All of a sudden I opened the drivers door yesterday and it groaned. I thought it was the stay bar but it sounded different. After a trip to the shops I looked closer and realised it was the front edge rubbing against the front quarter body panel in two places! It has never done this before. Its rubbing the paint off, blast it.
Comparing it with the passenger door, I see the passenger door has enough gap to almost fit the ignition key plastic in, whereas the driver door front gap is so thin I can't quite fit a quarter in there.
The back of the driver door seems the correct gap, compared with the passenger door, and the door lines up with the striker, plus the top and bottom edges seem aligned perfectly. The gap at the back is parallel all the way down. The gap at the front seem parallel too- just too thin.
The front quarter body panel seems perfectly flush with the door front edge, so neither is pushed in or out. The bolts on the top edge of the front quarter panel (under the hood) don't have any tell-tale rings that might indicate it has moved and the door hinges don't have any marks that might indicate the hinges have moved.
SO what the heck has moved?? Does anyone know this one?
I don't see exactly this issue anywhere on the internet. I saw only a mention of possible door blow-back, in strong wind, and it described blocking wood inside the hinges and pushing hard a few times to bend the body back again. I don't remember my door swinging in the wind in the last few days so it doesn't seem likely although I will try this method if that really is what happened.
If nobody has experienced exactly this issue then I will try loosening the front quarter panel bolts and try to move the panel forward slightly. Strange though, I can't see how it could have moved back that much short of a collision, and then there would be some damage to the front area.
Comparing it with the passenger door, I see the passenger door has enough gap to almost fit the ignition key plastic in, whereas the driver door front gap is so thin I can't quite fit a quarter in there.
The back of the driver door seems the correct gap, compared with the passenger door, and the door lines up with the striker, plus the top and bottom edges seem aligned perfectly. The gap at the back is parallel all the way down. The gap at the front seem parallel too- just too thin.
The front quarter body panel seems perfectly flush with the door front edge, so neither is pushed in or out. The bolts on the top edge of the front quarter panel (under the hood) don't have any tell-tale rings that might indicate it has moved and the door hinges don't have any marks that might indicate the hinges have moved.
SO what the heck has moved?? Does anyone know this one?
I don't see exactly this issue anywhere on the internet. I saw only a mention of possible door blow-back, in strong wind, and it described blocking wood inside the hinges and pushing hard a few times to bend the body back again. I don't remember my door swinging in the wind in the last few days so it doesn't seem likely although I will try this method if that really is what happened.
If nobody has experienced exactly this issue then I will try loosening the front quarter panel bolts and try to move the panel forward slightly. Strange though, I can't see how it could have moved back that much short of a collision, and then there would be some damage to the front area.