89 astro rear door help

My rear doors will not open. :banghead:
The power lock and key lock sounds like it disengages but the handle will not open the doors.I have the service Manuel's but the diagrams are a bit sketchy on details about the doors.The Manuel shows removing the interior door panels to gain access to the handles working parts but i think that was with the doors open.Anyone have any ideas?
My husband has some door fixing experience but this one really makes him. :banghead:

Never mind guys!Thanks anyway! We got smart and went to the junk yard to see how one was supposed to work.Still wonder how they meant for you to get in there if the door dosent open.But for any that wonder if you pull off (snaps in) just the right side of the trim off you can barely squeeze one hand threw and pull the release rod.The other side(screws in) and the bottom/and top are all three over lapped by the door jamb and will not come off with out opening the door.But anyway the original problem was a broken door handle.Out of 15vans in the junk yard none had a rear door handle so this must be a common problem for older vans.If anyone else runs across this problem.We fixed the broken handle by drilling threw the broken (stud?)and putting a machine screw and flat washer threw,to hold the flat part that connects the rod to the handle.The handle even has a dimple on the out side that makes drilling straight threw perfect.Works Great Now! :smokin:

And it didnt cost us :2cents: LOL love these smilies!

My wife's family has owned at least 6 Astros or Safaris and this is a VERY COMMON problem!

the handle of mine broke. i tried to get into the door through the inside panels but the panels are locked in by the plastic trim. any help would be appreciated. j