The thingy that holds the door open at different widths (sliding spring
bar thingy) on my Camry has stopped working, so now the door just
flings all the way to maximum open.

Is there a broken spring or something there I could possibly replace, or
do I have to buy the whole assembly and replace it? I'm not familiar
with how the mechanism works and it's too cold out to take it apart and
figure it out myself before I ask someone for advice from the warmth of
their computer chair.

Any advice appreciated.

You didn't say what year.

On some a rubber insert in the hole where the detent arm slides in and out
does the squeezing job. Maybe yours ripped and fell out. I don't know how
they get replaced. Probably an easy job though.


"Pete Moss" <spraghnum@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:spraghnum-2200E1.16493203022007@news.iglou.com...
> The thingy that holds the door open at different widths (sliding spring
> bar thingy) on my Camry has stopped working, so now the door just
> flings all the way to maximum open.
>
> Is there a broken spring or something there I could possibly replace, or
> do I have to buy the whole assembly and replace it? I'm not familiar
> with how the mechanism works and it's too cold out to take it apart and
> figure it out myself before I ask someone for advice from the warmth of
> their computer chair.
>
> Any advice appreciated.

"Pete Moss" <spraghnum@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:spraghnum-2200E1.16493203022007@news.iglou.com...
> The thingy that holds the door open at different widths (sliding spring
> bar thingy) on my Camry has stopped working, so now the door just
> flings all the way to maximum open.
>
> Is there a broken spring or something there I could possibly replace, or
> do I have to buy the whole assembly and replace it? I'm not familiar
> with how the mechanism works and it's too cold out to take it apart and
> figure it out myself before I ask someone for advice from the warmth of
> their computer chair.
>
> Any advice appreciated.

The door check is made up of 2 wedge-shaped pieces of rubber that squeeze
the bar that slides in and out of the forward door frame, and the cold may
have made the rubber so hard that it no longer grips the bar or the rubber
may have broken off. If you want to fix it yourself, purchase a replacement
door check at your local dealer, remove the inner door panel, and reach
through the opening to unbolt the door check (IIRC, held in place with 2 10
mm bolts). Remove the roll pin from where the bar attaches and pivots on
the door jamb and push the sliding bar all the way through the opening at
the front of the door frame. Remove the bar and old door check, thread the
bar through the new door check, and reverse the process.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

In article <fM7xh.20332$w91.17037@newsread1.news.pas.earthlin k.net>,
"Art" <begunaNOSPAMPLEASE@mindspring.com> wrote:

> You didn't say what year.
>
> On some a rubber insert in the hole where the detent arm slides in and out
> does the squeezing job. Maybe yours ripped and fell out. I don't know how
> they get replaced. Probably an easy job though.
>
>
> "Pete Moss" <spraghnum@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:spraghnum-2200E1.16493203022007@news.iglou.com...
> > The thingy that holds the door open at different widths (sliding spring
> > bar thingy) on my Camry has stopped working, so now the door just
> > flings all the way to maximum open.
> >
> > Is there a broken spring or something there I could possibly replace, or
> > do I have to buy the whole assembly and replace it? I'm not familiar
> > with how the mechanism works and it's too cold out to take it apart and
> > figure it out myself before I ask someone for advice from the warmth of
> > their computer chair.
> >
> > Any advice appreciated.

It's a 2004

In article <7f9ab$45c548c1$47c2b532$9834@msgid.meganewsserver s.com>,
"Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote:

