I noticed about 3 weeks ago that the passenger door on my Fiat Punto (2004) 3 door is struggling to shut. It is odd as this door is used only abut 5% of the time compared to the drivers side door which is fine. Wonder what may be up with it.

Can you expand on the actual issue. Stiff to push closed, or not catching the striker and bouncing back open etc

wd40 on hinge?

qwerty2018 said:

I noticed about 3 weeks ago that the passenger door on my Fiat Punto (2004) 3 door is struggling to shut. It is odd as this door is used only abut 5% of the time compared to the drivers side door which is fine. Wonder what may be up with it.

Click to expand...

With a stick..
Flick over the catch in the gold.coloured block on the end of the door

Does it lock on its own ?

Does the door handle release it ?

Thats the LOCK.. let us know

Most Easterly Pandas said:

Can you expand on the actual issue. Stiff to push closed, or not catching the striker and bouncing back open etc

Click to expand...

Put WD 40 on the inner door that connects with the striker but still took seven goes before the door shut.

The car door looks like it is shut but it is not and my fingers can still get in between the car door and the frame of the car body as one can see in this photo. I will spray the car door hinges next with WD 40 but my worry is with all the continual shutting the door (numerous times before it shuts properly) that will do damage to the car. (I have a video of me trying to shut the door (10 seconds long) but it will not upload from my phone unto this forum. Massive thanks for your kind help already folks

When the door does actually close secure I can lock it from the outside with a key and also unlock it fine.

The door lock is a double latch. As it closes, it should click twice, and usually only the second click will allow it to lock. You can see and feelthis on other doors. Your pic looks like a door on the first click only.

If the handle is held 'open' as the door is closed, does the door fit neatly in its aperture?

If it does not, that problem needs addressing first. Worn hinges will allow the door to drop, and the striker does not do a good job trying to lift it as it closes.

If the door closes neatly, without any forced raising or lowering, your pic suggests that the striker on the car pillar is out of adjustment. Its two screws can be slackened, not removed, and this allows the striker to move, in all directions, so the screws need to be just tight enough to hold its position while you adjust it. It is possible that the striker has been pushed too far inwards, causing the door to have to squash the doorseals hard to be able to close. Slamming the door can cause this, do you have a passenger that slams the door?

I think that the piece (in the picture below) at yours got loose. That happens because either the screws have come loose or their thread has broken and you will need to change them.

When you align it, the holes are wider than the screws, so you can move it around a bit so it fits as you need for the door to close nice.

Thank you to all for your wonderful help and seemed to have fixed it as a friend took ost of the inside door panel of an sprayed AC 90 over what he thought was applicable and a few days later all seems to be working again. Huge thanks for your time and help here

My only worry now is that passenger door will not lock when I try to lock it with the key from the outside so have to go though the drivers side to lock it

There is a link rod from the key to the lock mechanism. They have been known to pop off. May need a new clip.
Door panel needs taking off again, and link refitting. Take this opportunity to lubricate it properly. AC90 (WD40 equivalent) is only a temporary fix, needs proper light grease.

Apologies here for delay in reply as one has no internet connection but all ok now thanks. Many thanks for your kind help here.