Passenger door not closing properly!

[I'm-no-mechanic 3 3 Cars]

I really hope someone can help with some advice on an awkward passenger door on my 205 (it's the right hand door as this is a LHD 205 Generation, 3 door, from 1998).  It isn't easy to close, if I have a passenger then I usually have to lean over them to shut it as there's a knack to closing it!  But it's much worse in the winter, and I actually had it come open whilst driving in really cold weather, so I really need to sort something!

 

Hopefully you can see in the photos that it sticks out slightly at the bottom, seems slightly low at the top, and the gaps seem inconsistent at the front end where it's hinged.

 

First thoughts were that the door has dropped due to the size and weight of the doors on these, but there doesn't seem to be any play in it, so I'm a bit puzzled! Has anyone had and solved this sort of issue before? Thanks.

[I'm-no-mechanic 3 3 Cars]

A few more photos.

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

You have told us the problem but not the symptoms

 

What is the "knack" required? What happens if you just pull the door shut normally from inside?

[I'm-no-mechanic 3 3 Cars]

Thanks @Tom Fenton it's a firm pull that seems to cause it to close. Pull it firmly and hold it for just slightly longer than you would naturally think was necessary and it closes. I guess it's just slightly forcing it to reach a point that for some reason it doesn't want to find itself.

[DamirGTI 342]

Need to lightly loosen the door mounting bolts on the hinges , try just the top two bolts first leaving the bottom two alone (or just crack loosen very little the bottom ones) .. if the bottom ones aren't really tight , you'll be able to push out - "twist" the door vertically at an angle so that the top part of the door comes out and lower part goes in thus making the top and bottom "in-line" with the shell .

 

Afterwards if needed , re-align the center door closing striker pin  .. so that the door closes better/easily/tightly/smoothly .

 

As for the gap between the door and the wing , looks like someone replaced the wing before .. as the gap up top near the wing-to-A pillar is off too ... can also be rectified by loosening the wing bolts and moving/maneuvering it around so that the gaps closes tighter .

 

Top of the door (along the A pillar) seems to be drooped a bit too .. check the top hinge .... or it might've been bumped from/around the wing area some time in the past thus the gaps are inconsistent .

 

D

Edited June 14, 2022 by DamirGTI

[I'm-no-mechanic 3 3 Cars]

Thanks @DamirGTI that looks really helpful, I thought someone would probably have an expert eye for it. 

 

I shall have a look through all those steps you've outlined, although may not be immediate as I use the car as my daily ride and part of the reason I've never sorted it is not wanting to end up with it worse and then have no wheels!

 

I'm not aware of it having had any prangs etc. but I will have a look now given what you've noticed.

 

Much appreciated.

[DamirGTI 342]

Understood , mine is also daily transport thus as much as i want to "play with it" i often give up/don't have time to as i need it every day up and running .

As long as everything is spot on mechanically , i really don't care much about esthetics .

 

Yeah , you need to play a bit with the adjustment of the door ... there's 3 points on the door with which you can "maneuver with" in various directions so that the door closes better and gaps around look as supposed .. same/similar with the wing .

Could've been in minor crash , or disassembled/assembled by the bodyshop during the repainting , or someone might've replaced the door in the past thus the issue .. but it's reasonably easy to rectify . 

 

Have fun !

D