I have a 1996 Jeep Cherokee all original. Ive kept it that way. My driver door is locked and wont unlock. I have manual locks. This happened before and i heard that trimming the white plastic off the lock would stop this. It took 2 days last time to get the door open after getting the door panel off and a ton of PB blaster. I know have pulled the inside handle so much its broke off. Another issue is I have a bad knee injury so crawling around like last time to get the door panel off isnt the most fun idea in my mind. Last time I had the panel off everything seemed to be connected. It just felt like the door want unlocking just a tiny bit enough so the outside or inside buttons would work. After last time i sprayed everything and put it back together. That worked for a month. I have done everythiing to jeep this jeep looking like it did in 1996 but im about to blow the doors off ...lol Any help would be appreciated. Crawling to the drivers side with a band knee isnt fun. Thank You

 

After you get it open go to the junk yard and get another door, then use the old one as a shooting backstop to teach it to be more respectful of its owner...LOL, that's what I would do. Be sure to shoot off of the hood of the jeep so it will know what fate awaits other rebellious parts...

 

Maybe you can get someone with a slim jim to unlock it. A lot of police departments will do this for free.

 

I'm sort of busy right now for the whole nightmare. (ends with plunge-cutting through the door with a Saws-All to cut off the pin). (can show you where).

4 door? If you open the left rear passenger door, you can see the back of the drivers door. Does yours have a diagonal cutout slot on the rear of the (closed) driver's door? Mine does. Edited, see below.

Mine waz the innards of the lock were shot. Nothing would let it go, (a crucial part of the mechanism, inside, is plastic!) She was clamped on that pin and that was it, mine would not let go.

I'm over 6' and flirting with 300lbs. Fun stuff during a heatwave, climbing over.

 

OK here it is. I went out and did it. You push DOWN on the lever about 1-1/4" in from the face. With the door check in the way I couldn't "pry" just grip good and pushed down. "click!" did it! A standard Phillips screwdriver can do it, but a longer 1/4 inch or so rod would be easier. Easier yet with a bend, inch and a half out or so. See photos.

 

Now that was pretty cool.........

 

I've had both a bum knee, (OK, serious and not so on both), and dealt with the fun of that bastard not opening. That can really put you to the mat. Dark and chilly now but I'm going out to pull my plugs to chase a miss.

 

Thank You. Its a 2 door. After a 2 weeks of trying it came open. I have not locked the door since and no more problems with it. Last time it did this i cut all the plastic our of the lock mech. I saw somewhere on line that that is usually the problem...WRONG...lol I think I will have to just replace the lock mech after my knee surgury.