Door won't open.

[poppy]

Hello. I have a 1989 oldsmobile touring sedan. My problem is that the rear driver side door does not open. The car was already like this when I got it. Funny thing is my parents used to have a 1988 touring sedan that had the exact same problem. Is this a common problem. And how do I go about fixing it. Or would I have to have it taken in to a mechanic, if so is it expensive to fix.

Thank you

[jrb]

I have a 1988 touring sedan with the same problem. I have lived
with it for some time now. I recently took it to a body shop to
have it repaired. They opened up the door panel and lubricated
the door latch. It worked just fine for about a week and now
won't open again. They are telling me now that I have to replace
the door latch. Of course, I haven't been able to locate one. I just
found out that the same latch was used in all 87 and 88 Olds,
Pontiacs, Buicks and Cadillacs. My next stop is a wrecking yard.
On the bright side, I have never owned a car that I have enjoyed
as much as this or kept one as long. It has been dependable and
trouble free for over 212,000 miles. I finally put an alternater on
it, but everything else is all original and still works.

[goodwrench1984]

Do you have a custom cruiser? But when a door won't open such as the back door, the door panel will have to be removed to gain access to the inner workings of the door. I have been down that road before and its not that big a deal for a technician. Pulling the panel off with the door closed can be difficult but not impossible.

As far as a dealer or shop to look at it, I would say not more then 2 hours labor plus parts. I would try to go inside of the car and pull out the handle and try putting some pressure on the door, maybe it’s just stuck from not being used for a long time.

Chris