Push button door opener inop

[joetiii]

So the pre 70 cars have a push button style exterior door opener. The other day I went out for a drive to the store and when I got back to the car, I went to open the drivers door & the button did not actuate the mechanism. I was able to reach in and pull the inside handle and open the door. Getting home, I was able to open from outside. this appears to be an intermittent problem but it seems to be happening more often. Is there an adjustment or cleaning that I can do to rectify this problem.

[edmayo]

Take off the door panel, look at the how a pin from the door handle pushes against a flat metal piece (with a two finger shape) that metal flange needs to be bent towards the door handle slightly. Over time it gets bent a little towards the interior and the push button rod can't quite push it far enough. If you operate with your hand you'll see that it releases everytime. While you're there lubricate all the latch moving parts.

[joetiii]

Thanks Ed. Is there any one lubricant that is recommended?

Joe

[304065]

wuerth hhs-k

[jameshtaylor]

Does the same fix work in the later cars? My 74 has the same problem. Thanks.

[edmayo]

Yes, all the mechanism is the same.

[jameshtaylor]

Bent the latch but apparently not enough. Decided to add a thin piece of aluminum to the metal just where the pin hits, in effect doing the same thing as bending the metal. So I cut a 1" square piece of aluminum about .075" thick and jbwelded it into position under the pin. Results were spectacular, door shut solidly and jumped open with a light tug on the latch.
Three months later I was chasing a strange scraping sound at the driver's rear. I heard it on left turns at slow speed; it sounded like something dragging on the rotor or similar. Tightened and checked everything underneath, pulled the sway bar completely without relief.
After two hours of poking, tugging and jerking, we found the problem. The door was so tight it was rubbing in the jamb with body flex in turns...and the sound was transmitted two feet to the rear! A little adjustment of the jamb and all is fine!