Blue Jetta TDI,,usually seen lurking within a 15 mile radius east of the City.
Did you end up finding the problem? My car just did the same exact thing after work, I immediately associated it with the very low temps. It feels like both handles are not garbing something, exactly how you explain. My remote lock worked fine, but when I tried to unlock with the key there was alot of resistance(something frozen), I finally got the doors unlocked with the key but door still not opening. the previous owner said this happened to him and I am almost positive it happened when it was super cold outside( I was way to excited that the car was actually mine and wasn't paying much attention)
Did this happen during low temps?
 

jollyGreenGiant

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2003
Location
MA
TDI
03 Golf TDI GLS ( my 5th TDI ), 03 Eurovan GLS - VR6 :(
Did this happen during low temps?

Yes.
 

keks

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2007
Location
pittsburgh
TDI
98 porcelain Blue Jetta TDI,,usually seen lurking within a 15 mile radius east of the City.
The problem seemed to remedy itself for me, it got warmer.
 

mittzlepick

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2001
Location
union maine
TDI
2004 jetta wagon (365k)2001 wagon tire burner 6spd 2003 wagon(417k)
got tripple A get them out they can fish it open from between the window and gasket. or try it yourself take the passenger side apart first to get a see on how it works. you need to push the spoon down to open unless the lock is buggered up. seeing you have a 97 you must be pretty familiar with bugger door handles
 

98JettaTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2000
Location
Elyria, OH
TDI
1998 Jetta
This happens to both of my front doors everytime its really cold out.

I carry some PB Blaster, spray some in the key hole and down the lock button hole and it will open for me. My locks freeze too; won't open with key or remote, but only happens to my front doors, the rears always work.
 

euromade

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2006
Location
MI, USA
TDI
Back to the gasser world
I have the same problem but I do not see any posts that would explein some more as to what the solutions are.
My passenger side is locked and I can open it.
The central lock starts pushing the pin up - no dice.
The inside/outside handles do not help either.

Thanks a bunch
"here is my full post"Well I thought I had it all solved. A brand new latch went in and it worked great. Then I installed the remote door module by BULLDOG.

After installing the bulldog I can open and close the doors no problem - EXCEPT for the passenger's side.

This morning I noticed the "bulldog" was unable to lock that door.
I could see the little pin going down but then it would retract up like there was not enough "power" to lock the door.

THEN throughout the day it somehow managed to lock the door but now I can't open this door. I tried the internal release latch, I tried pulling on the pin, I tried the key - do dice. The door is stuck in the lock position with the "pin" down.

Is there some kind adjustment? The door handle was very easy to operate (both from inside and out) before the power lock kicked in and locked it for good?!

Any ideas?
Thanks.
 
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