Door blow open on Highway!!!

[cwest94]

I was driving 65mph on the highway this morning and out of no where, my drivers door just opened. This scared the living crap out of me and I had to find room to pull over iinto the right lane and then off onto the shoulder, all while trying to hold my door shut.

I know what you are thinking and going to say, make sure you shut your door tight the next time, but it was!!!!! The door light on the dash was not on while driving, I also have my doors programmed to lock at 10mph.

It was only 26 outside and the car was covered in a heavy frost, so I did have the heat blasting in the car while driving, so that creates a higher pressure inside of the car. I have never in my life had a car door open on me before and now I'm scared to drive my 4Runner in fear that the door will open on me again.

In the past couple weeks I've been hearing the sound of wind noise more then I did before, could there maybe be something off with the door or something? I should also note that I had a remote starter installed at the same time I started to hear the wind noise, the installer had to remove all the trim and weather stripping to tuck all the wires in, could something maybe off wack? I did have to press some of the plastic trim that goes around the door back in becase it was loose.

Have any suggestions as to what might cause this and has this happened to anyone else on here before?

 

[Dbone]

Man that is crazy....

I don't know much about the sensor that registers on your dash whether or not the door is closed, but is it possible that the installer of your starter interfered with this? Maybe it was just bad luck and the door really wasn't closed and the sensor didn't register it due to the installer frigging with the sensor? Just a shot in the dark here...

Cheers

 

[toto]

I agree - it sounds like things were not put back together right, and the switch for the light may even be broken. I also bet that the door is now harder to close fully than it used to be, so you may not have realized it wasn't closed all the way.

Test that door ajar light and see if it works, and how far the door has to be closed before it goes out.

 

[cwest94]

Guess I should add, the light works just fine. The door light on the dash comes on if the door is open, heck, it even came on when the door opened up on me while on the highway.

I guess I just want to know if there are any mechanical/structural things to look for that maybe out of wack or something in regards to the door.

I was going 65mph and I did have the fan seed up real high, so there was a heavy amount of pressure going on inside the cabin of the car.

Also, I'm pretty sure I would of noticed the door not being closed before pulling away from my house since the dome and door light on the dash would be one, and I even was resting hand arm and head onto the glass at times, so I would think I would of felt the door move around some or vibrate. I also know if a door is closed tight or not, I'm not that stupid

Oh, I was on the highway a good 25min before the door decided to open.

 

[Even Steven]

How does your door "blow open" when driving 65 mph? If anything, it would blow closed.

Heck, I can't even open my door if I tried while driving 65 mph. The wind resistance makes it want to shut.

 

[gizmopt2002]

He mentioned a heavy frost & the heat blasting. I would say that the heavy frost somehow caused the air vents in the back to freeze over and cause an abnormal amount of air pressure in the 4Runner. With so much air pressure built up the drivers side door was the first to blow. The reason he couldn't shut was probably because the heat was blasting and without that door open the pressure can't be equalized.

 

[Falls]

I give give any answers , but what ever the cause I'm glad you were not hurt.

Lucky the 4R does not have suicide doors ....lol

I agree though with the wind at 65 mph , I couldn't even push my door open if I tried .

 

[cwest94]

He mentioned a heavy frost & the heat blasting. I would say that the heavy frost somehow caused the air vents in the back to freeze over and cause an abnormal amount of air pressure in the 4Runner. With so much air pressure built up the drivers side door was the first to blow. The reason he couldn't shut was probably because the heat was blasting and without that door open the pressure can't be equalized.

I think you are exactly right, you're thinking the same thing as me. And yes, there was a very heavy frost covering the entire car this morning, even the grass in my front yard at home was hard and icy, and I had the fan speed all the way up as high as it would go, which builds up the cabin pressure.

Where are these vents at in the back so I can check them out? Are they viewable if you open the left gate??

Well I just thought of something else, we had a big freezing rain storm here on Fri. If these vents are in where the liftgate is, then I guess there coud be frozen water covering them, I haven't opened my liftgate in weeks.

Do you think I should take it to the dealer to get looked over? There has to be something weak with the drivers door for it to just of given up like that, right?

 

[gizmopt2002]

The vents, IIRC, are behind the side of the bumper. Unlike older cars were the vents are on the side. So water being kicked up then frozen could have caused that.

Yes I would bring it to the dealer to check it out, just in case, you can never be too sure.

 

[Even Steven]

He mentioned a heavy frost & the heat blasting. I would say that the heavy frost somehow caused the air vents in the back to freeze over and cause an abnormal amount of air pressure in the 4Runner. With so much air pressure built up the drivers side door was the first to blow. The reason he couldn't shut was probably because the heat was blasting and without that door open the pressure can't be equalized.

Well, unless he's got some kind of aftermarket blower in his HVAC system, I can't imagine it being nearly powerful enough to blow a door open or prevent a door from being shut. It's not like the 4Runner interior is some sort of pressure chamber or anything...

