Were you using your Range Rover, and the door wouldn’t close? Now you want to know what you can do to fix the problem. You’ve come to the right place, for we have researched this question, and we have the answer for you.
The most common reason why the door of the Range Rover wouldn’t close is when you accidentally trigger the lock as you exit your car. In some cases, you can simply pull the door handle from inside, and the door latch will release to close the door once more.
However, the doors on some newer models are no longer this simple to fix, and you need to follow the simple steps below to fix the problem:
- Place something between the door and your Range Rover to prevent it from closing while you work on the door.
- Pull on the door handle from the outside or inside and hold the door handle open until you complete Step 4. You can have someone hold the door handle in the open position so you can focus on the next step.
- If you look at the door latch, the lock is at the close position, and this is what’s preventing the door of your Range Rover from closing. Use a slim screwdriver and carefully insert it into the lock.
- Push the lock by moving the screwdriver towards the inside of your car. This should force the lock to release. It might be hard to push to open on some models, so be careful not to injure yourself.
- Release the door handle.
- Spray a little penetrating lubricant into the door lock.
Learn about the other ways that the door of your Range Rover might get stuck and what to do to fix the issue. Read on!
Range Rover Door Not Closing—What To Do?
If you’re doing this the first time, go to one of your functioning doors and see what an open latch looks like and compare it with a closed latch. This will make you familiar with what the latch should look like after you push it open with a screwdriver.
Have someone hold the door handle in the open position while you work to free a stuck latch. Using a screwdriver, push the latch to manually release it.
If the screwdriver is too big to go into the lock, get a smaller screwdriver. Do not force a too big screwdriver into the lock because it might damage it and make the situation worse. Forcing a large screwdriver can dent the lock. Dents can cause this situation to happen once more because they'd prevent the smooth movement of the lock during the lock/unlock process.
How to fix a stuck latch?
Rust on the latch on the door of your Range Rover can make it difficult for it to lock. You will notice that it is not always responsive when you are trying to close the door. Fortunately, this problem is simple to fix.
Spray some penetrating lubricant into the latch mechanism and let it soak for a few minutes. Use a clean cloth to wipe off any excess.
The Free All Rust Eater deep penetrating oil is available on Amazon. Check it out through this link.
You can use steel wool to remove any visible rust on the latch components. Apply oil to the components that you scrubbed with steel wool. Once you’re done, test the lock on your Range Rover’s door to verify that it can lock without difficulty.
If you still notice difficulty in locking the door of your Range Rover, soak it with penetrating oil some more.
How to fix a door handle that doesn’t open the door?
The door of your Range Rover normally connects to a steel cable or rod that pulls the latch of your door to open it. An actuator disconnects the outside handle of the door when the door is locked.
However, just like all components of your Range Rover, the different components of the door lock can wear too.
If you notice that the lock on your car door is becoming less responsive to the door handle, then it is time to have a mechanic take a look at it. There are many different components of your car door that need to work right so that it will close and open correctly. A mechanic will know what to check and what to do with faulty components.
A front driver side door latch lock actuator compatible with Land Rover, Range Rover Evoque, and Range Rover Sport is available on Amazon. Check it out through this link.
What to do with a car door that won’t close after an accident?
Even a minor accident can cause the doors to malfunction and refuse to lock. This can happen even if the accident happened on the opposite side of a problematic car door. A malfunctioning door is a common result of a recent accident.
Here are the important parts of your car door that you need to check to find what’s preventing your car from closing.
Checking The Latch And Anchor
We previously talked about the latch and how it can get triggered and prevent your car door from closing. The anchor is what the door lock holds on to when your car door is closed. It is a cylindrical rod in the shape of a “C” attached to your car's frame.
An accident can trigger your door lock to stay in a closed position. To resolve this, you can follow the steps that we provided earlier to fix a lock that was accidentally triggered to close.
If the latch is not in the lock position, the next possible problem is alignment.
Try to close the problematic door slowly and check the alignment of the latch and the anchor. The anchor should enter the middle of the latch to trigger the lock to grip the anchor.
If the anchor and the latch are no longer in perfect alignment, then it would prevent the anchor from triggering the latch to lock. Loosen the bolts that keep the anchor in place. Loosening the bolts will allow you to move the anchor to different positions.
Find a position that will align the anchor with the latch. Tighten the bolts in the right position once you’re done.
Replacing Hinges
Hinges are important to doors. Even the doors inside your house have hinges that allow them to work properly—unless they’re sliding doors. An accident can bend or displace the hinges on your Range Rover. A bent or displaced hinge can limit the movement of your car door, and this can prevent it from closing.
Check the hinges of your Range Rover. Damage to the hinges means that they need to be replaced.
If you notice that the car door is no longer in alignment with the door frame when you try to close it, try to realign it before you replace the hinges.
- Ask a friend to hold the door in place.
- Loosen the bolts that hold the hinge in place without completely removing it.
- Try to move the car door to a position that aligns with the door frame. It is important to keep track of the alignment of the anchor and the latch on your door too.
- Once you get the car door and the door frame in the right alignment, tighten the bolts once more to hold the car door in the right position.
If adjusting the hinges doesn’t realign the door, you will have to bring it to a mechanic to do the realignment. The mechanic might replace the hinges or move the hinges a little to get the right alignment.
Checking The Door Electronics
If you have a newer Range Rover, the door latches have electronic components to receive signals from the car key fob. The electronic components can release or engage the locks on your car door based on the signals from the key fob.
If the accident damaged the electronic component of your car door, then it can prevent your door from closing. Check the fuse box inside your car. An accident can cause a short that triggers a fuse. Replace the fuse for the electronics of your car door.
If this doesn’t fix the issue, have a mechanic check the electronics of your Range Rover’s door.
Checking The Door Handle Mechanism
Your car door handle connects to several rods and cables that help it open your car door. Pulling the car door handle exerts a force on these connections to release the lock and open the door.
If the accident caused any of these components to loosen or break, then your door can become unresponsive to the door handle. This can prevent your door from properly closing.
Unfortunately, troubleshooting this problem can be hard. The different models of the Range Rover use different door technologies across its different models.
Bring your Range Rover to a service center or a mechanic. They can troubleshoot the different components of the door and make sure that they all work.
Conclusion
The most common reason why the door of your Range Rover doesn’t close is if something accidentally triggers the latch.
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