If you recently had a car accident and are trying hard to close the car door, but it’s not working, you are at the right place. Here you can learn different reasons if your car door won’t close after accident. Doors are an important defense for preventing theft and protecting passengers like other car components. So, we should properly maintain the doors and their locking systems.
Working Mechanism of a Car Door Latch
Door latch designs have evolved over the years. While driving and during a collision, modern lock systems maintain the door fixed to the adjoining frame while allowing the door to be opened in the case of a collision.
You can use a jaw-type lock or a revolving tooth grip to perform it. Whenever the car door shuts, either of these latches will firmly grab the door jamb’s headed u-shaped striker bar or striker pin. Whether your car has a jaw or a revolving tooth-type latch, we’ll refer to it as a jaw for this article.
If you pull on the door handle or lever to open the car door, the latch system lifts the jaw, and the door unlocks. The lock system then holds the jaw in the unlatched position. When the door shuts, the striker pushes back the jaw into the closed position.
Warnings:
If your vehicle door fails to shut and latch correctly, trying to close it continuously may cause damage to the locking mechanism. It can make a relatively low-cost corrective step far more expensive.
You can try to drive the vehicle home or to a repair shop while holding the door closed with one hand. It is a risk to drive with one hand that you should never take. You can be wearing your seat belt and feeling comfortable, but you could lose control of the door. And if it falls open, it might collide with a passing vehicle, causing a terrible accident.
Why a Car Door won’t Close After Accident?
Your vehicle door closes but does not latch, allowing it to open anytime. Alternatively, when you close the door, it just goes open.
Latch Jaw Can Stuck
Inspect the door’s lock if it does not close. Observe a different door that opens and closes correctly. You can see what a completely open-jaw looks like on this door. The door will not close if the latch on the offending door is not fully open.
How to Fix?
- Use one hand to pull the door handle or lever as if to unlock the door and keep an eye on the jaw. Now, the latch will release the jaw and spring back to its completely open position. However, take the door handle off the hinges, and the jaw opens at all times.
- First, make some effort to close the jaw with a screwdriver. It should click into place as it moves to a closed position. Pull the door handle one more time. The jaw should snap back to its original open position.
- You’ve fixed your problem if it can close and reopen properly three or four times.
- If these methods don’t work, the lock mechanism may be faulty on your vehicle door. A qualified car locksmith in Norridge will be able to take appropriate action.
Jaw Won’t Stay Closed
If the jaw is not in the fully open position, then examine the lock of that door.
How to Fix?
- Push the jaw to the completely open position with a screwdriver. After that, return it to the locked state. At the locked position, it must click into place. Using the screwdriver, start to move it. It should maintain this posture for a long time.
- Pull the door handle as if to open the door while keeping an eye on the jaw. The jaw should disengage and gets open as a result of this action. If it doesn’t, the accident may be the cause of damaging the locking mechanism. It’s also likely that the jaw’s locking function is dusty and sticking due to a lack of lubrication. To free up and lubricate the jaw, repeat the upper steps.
- To open the door, have your helper hold the door opening handle out. Use any penetrating oil and spray it to the jaw pivot place softly. But don’t spray too much on the jaw. With the screwdriver, move the jaw back and forth until it moves easily. Now, release the handle that opens the door. Close the jaw by pressing it shut. Sweep away lubrication if there is any.
- Pull the door opening handle with the jaw, and the jaw should fall back into place. However, the locking system may be defective if it does not move toward the open position. You can call a 24/7 locksmith to take corrective action.
Misaligned Striker
A sagging door can result from a previous minor accident, causing the latch jaw to misalign with the striker. Furthermore, the door’s hinges may have loosened, causing it to slip out of line.
Fixing
You’ll need to realign the door due to the restorative procedure. For a do-it-yourself home technician, this can be a difficult task. Most of the time, you’ll need to send the car to a professional car body shop for repairs.
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