Toady I noticed that the front passenger door on my 1994 945 would not open from the inside. The interior release handle seemed to move normally but the door latch mechanism was not releasing to allow the door to open. With the door locked, moving the interior handle popped up the door lock button but the door would not open. Obviously the interior release handle was still connected to the door latch mechanism.

The outside handle still opened the door OK.

Close examination showed that a coin (USA quarter) had fallen into the narrow slot for the interior release handle metal arm. The top of the coin was about flush with the bottom surface of the release handle plastic well. The coin was limiting the interior release handle travel just enough to prevent the door latch from disengaging.

I bent a piece of steel wire to wrap under the coin and lift it from the slot. Now the interior release handle works fine.

Lesson Learned: Dont put spare change in the plastic well for the interior door release handle !

Mike

1994 940 and two 1998 V70s

I’ll add my two cents worth. Errr, make that five cents worth. When I bought my well-used V70 several years ago I found that one of the rear seat belt buckles didn’t latch properly. I was all prepared to go shopping for another buckle then I looked down inside the receiver - you know how they poke straight up through the rear seat cushion - and it looked like something stuck down inside of it. Unbolting that part of the belt from the car and pounding it upside down on the workbench dislodged the culprit and the buckle then worked fine. I thought “Hey! Lucky fix.” And I got paid for it. One whole nickel!

Dear Mike91,

Hope you're well. Thanks for the helpful post!

Those, who want to store "spare change" in the door can use the air-vent openings on the door's top edge, by which defrost air reaches the window's inner surface. The openings nearest the driver's seat hold U.S. 25-cent coins.

I've not tried smaller-diameter coins, e.g., 10-cent or one-cent coins. To see if these can be stored in a vent opening, use a strip of sticky tape to lower the coin into the opening. To be sure a single coin won't fall inside the door, if the coin is jostled, angle the coin in the opening.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

Spook