Back door on my mitshibshi will not open 2002

Here was my solution for a "frozen" back door of a 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Limited



Nothing can be done from the interior of the Montero. The license plate holder will need to be removed carefully using a screwdriver.

There a re 4 tabs that need to pop out. All you need to do is pop them out. Do not force the plate holder to separate away too much from the door or the retainer (marked by red arrow) would break off. When you get the 4 tabs to pop out, slide the entire plate holder up to remove from the retainer. You do not need to detach the lamp wiring. Just move the plate holder to the right


I used WD40 but I'm sure there are other better and longer lasting spray lubricant out there. Spray through the hole generously from all angles. Let it sit for a while and then spray again some more.

The white tab from the handle that goes in the hole normally is being pushed up by a spring activated rod that sits horizontally against it. That spring gets rusted over time.
You will need a stiff wire, about 8"-10" in length.  A wire hanger worked well for me. Bend approx. 1/2" of one end, just as pictured below.


Put the hook though the hole and move the rod mentioned earlier up and down to loosen up it's spring. This rod is not easily visible. You basically just need to assume where it is after understanding the mechanics of the handle movement. It may take some time but be patient. You will see that you are getting somewhere when the handle starts moving back down to its normal position. Keep working on it 'till it's totally back where it should be. And when it is, lubricate it some more.


Heads up. There were many times that I thought I wasn't gonna be able to fix it and wanted to just put everything back and live with an inoperable back door. But I decided to stay with it and it paid up.
An extra step I did after I put the plate holder back was I put a light silicone sealant across the top to prevent rain/water from seeping in to the spring mechanism again. Good luck!
It would be nice to know if the time spent posting this information have helped anybody. Feel free to e-mail me and let me know!
Eddie jhedi@comcast.net

The super easy way, just go to any auto store and buy Blaster twice as more powerful and 7 times faster than wd-40. Instead of taking the whole thing apart I just sprayed it about 4 times and within 5 minutes it lubricated the door handled and open went the door. Then I just sprayed the inside and cleaned off the excess liquid. A whole ten minute process.

I AM EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY MONTERO...THE "LATEST" ADVICE IS TO REPLACE ALL OF THE FUSES IN THE FUSE BOX WHICH IS RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE (compared to wiring/electrical costs if you bring it to a mechanic/dealer). KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED! P.S. I REALIZE HOW PATHETIC THIS ADVICE SOUNDS, HOWEVER, IT DID COME FROM AN ACE MECHANIC RELATIVE OF MINE. I'LL SEND A FOLLOW-UP.