Door won't latch shut

[Brian Wright]

Got a '91 Acura 2 door, manual locks.
For the past few months opening the door (form the inside) occasionally
takes an extra pull like the handle isn't catching on anything.

Now of course on the coldest night of the year I open my door (from the
outside) get in and the door won't latch shut.

After about 10 minutes of pulling it, shutting it, slamming it, and seeing
if I could fiddle with the latch at all in very dim light it finally latched
shut.
Can't be certain this has to do with the cold b/c it was fine in the morning
when there was a bit of ice on the door, and it was fine at lunch time. But
at the end of the day it wouldn't latch shut.

If I get brave I may opening but until I can get into a warm garage to look
at it I'll be using my passenger door (And won't worry about the odd stares
I'll get)

So where is the problem occurring? Does it have to do with my inside door
handle mechanism or my door latch at the end of my door?

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

Thanks,
Brian Wright
'91 Acura Integra LS

 

['Curly Q. Links']

Got a '91 Acura 2 door, manual locks.
For the past few months opening the door (form the inside) occasionally
takes an extra pull like the handle isn't catching on anything.

Now of course on the coldest night of the year I open my door (from the
outside) get in and the door won't latch shut.

After about 10 minutes of pulling it, shutting it, slamming it, and seeing
if I could fiddle with the latch at all in very dim light it finally latched
shut.
Can't be certain this has to do with the cold b/c it was fine in the morning
when there was a bit of ice on the door, and it was fine at lunch time. But
at the end of the day it wouldn't latch shut.

If I get brave I may opening but until I can get into a warm garage to look
at it I'll be using my passenger door (And won't worry about the odd stares
I'll get)

So where is the problem occurring? Does it have to do with my inside door
handle mechanism or my door latch at the end of my door?

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

Thanks,
Brian Wright
'91 Acura Integra LS

--------------------
Brian,

I suspect that somebody has used a dino-based lube in your door lock
mechanism. Colder weather prevents the latch from springing back as
quick as it should. For starters, you could hose all your lock tumblers
with the graphite spray in the blue and yellow can... I think it's
Lock-eaze. Then get something silicone based to hose the latching part
and flush out any petroleum-based stuff.

Lock-Ease is BLACK (graphite), so carry a tissue to wipe off your keys
the first few times you use each lock.

I spray Lock-Ease in the locks (and ignition) every few months, or every
time I buy a car, whichever comes first.

'Curly'

-------------------------

 

[Bill B. Johnson]

Got a '91 Acura 2 door, manual locks.
For the past few months opening the door (form the inside) occasionally
takes an extra pull like the handle isn't catching on anything.

Now of course on the coldest night of the year I open my door (from the
outside) get in and the door won't latch shut.

After about 10 minutes of pulling it, shutting it, slamming it, and seeing
if I could fiddle with the latch at all in very dim light it finally latched
shut.
Can't be certain this has to do with the cold b/c it was fine in the morning
when there was a bit of ice on the door, and it was fine at lunch time. But
at the end of the day it wouldn't latch shut.

If I get brave I may opening but until I can get into a warm garage to look
at it I'll be using my passenger door (And won't worry about the odd stares
I'll get)

So where is the problem occurring? Does it have to do with my inside door
handle mechanism or my door latch at the end of my door?

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

Thanks,
Brian Wright
'91 Acura Integra LS

If the graphite spray does not solve the problem--take it to the nearest
Honda or Acura dealership and have them fix it. It's possible that the
door is out of alignment with the locking mechanisms mounted to frame.
Perhaps some ice was the source of the problem. For example, if you
slammed the door when ice was present--it might have caused the door to
get out of alignement. I'm just guessing.

 

[Scott MacLean]

If the graphite spray does not solve the problem--take it to the nearest

Honda or Acura dealership and have them fix it. It's possible that the
door is out of alignment with the locking mechanisms mounted to frame.
Perhaps some ice was the source of the problem. For example, if you
slammed the door when ice was present--it might have caused the door to
get out of alignement. I'm just guessing.

Bill, reading through your posts in here...do you have any other answer than
"Take it to the nearest Honda or Acura dealership and have them fix it"? You
post the same answer to every question someone poses in here.

 

[BillW]

If the graphite doesn't fix it you may have to pull the door panel and
clean/lub the pivot points. You may try to clean what you can externally.
Try spraying with WD40 to clean out some of the crud and lub with a light
oil. If that gets it working I would lub with some spray white lithium
grease.

 

[A.D]

there is a latch system in the door that closes on the body the clasp there
has to be riddle with and repaced

 

[Bill B. Johnson]

Bill, reading through your posts in here...do you have any other answer than
"Take it to the nearest Honda or Acura dealership and have them fix it"? You
post the same answer to every question someone poses in here.

Not true--If it's a problem that I know how to solve--I tell them the
solution. In most cases, when I suggest that people take it to a
professional--I do this because I have actually seen engines worked on by
people who did not know what they are doing. They ended up paying much
more for their repairs than they would have payed if they had not
attempted to do something that they did not how to do. I recently advised
someone that wanted to change his timing belt to take it to a service
station mechanic that would allow him to watch so that he could learn to
do it himself. I recall reading about someone that screwed up the threads
while installing plugs--I wonder if you are the type of person that would
advise someone that had never changed spark plugs to do it without
watching someone else do it.