The amazing self-opening door!!!!

My wife and I have stumbled across a rather bizarre oddity with our 110 - after about 20-30 miles of A road/motorway, the nearside front door will just pop open of it's own accord. It's always closed properly, but we don't run with the doors locked - although if this continues we may consider doing just that!

Is my landy considering taking off every time we run at motorway speeds or am i missing a foible of the defender here?

What kind of locks and catches are on the doors?

Sounds like you're setting the scene for pushing her out next time! But your honour the door just opened on its own honest!

all standard lr - catch rotates upwards 90 deg on impact with the fixed bar. I've lubricated the hell out of it and it still rotates perfectly yet still causes the door to pop open. can't wrap me head around it....:violent:

kato Disco said:

Sounds like you're setting the scene for pushing her out next time! But your honour the door just opened on its own honest!

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yeah, she's reading over my shoulder unfortunately so that plan's out of the window

nuts....

It rotates upwards?

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Next stage is door wont stay closed when locked either...had a good few weeks of door held shut with a scarf tucked under my arse. Now ive graduated to having a gap of an inch in the doorframe.

Come MOT time it'll be a new door lock

the_wolf said:

It rotates upwards?

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looking at the catch mechanism in the door with the door open, it rotates 90deg counter-clockwise when it impacts with the the striker. I cannot, with any amount of IKEA-type repetitive testing, replicate the problem when at a standstill. Hence the problem - it ain't broke, so I can't fix it.

And would it fail the MOT if I didn't mention it?

With door shut,can you push it open?

nope. solid as a brick wall.

sounds like the latch is on the way out, and the pressure generated from motorway speeds pops it open, that and the vibration and movement.

I would say the vibrations on a drive are opening the catch, there will be various saftey catches/springs that should stop it happening but are proberbly worn in the important places and vibrating free. Buy a new catch, it isnt expensive and would be the best optiuon really considering. As for MOT, as long as it opens and shuts at presentation time it will be fine

I had this same prob, I just put some strips of gaffer tape around the striker- making it bigger! No more ejector seat door openings!
It does wear off but it takes seconds to replace and last a good few months.

Mine started doing this and I cured it by removing the hard piece of rubber that is inside the door seal level with the latch. If you feel the surround it is soft rubber but by the latch it's hard as there is a hard rubber insert stuffed in to it. Slice the seal and pull this insert out and you may have a cure

Has the striker got the plastic bit on it?and does not help if hinges are worn.

My 1992 90 is exactly the same. Impossible to fix as it works perfectly when tested. I have fitted a small bathroom door lock to the frame and drilled a hole in the door edge for it.
It won't fail the MOT as its my little secret ha ha

Close the door slowly and see if the catch does both clicks if its really hard to push onto the second catch adjust the striker out a couple of mill and try again. It doesn't want to be loose on the second catch but not really tight either

Mine has stacks of spacers under the locks, and still pops open now and again. It helps if you shut the door with a firm push, rather than trying to slam it.

Build quality. Don't you just love it.

i pryed me door linning open and there is a thin bar from inner handle to latch

make sure straight or i bent it abit

its not done it for years now

thanks for all the suggestions! I've gone with adding a little bit of gaffer to the striker and so far, so good.

but then, i've not hit a motorway yet.....