# Can't open door **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** mercury, mountaineer\ **Created:** [March 2, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-open-door/71250 "2012-03-02T22:58:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Maddi-san](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Maddi-san](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Maddi-san)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-open-door/71250/1 "2012-03-02T22:58:51Z")
Desperately need help!!! I’m in the process of replacing the “dog-eaten” (true) padded vinyl on both rear doors of my 2000 Merc Mountaineer, the same as an Explorer. This’s done by removing the inner panel, removing the old vinyl, replacing it with new vinyl, and then reversing the steps. I started with the left and was proceeding well, or so I thought. I opened and closed the door many times (to save the battery…I needed the light so kept it on) without any problems. Then I worked on the right. Thanks to my experience with the left, this went very quickly and without any problems, and I removed the inner panel and the vinyl. Needless to say I was quite proud of myself. Because I was now going inside to cut a new piece of vinyl, I closed the door in the same way (I assume) I did on the left, and, to my horror when I returned I could not open it from either the inside or out. It’s not stuck…I don’t get the “click” you get when the door opens…it acts like it’s locked Lock/unlocking does not help. All I can think of is that maybe something loosened or got caught. I really don’t want to remove more of the door (Can you even do this with the door closed??) And, I really don’t want to involve a “pro” since I don’t have the funds. What do I do??? Please help…PS the battery died anyway Thanks ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 11:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-open-door/71250/2 "2012-03-02T23:05:07Z")
If the battery is drained you have no juice to rurn the lock solenoid. You’ll need to get the battery charge back up to unlock the door. ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 11:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-open-door/71250/3 "2012-03-02T23:08:59Z")
I agree. If the door does not unlock with the battery charged you will have to try other options. It’s hard to remove the door panel with the door locked without damaging the panel in most cases. ---
**Author:** ![Maddi-san](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Maddi-san](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Maddi-san)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 11:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-open-door/71250/4 "2012-03-02T23:25:08Z")
Thanks…I didn’t think about the lock needing power, but the lights and windows still work AAA’s coming for the battery and someone suggested for another post to see if they could jimmy the lock. I’m going to have them try that My hand and arm are very small, do you think I could reach something?? With a tool of some sort?? If so, what where and how?? Thanx ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 11:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-open-door/71250/5 "2012-03-02T23:58:15Z")
If there’s enough juice to drive the windows, there shoud be enough to operate the solenoid. What he’s alluding to by suggesting “jimmying” the lock requires a tool called a Slim Jim like in the attached link > **[Slim jim (lock pick)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slim_Jim_(lock_pick))** > > A slim jim (more technically known as a lockout tool) is a thin strip of metal (usually spring steel) roughly 60 centimetres (24 in) long and about 2–4 centimetres (0.79–1.57 in) wide originally marketed under that name by HPC Inc., a manufacturer and supplier of specialty locksmithing tools. Slim Jims are used to unlock automobile doors without use of a key or lock pick. It acts directly on the levers and interconnecting rods that operate the door, completely avoiding the complexity of dealing w... AAA might do this for you. They used to, but with today’s security systems I don’t know if they still will. Cops used to do this too as a srevice, but they won;t anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Maddi-san](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Maddi-san](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Maddi-san)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 12:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-open-door/71250/6 "2012-03-03T00:00:03Z")
FYI: AAA was just here. Battery charged, but they don’t carry slim-jims, and their special battery-diagnosing people don’t even carry the special tool that thy use…something that just pushes the unlock button ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-open-door/71250/7 "2012-03-03T00:01:15Z")
A locksmith should be able to handle this.