door won´t open fully

[ranXeron]

The driver door of my 97´STS wont´t open fully. It only opens about half the angel - then the the outer door panel touches the sheet metal of the lateral front fender. This occured witout any obvious reasonand the door closes perfectly.

Thanks for your help and sorry for my poor language - I´m proud caddy owner from Vienna/Austria. Just bought my STS (30.000 miles, build in 97) for 8000$ . This was quite an occasion considering the ex-factory price from 1997 (about 100.000 $ here in Austria)....

[Mountie]

I haven't looked at my STS this morning, but check the hinges..... if there is a hinge pin, it might be slipping out? The door will swing, but be off position?

Open the door and lift it and see if it shifts.

On my GMC truck, I usually lightly hammer the hinge pin back in, twice a year, or so. Grease the hinge area, while you are there.

I don't know if I gave you the correct answer, but I think you have the idea?

Page 10-6-30 of the service manual says to check and or loosen door hinge bolts to adjust or align door ( up -down & in and out ). You may have some loose hinge mounting bolts. ( Maybe there are not any hinge pins? )

Your door post lock "catch" can be adjusted to compensate for any change in the door.... using a 'Torx' socket for the catch. Pre-mark the original catch ( I use masking tape at the edge of the catch) to remind me where the location you started was. The catch will move more than you need, so loosen ( if needed) only enough so you can tap it to move.

[ranXeron]

Problem solved - somehow the outer plastic panel which is attached to the door wasnt´t aligned properly .

I fixed it - now door opens to the full angle again ...

[ewill3rd]

Be sure your shop is not lifting the car by the "pinch weld flange" on the front.
This is the piece of metal that sticks straight down along the side of the car from tire to tire where the sheet metal was welded together.

It is strong enough in the back to support the car, but not in the front.
If they lift the car by the flange in the front using certain types of lifts, it will bend up the fender and cause interference between the fender and the door.
If you noticed this after you picked it up from a local shop, you might want to have a talk with the manager about how they lift your car.

[ranXeron]

Originally Posted by ewill3rd

If they lift the car by the flange in the front using certain types of lifts, it will bend up the fender and cause interference between the fender and the door.

But what type op lifts will not damage the structure?

[ewill3rd]

Some lifts use small metal feet that fold up, the one I use has a large metal backed rubber pad which has much more surface area... it is less likely the lifts with larger pads will damage the vehicle, but the small metal lift feet that flip up have a tendency to put too much weight on one spot causing the metal to deform.

Regardless, either type of lift can inflict this damage, the vehicle should be lifted using the braces that are welded to the underbody, not the pinch weld in the front.
The braces spread out the load better, they are stronger metal also.