 

[gizmopt2002]

The blower is pretty powerful. If the 4th gen is as sealed as my 2nd gen then it is very possible. The air vents in the rear got frozen over in a winter storm. The blower was on full power with the heat on. When I closed my door I was surprised when It didn't, I checked the vents and saw that they were blocked, I scraped off the ice around it and closed my door. The amount of air coming out of those vents is alot more than you think. With the 4th gen being even more sealed that the 2nd I imagine a faulty door lock being at play.

 

[Even Steven]

You have got to be kidding me.

If I put my blower on max with all windows up and pull my door lever, the door doesn't blow open even if I'm sitting still in my driveway. I could probably fart nearly as much air volume as is being "pushed" by the blower fan. Even then, the door wouldn't blow open from the force of the air or the air pressure.

You should submit this one to Myth Busters or something...:bash:

 

[cwest94]

Well what it all boils down to here is the fact that the door should of never opened. It could be just a coincidence between the ice, heavy frost, fan temp turned all the way up and going 65mph that the door decided to open at that moment, maybe it would of happened on a summer day while sitting at a red light for all I know.

All that I know is that I know for a 100% fact that I am not crazy here and that door was closed tight when I got in and was closed tight for a good 20 to 25 minutes before it decided to pop open.

I've also been hearing wind noise inside the 4Runner while driving lately and NEVER heard a thing before, so I think something is up and I feel right now that the thing is unsafe to keep driving on the highway when you dont know if the door is going to pop open and suck you out or maybe wreck. I've owned many cars over the years and never once did I have anything like this happen to me before.

I'm calling the dealer tomorrow.

 

[Even Steven]

I'm sorry if you think I'm making light of your situation...that's definitely not my intention. However, I think you've been watching too many airplane movies or something. You know, where a window breaks (or gets shot out) and people are sucked out to fall to their death!

No matter what, you will never get "sucked out" of your vehicle because a door is open. It just doesn't work like that. Do you wear your seatbelt? If so, then you can be sure that you will never fall out of your vehicle if the door is open.

If you open your window at highway speeds, does your head get sucked out the open window? LOL.

Sorry, but I do think this whole thing is pretty funny, even if you do have seriousl safety concerns. I would suggest that the next time you get into your 4Runner and close the door, shove your shoulder into the door sharply to see if it opens. If not, I wouldn't lose any sleep over this situation.

 

[rook]

You should submit this one to Myth Busters or something...:bash:

LMAO!


CWEST94,

I've taken my door apart and it is a fairly simple mechanism. There is a rod that pushes down on the latch mechanism to release the latch from the striker. So my suggestion is to examine the latch mechanism and ensure it makes good contact with the striker and that it holds tightly. Doors do not pop open from the mild pressure from an hvac fan.

 

[Mr. Dabadina]

I agree with rook. It probably is a combination of the freezing rain and that mechanism. You door probably "shut" but did not latch shut. Either way thats pretty scary.

 

[SciRunner]

Glad that you are okay. Another reason for all occupants to put on their seat belt.

 

[cwest94]

Sorry for sounding pissed earlier, I was at work for 11 hours and things were just going wrong the entire day, so I was in a bad mood all day long. : (

Anyways, I did find the comment about watching to many air plain movies to be funny, so I got a little laugh out of it.

Ya, I know I'm not going to get sucked out or Jeep wouldn't make cars without doors, right? It's just when you are on the highway traveling at a high rate of speed just minding your own business and then BAM!!!! The door opens up out of no where. I was in the far left lane and the door could of gone right into the cement barrier and who knows, my reaction could of been to try and steer to the right and maybe even flipped the car over out of a nervous reaction.

Well I never thought about there maybe being a frozen part in the door that could of been stuck. Guess I better carry a can of that de-icer stuff, but even if I did, it's not like I can get to all the parts inside the door without having to take the interior panel off.

I told a couple people at work today what happened and their comment was "make sure you shut the door tight". I know for a fact the door was shut tight from when I got in. None on my interior lights or the door open light on the dash never came on till it did open, and the door was solid while driving, no rattling or vibrating at all, hell I was even resting my arm and head up on the window while driving.

Not to mention the fact that I keep hearing wind noise from my door when I never did before. Wouldn't this indicate that the door is not sealing tight?

Thanks for all the suggestions and jokes you guys offered.

Think I'll go take a couple shots of JD now and relax.

 

[ALt4r]

LMAO!


CWEST94,

I've taken my door apart and it is a fairly simple mechanism. There is a rod that pushes down on the latch mechanism to release the latch from the striker. So my suggestion is to examine the latch mechanism and ensure it makes good contact with the striker and that it holds tightly. Doors do not pop open from the mild pressure from an hvac fan.

:iagree: Toyota has been in the game a while, im sure they would know by now if a little heat built up enough pressure to pop open a door. I'd be interested in how it would open the door from the "pressure" built up on the inside. How would it be anymore pressure than if you leaned against the door with your shoulder or something. It is interesting that it said all doors were shut tightly.

Glad nothing bad happened to you, must have been scary!

 

[4rnr4me]

thats completely weird...me and my dad just had a good 10 minute discussion and we cant think of ANY Reason for the door to open...

we looked at everyone elses reasons and none of them are plausible in our opinions...so this is CRAZY! how could that happen? no body damage or anything?