I tried again to get the door open. I took the Land Rover emblem off and sprayed some more PB Blaster on the latch, especially on the passenger/right side. Nothing. So, I took the interior panel off (the speakers are totally destroyed so, I'll be replacing those soon) and puzzled out the mechanism. I had printed out the pictures from the RAVE but, honestly, they aren't that helpful. With the panel off, I could see that the outside handle is traveling its full range of motion, same for the interior door handle. So, that's not the problem. The lock is also going all the way up, so that doesn't seem like that is it either. However, no combination of manipulating the mechanism and pushing on the door got it to open. In total frustration, I put an old T shirt around a wrecking bar and tried to pry the door open along several places as I opened and closed the handle and messed with the lock. Nothing. It hardly moved at all. My meat hooks are too big to really get inside the latching mechanism but I can get a finger in there and feel what I am guessing is the actual latch moving when I move the handle. I can feel it moving its full range of motion but, again, the door doesn't move.

I am completely stumped. Nothing I do gets the door to move one bit.

So, thanks for all of the help so far but I think I'm to the point where I might be doing surgery on the door... unless anyone can think of anything else I can try.

 

I hate posting something and then never updating with the results so, here you go... The door was covered under the dealer's warranty and they got it open. I wish I had known what they were going to do prior to them doing it but, they got it open so I won't complain too much. Basically, they ended up wrapping a ratchet strap around the spare and mounting it to an I-beam a few feet off of the passenger side of the rear bumper. One guy jiggled the handle as the other ratcheted. Eventually the door opened and they replaced the hinges as the door was definitely sagging. Best guess is that the PO couldn't close the door due to the sagging hinges and elected to keep the door permanently closed rather than replace the hinges. So, that's fixed.

Side note though. The non-functioning radio is also covered under warranty. They thought that the amp was shot and replaced. That didn't fix the radio... not surprising since, turning the radio on sometimes leads to some text on the radio but no sound while, other times, the backlight comes on but that's it. But, hey, if they want to throw a new amp in there and not charge me, I'm hardly going to point out that their business model sucks. The service manager wanted to replace it with an aftermarket unit and I agreed to that, as long as the steering wheel buttons functioned. The service manager tried to tell me that that wasn't possible! Yeah, nice try... Anyway, they then offered to rebuild the unit and I agreed to that too, until they found out how much a rebuild would cost. So, they've sourced an aftermarket HU and will be installing that. And that, gentlemen, will be the last time they touch my LR. These are the same guys that noticed the upper radiator hose was leaking and zip-tied a bolt with a rubber washer around it into the hole where the purge valve used to be. What a bunch of clowns.

 

Thanks for the update. I figured it had to be the hinges sagging. (I think responded to one of your posts on another forum.) You'd pretty much eliminated everything else possible shy of an angry gremlin with a welder. Hope they didn't cause more damage by pulling on the spare.

 

Yeah, I had a baby when the knucklehead told me how they opened the door. I took off the spare while I was still in the dealer's parking lot. If it hadn't come off easy, I would have done a lot more than pitch a fit.

I pray that this is the last time someone else touches my Land Rover. Having done all the maintenance on my Saab, I am highly distrustful of $tealerships and trust but verify when it comes to indies. For instance, when I opened the barn door for the first time, there were little bits of broken red panel connectors all over the carpet. They break, I got that. But clean them up... it's that kind of sloppiness that lets me know they won't take care in other places that matter.

 

longjon76 - glad to hear that you got the back door open. I know that is a big burden off of you!
Question; is your Dealer a Land Rover only Dealer or one of those BMW/Porsche/MB/LR...etcetera Dealers? The LR Dealer in St. Louis is part of many other Marques and I think their shop deal with multiple brands, so their knowledge is spread kind of thin. It sounds more like one of those "shade tree" shops not an offical LR Dealer. From what you describe, about how they deal, is exactly why I DO NOT take my Forrest to ANY shops, especially a Dealer.
Hope you enjoy your Disco,
C'ya,

 

Forrest, definitely an etc. dealer. And, the only reason they are doing this work is because it was part of the list of things I found wrong when I inspected the vehicle. Once they handle the radio, that will be the last time they touch my truck. It really is amateur hour back in their shop and, while I appreciate them getting my door open, I wouldn't trust them to do even something as rudimentary as changing the brakes. I have a feeling I'd end up with slices of French Toast for brake pads.

From now on, it will just be me. And mg girlfriend's hands when it's time to put in the Magnecors next weekend.

 

This just happened on my 97 Disco I. There was no prior sticking or hard closing prior to the door jamming in the closed position. In my case when I tried the outer handle it also jammed in the up/release position. inner handle moved freely with no noticeable mechanical friction. Door locks cycled with no effect. Did all the pulling on outside and pushing on inside: no workie.

Lock the parking brake down. On the OUTSIDE: put your body (and maybe a big buddy) against the left side of the door Push in to compress the door seal and remove tension on the latch and try the handle while doing this. This opened mine. You may need to have someone stand/ jump on the spare tire or lift up on the spare to free the latch. When you get it open clean the latch components and look for wear on the locking lug. Adjust lug or door as needed. I lub with graphite powder to prevent accumulation of dirt and sand.

Hope this helps anyone with a similar problem.