# Passenger door won't open from the outside



## duckredbeard (Jan 24, 2002)

At the worst possible time, I locked my keys in the car. (On vacation, daughter in the car, wife's purse in the car...luckily the AC was on). The locksmith was able to get us into the car within about 15 minutes, my daughter was ok. 
The locksmith attempted to pull the passenger forward interior door handle with a rigid shaped rod that he selected from a phonebook sized manual. We were able to get the rod through the upper aft corner of the door and he was able to pull the handle enough that the door lock popped up, but the door didn't open, even with 3 pulls. We then did the same trick with the back door, on the second pull, the back door opened. 
We got every thing settled and the next time I went to open the passenger side front door from the outside, we get nothing. Inside works fine. 
I hope this is just something like the locks are out of sequence. Is there a fuse I can pull to reset the lock system?


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## Eric D (Feb 16, 1999)

*Re: Passenger door won't open from the outside (duckredbeard)*

Possible the door handles cable had popped off. 
Has the vehicle had any work done to the door recently?
Instructions in this link.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1015107
The cable is at the yellow arrow (shown removed from handle).


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## duckredbeard (Jan 24, 2002)

*Re: Passenger door won't open from the outside (duckredbeard)*

No work ever done to this door.


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## Eric D (Feb 16, 1999)

*Re: Passenger door won't open from the outside (duckredbeard)*

I'd first examine the handle for the cable issue.
If the cable is attached, then the issue lies inside the door at the door lock module.
Lists for about $200 for the module, and extra $$ for labor.
A new outside cable is about $16, but $$ for labor to install it too.
Best of luck!


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## duckredbeard (Jan 24, 2002)

*Re: Passenger door won't open from the outside (Eric D)*

I rolled the window down and looked into the door while operating the exterior handle. I can see the cable pull on the mechanism, and I see other things move. I do see one part down inside the door that isn't attached to anything. It is about an inch long, shaped kind of like the letter A, but with the sides parallel and the top more like bullet shaped. Instead of a single cross piece, it has an X. Make sense?
So I observed the movements of the mechanisms and compared them to what I could see of the driver's door. No difference that I could see. I have to wait until monday to get the T20 bit to take the door panel off, I have plenty of T15s and T25s, but no T20.
EDIT: The part I described above is about the 6 o'clock position in the third photo of http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1542461


_Modified by duckredbeard at 1:23 PM 5-17-2009_


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## Eric D (Feb 16, 1999)

*Re: Passenger door won't open from the outside (duckredbeard)*

That is a retaining bracket (VW calls it that), and is a part that must be transferred over to the new lock and secured with a new rivet.
The fact that is wasn't attached isn't a big deal, but would indicate that someone have been inside that door in the past.
I've serviced many of these door locks over the years and had one that wouldn't open. It had a broken spring, but the complete door lock was replaced.


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## duckredbeard (Jan 24, 2002)

*Re: Passenger door won't open from the outside (duckredbeard)*

Finally got around to this repair.
I got into the inside of the door and removed the door lock mechanism, using all the helpful DIYs and a Bentley manual. Once I had the mechanism in hand, i pulled on each release cable and saw that they both operated the release as they should.
When I reinstalled the mechanism and connected the outer handle cable, it no longer worked. I saw that the outer handle wasn't pulling out from the car as much as the other handles. Something was restricting its travel. I removed it from the door, then reinstalled it. The travel got better by about 1/4 inch, so I reattached the cable. Now it works!
I reassembled the door and everything still works! I suspect that it was something to do with the door handle mechanism travel.


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