Drivers door won't open

I recently bought a 1979 and have it in the garage. Everything was in working order but I locked the car up to keep kids from opening up. When I went to open car, passenger door is fine but drivers won't open from inside or out. There is an aftermarket alarm so I thought maybe it was this but I don't believe it is. The lock button comes up but still it won't open. Any ideas? This was the first time I've ever locked it and tried to open. The door has always opened and closed excellent....but I never locked it.Any ideas on how to get it open? After careful inspection I'm questioning whether the past owner had an issue too-the door panel looks tampered with. Would the alarm system deactivate door opener on just one side? Has anyone experienced this? I'm not certain I can even get door panel off without opening door.
Thanks in advance

I've had a similar experience with mine - I was locked in and had to get out of the passenger side. Neither the internal knob on the door nor the central switch did anything. Fortunately the key worked on the drivers side (unlike yours).

I have yet to get to the doors - but I likely will in a couple of weeks - so I can't report on the cause in my case. However, there are a lot of threads on related issues I have seen.

Typically you read about the switch for the internal lights, which is also used by logic circuits that depend on knowing if a door is open or not (like the alarm circuit), either being grounded and sending a signal all of the time, or broken and sending no signal. There is quite a complex algorithm controlling whether the locks work at all or automatically unlock that can go haywire if all sensors and circuits are not perfect. Blown or corroded fuses, relays and ground points come up in threads.

Then the alignment and tightness of the mechanical lock mechanism and motor may be a problem - James mentioned his experience with that. I've also seen people looking for new lock motors.

BTW, the interior door card/panel tends to warp over time (at least in leather cars) and so can tend to look tampered with even if it hasn't been. O f course yours may well have anyway.

Good luck!

I've checked and replaced fuses and have removed as much of door panel as possible as well as passenger door panel to see how mechanism works. I can't fully remove drivers side until door is open. My guess is it's electronic and it won't allow pin to rotate down to unlock, yet door looks to be unlocked. Mechanism seems intact but I'm looking at it from a mirror until I can get panel removed. I really figured I could manually open it if I got to the mechanism but it doesn't seem so. I've also noticed that I can no longer lock passenger side....can I disable something to get doors to work until I track down the route of this issue??

Here are some threads that may help

forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/964-forum...?highlight=door+lock

forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/928-forum...?highlight=door+lock

and another good one with a diagram.

forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/928-forum...?highlight=door+lock

Note the two fuses hanging on top of the CE panel

hope this helps

I once took a very good looking hr colleague to lunch in the 928. Leaving the restuarant I politey opened the passenger and she hopped in only for me to realise that when I tried to open the drivers door the handle was broke. I then embarrassed as all hell asked her to stretch over and open from the inside.

It was not all a bad thing.........she was wearing a short skirt suit:D

malcolm;3970 wrote: I once took a very good looking hr colleague to lunch in the 928. Leaving the restuarant I politey opened the passenger and she hopped in only for me to realise that when I tried to open the drivers door the handle was broke. I then embarrassed as all hell asked her to stretch over and open from the inside.

It was not all a bad thing.........she was wearing a short skirt suit:D

Very smooth Malcolm, very smooth. I can just imagine the view.