i have a 1998 disco with about 135,000 on it. whenever it is really cold the driver door wont open. i dont know if it is the latch, or what. but it doesnt do it when it is warm. i have had it since march and it worked fine over the summer. and its only the driver side. it works from inside, just not outside. it gets a little annoying having to have your passenger open your door from the inside for you, or having to squeeze in through the back door to reach the handle from the inside. any ideas? hopefully something i can do myself. i have been meaning to take off the door panel to see if anything looks funny, but havent gotten around to it. any help would be appreciated.

 

So it wont unlatch or wont open like it is frozen?

 

yea. the handle moves but it just wont open. doesnt feel like it is catching on anything.

 

Ok, your latch mechenizm is bad, you need to remove the inside door panel and you will see what is broken/unhooked.
There is a series of rods that unlatch the door when you pull the handle.
Those rods can break or come unhooked from one another.
It is weird that it only happens when cold, but I bet that if you wait it will happen all the time.

 

could just be frozen... literally. mine got iced awhile ago and wouldn't open but after it warmed up it functioned properly

 

that is exactly what mine does. if i go start it to let it warm up, it wont open. but once i let it warm up it works fine.

 

Yes it could be frozen, did you wash it lately?
Take a warm can of Liquid Wrench and spray inside the door lock, open the door and spray the latch, pull the door latch open and spray in there too.
Do this when it is above freezing to displace the water so it cannot freeze in the latch mechinizm again.

 

i just barely washed it yesterday because i went through a puddle and got mud on it, and my girlfriend kept complaining that her door handle was covered in mud. girls... but before that i hadnt washed it since probably augustish.

 

I NEVER wash my cars in the winter time, they will freeze everytime.
It could be rain water trapped inside the door.
The Liquid Wrench will displace the water, but it has to be liquid, it cannot be ice.
And then the coating of oil will help to keep it from freezing again.

 

ok, cool. thanks for your help!