> "Pete Moss" <spraghnum@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:spraghnum-2200E1.16493203022007@news.iglou.com...
> > The thingy that holds the door open at different widths (sliding spring
> > bar thingy) on my Camry has stopped working, so now the door just
> > flings all the way to maximum open.
> >
> > Is there a broken spring or something there I could possibly replace, or
> > do I have to buy the whole assembly and replace it? I'm not familiar
> > with how the mechanism works and it's too cold out to take it apart and
> > figure it out myself before I ask someone for advice from the warmth of
> > their computer chair.
> >
> > Any advice appreciated.
>
> The door check is made up of 2 wedge-shaped pieces of rubber that squeeze
> the bar that slides in and out of the forward door frame, and the cold may
> have made the rubber so hard that it no longer grips the bar or the rubber
> may have broken off. If you want to fix it yourself, purchase a replacement
> door check at your local dealer, remove the inner door panel, and reach
> through the opening to unbolt the door check (IIRC, held in place with 2 10
> mm bolts). Remove the roll pin from where the bar attaches and pivots on
> the door jamb and push the sliding bar all the way through the opening at
> the front of the door frame. Remove the bar and old door check, thread the
> bar through the new door check, and reverse the process.

Super! Thanks very much for your reply. That's exactly what I'll do.

"Pete Moss" <spraghnum@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:spraghnum-16346E.08010404022007@news.iglou.com...
> In article <7f9ab$45c548c1$47c2b532$9834@msgid.meganewsserver s.com>,
> "Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote:
>
>> "Pete Moss" <spraghnum@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> news:spraghnum-2200E1.16493203022007@news.iglou.com...
>> > The thingy that holds the door open at different widths (sliding spring
>> > bar thingy) on my Camry has stopped working, so now the door just
>> > flings all the way to maximum open.
>> >
>> > Is there a broken spring or something there I could possibly replace,
>> > or
>> > do I have to buy the whole assembly and replace it? I'm not familiar
>> > with how the mechanism works and it's too cold out to take it apart and
>> > figure it out myself before I ask someone for advice from the warmth of
>> > their computer chair.
>> >
>> > Any advice appreciated.
>>
>> The door check is made up of 2 wedge-shaped pieces of rubber that squeeze
>> the bar that slides in and out of the forward door frame, and the cold
>> may
>> have made the rubber so hard that it no longer grips the bar or the
>> rubber
>> may have broken off. If you want to fix it yourself, purchase a
>> replacement
>> door check at your local dealer, remove the inner door panel, and reach
>> through the opening to unbolt the door check (IIRC, held in place with 2
>> 10
>> mm bolts). Remove the roll pin from where the bar attaches and pivots on
>> the door jamb and push the sliding bar all the way through the opening at
>> the front of the door frame. Remove the bar and old door check, thread
>> the
>> bar through the new door check, and reverse the process.
>
> Super! Thanks very much for your reply. That's exactly what I'll do.

You're welcome!

One more little trick: - after you install the new door check, give it a
liberal dose of lithium grease or even better, silicone grease (used for
plumbing fixtures), to delay the onset of the squeaking before you
re-install the inner door panel. When people hear the door squeaking and
groaning, they think it is the hinges making the noise when it is often the
rubber on the door checks. The bar acts like a violin bow, and as it rubs
against the rubber, the rubber vibrates and the door's cavity acts like the
inside of the violin, amplifying the sound.

Good luck!
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

I always thought that spring thingie was there to keep the door open, not
keep the door from opening. When you open the door, the detent thing holds
the door for you so the door does not close itself while you use your hand
and arm to do other things.





"Pete Moss" <spraghnum@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:spraghnum-2200E1.16493203022007@news.iglou.com...
> The thingy that holds the door open at different widths (sliding spring
> bar thingy) on my Camry has stopped working, so now the door just
> flings all the way to maximum open.
>
> Is there a broken spring or something there I could possibly replace, or
> do I have to buy the whole assembly and replace it? I'm not familiar
> with how the mechanism works and it's too cold out to take it apart and
> figure it out myself before I ask someone for advice from the warmth of
> their computer chair.
>
> Any advice appreciated.

"Jeff Strickland" <crwlr@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:HKqxh.370$384.94@trnddc05...
>I always thought that spring thingie was there to keep the door open, not
>keep the door from opening. When you open the door, the detent thing holds
>the door for you so the door does not close itself while you use your hand
>and arm to do other things.
>

On a Toyota, the door check holds the door open and keeps it from flinging
open.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)