I own a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu and am having issues with the driver’s door not being able to close. I live in Michigan currently, and the weather here is very cold. When I first start my car in the morning, the door will not latch to the car. It just bounces back after you pull it closed. However, when I get to my destination, whether it is 15 min away or 45 min away, my car door will close. I’ve tried WD40 on the latch thingy to help with lubrication, but it is to no avail. What are your guys’ suggestions!?
Try lubing the lock mechanism with white lithium lube grease, which you can get at any auto parts store.
WD-40 is great for displacing water (“WD” actually stands for “water displacement”), but is not a good lubricant. White lithium grease is an excellent lubricant.
And the 40 is because it was the 40th formulation they tried. VDC is correct get white lithium to lubricate the door mechanism. WD40 isn’t an especially effective lubricant. Even that silicone spray would be better if you don’t want to use white lithium.
Mike
You might want to have the door alignment checked if lubricant doesn’t work.
I second Pete…
Get some spray lube (not WD-40) and spray the inside of the latch. I’m not sure by your post if you lubed just the exposed part of the latch or the entire mechanism. You really need to get the whole thing. I usually try to get it by rolling down the window and spraying it from above through the window slot. This has worked for me a number of times.
This is often a problem in the Buffalo area but usually only with American cars (don’t know why).I solved on my cars that did this by punching a small hole with an ice pick on the rear edge of the door above the latch and inside the weatherstripping and using a spray lube with a nozzle straw. If the hole offends you you can cover it with tape or use a plastic plug like they use when rustproofing your car.