I've had problems unlocking the passenger from the inside or key and it finally broke, I cannot remove the door panel because the dash is in the way. Is there any tricks to open the door by any other means?
thanks Ed

 

Kick the hell out of it. Had my driver side do the same thing a few days ago. Kicking it seemed to work. Just make sure something is holding the indoor latch open. Like a bungie cord or something.

 

Can you remove the inner door handle from the door panel and get to the rod behind it? See if working the rod opens the door. If not, the latch may have seized up. The lube dries out over time and it starts to stick. Latches can stick bad enough that you snap the key off trying to free it up. IF you get the door open, put some white lithium grease into the latch mechanism. I dont like that graphite stuff or use WD40. It doesnt last. Grease all the latches while youre at it. Another option is to roll the window down and try to jimmy the lock. Ive never tried that on a Jeep so i dont know how easy or hard they are.

 

I was able to open mine by sitting in the seat and repeatedly locking and unlocking it until it catches enough to open with the handle...

If it will not unlock because it is stiff or resistant to any movement then i would try to get a slimjim and see if you can ease it that way...

 

That's the stupidest advice I have ever heard!!!!!

 

It's not the stupidest I've ever heard.... but it's close.


Ed, are we to assume you mean the passenger side FRONT door? Most XJs have 4 doors, so just saying "passenger side" isn't specific.

You should be able to get the rear of the door panel off, including the handle screw, and that will allow you to access the lock mechanism. Spray it liberally with some penetrating oil. No, not WD-40, I said penetrating oil. PB Blaster and Deep Creep (by Seafoam) are both good.

Let it sit for a while, then repeat. After a few soakings, try moving the rod to actuate the mechanism. You should be able to get it moving. Once you have it open, it's not a bad idea to take the whole mechanism out completely and do more cleaning, When it's good and clean, use a good lubricant and reassemble it.

Might be a good time to clean and lube the other doors in the same manner. Inspect everything for broken bits, too.

 

I've had good luck using Hoppe's Gun Oil to lubricate them. It's long lasting and doesn't get sticky in the cold or dry out. WD-40 evaporates quickly and most other penetrating oils do as well, but take longer.

 

Thanks everyone for the advice, I took the dash out and got the panel off, then I was able to unlock and open the door. I needed to take the dash out but was a hassle climbing over the console. Now on to replacing the floor pan. Working on Jeeps gets addicting. Ed