Spyder Door won’t stay shut

[Tyler Kardashian]

My 97 gst spyder is being a pain in the ass again. Passenger door will not stay shut, the rocker arm that contacts the latch when closing the door doesn’t stay put, therefore the door just bounces off the car. I’ve poked and prodded. I’ve got it to close once by luck out of nowhere. And then it goes back to being loose and not shutting. What the hell is going on! New to the forum by the way hello fellow dsmers! Thanks for the help in advance.

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[RamenPride]

Try spraying some lubricant in there to free/loosen it up. I had the exact same problem, and sprayed some silicone lubricant, and it helped. Not perfect, but I can get the door to close more often than not.

 

[CKOPOCT]

Welcome to the forum. Judging by the rust on the top of the jamb I would guess the door is sagging just a bit, but that isn't the main problem. The catch (black piece inside the jamb) isn't open so the pin is just bouncing off of it. It looks a bit mushroomed.

As @RamenPride said, spray some lubricant in there and work it. If that makes an improvement then you can go from there (take the interior door panel off, remove the latch mechanism, take it to a bench and restore it back to full working condition, then reinstall).

I would start with PB Blaster (or something similar) and, using the straw, spray somewhat liberally in and behind the catch. Make sure the window is up and you have cardboard or a towel under the door as you may get dripping on the floor/ground. Once you've doused the mechanism, insert a screwdriver into the open space of the catch and, while holding the door handle up to release the catch, use the screwdriver to move the catch to the open position. Then use the screwdriver and door handle combo to open and close the catch multiple times to work the PB Blaster in and through the mechanism. Respray if necessary. After a minute or so you should feel the catch begin to move smoother. Once that is done, use some silicone spray to lubricate the mechanism. Then test the door.

If everything seems to work fine, next check the alignment of the door. Like I said, seems like the door is sagging a bit, striking high. You can adjust the door or the striking mechanism depending on what you find.

If everything is back to reliable function, I would recommend you remove the mechanism from the door and thoroughly clean and grease it on a bench, then reinstall so you won't have to think about this again. Also consider lubricating the other door's mechanism as well.

Hope this helps.

 

[spyderdrifter]

If you can't get any of the above responses to work for you, let me know, I have replacement parts for the door latches if needed.

 

[Tyler Kardashian]

If you can't get any of the above responses to work for you, let me know, I have replacement parts for the door latches if needed.

Thank you so much

Welcome to the forum. Judging by the rust on the top of the jamb I would guess the door is sagging just a bit, but that isn't the main problem. The catch (black piece inside the jamb) isn't open so the pin is just bouncing off of it. It looks a bit mushroomed.

As @RamenPride said, spray some lubricant in there and work it. If that makes an improvement then you can go from there (take the interior door panel off, remove the latch mechanism, take it to a bench and restore it back to full working condition, then reinstall).

I would start with PB Blaster (or something similar) and, using the straw, spray somewhat liberally in and behind the catch. Make sure the window is up and you have cardboard or a towel under the door as you may get dripping on the floor/ground. Once you've doused the mechanism, insert a screwdriver into the open space of the catch and, while holding the door handle up to release the catch, use the screwdriver to move the catch to the open position. Then use the screwdriver and door handle combo to open and close the catch multiple times to work the PB Blaster in and through the mechanism. Respray if necessary. After a minute or so you should feel the catch begin to move smoother. Once that is done, use some silicone spray to lubricate the mechanism. Then test the door.

If everything seems to work fine, next check the alignment of the door. Like I said, seems like the door is sagging a bit, striking high. You can adjust the door or the striking mechanism depending on what you find.

If everything is back to reliable function, I would recommend you remove the mechanism from the door and thoroughly clean and grease it on a bench, then reinstall so you won't have to think about this again. Also consider lubricating the other door's mechanism as well.

Hope this helps.

Thank you so much!

If you can't get any of the above responses to work for you, let me know, I have replacement parts for the door latches if needed.

I will need the replacement part, the latch does close and open, it just won’t stay closed. Should have phrased it better. I don’t believe the lube is the solution since it does move. My cell is (813) 625-5373 if you could contact me I’ll buy it!!

 

[miliman13]

If you can't get any of the above responses to work for you, let me know, I have replacement parts for the door latches if needed.

Still carry them mines are work perfectly fine they just dont cacth ?

 

[spyderdrifter]

I will need to check, I junked a bunch of parts last year.

 

[CKOPOCT]

Thank you so much


Thank you so much!

I will need the replacement part, the latch does close and open, it just won’t stay closed. Should have phrased it better. I don’t believe the lube is the solution since it does move. My cell is (813) 625-5373 if you could contact me I’ll buy it!!

You could also reach out to @dacowgod to see if he has it.