Sliding door problems

Recently finished replacing the rocker panels on our 1999 Chevy Venture and ever since have been having a problem with the drivers side door. There seems to be a rubber stop or something up inside of the door channel that keeps coming up and stopping the door from opening. I reached up inside with a small rod and pushed it down but it keeps coming back up?? Also what is that cable that runs along above the rocker panel. I burned a little bit of the rubber covering off from it accidently and I don't see what its for? It doesn't have a gas cover handle release.?? Thanks,Toni.

Bump!!!

Toni: it sounds like the safety interlock for the fuel filler door is messed up and not allowing the sliding door to open fully just like you had the fuel filler door open and tried to slide the door open. that burn may be holding or sticking enough to simulate the fuel door open. good luck

But it doesn't have a release from the inside. You can just pull it open from the outside. Unless there is more than meets the eye there........... I'm not sure what that cable is for. But there is definitely something up inside keeping the sliding door from opening, I know that for sure.......... Really since I finished doing the basic repairs, the van has been on the road practically non-stop. Where my daughter just got her drivers license........ And I still have more to do, like putting a little body filler here and there and finishing up the paint. I guess I should have kept it off the road a little longer and got it all done. Now I may never get it back........I do have a suspicion that the cable might be some kind of a safety of some sort. Toni.

After rereading your post, I got to thinking and what you said makes sense. It may be a safety that won't allow that side door to open when the gas cover is open. Come to think of it, the gas cover was acting kind of weird the other day, like it was binding and not closing properly. The wife says the gas filler is on that same side. You see I rarely drive the van, its my Wife's wheels most of the time. I'll definitely have to check this out next time it pulls in the driveway. Toni.

Wow I am so happy to find someone with this issue. My van driver side sliding door is now stuck because of this safety mechanism. Trust me, with 3 kids, we need all doors to open!

It is from the gas door, there is a cable connecting the door to this locking mechanism which appears to be at the front of the bottom slider. My challenge is that the door only opens about 4 - 6 inches which is not enough for me to get much inside the slide to release the lock. I am wondering if anyone knows what this latch looks like so I would know where to reach a tool in to release it.

The only alternative I see is to remove the door from the slides and then have access to the bottom slide and break that thing.

Any help or tips would be great.


Thanks,

Robby

All I did was reach up through the door channel from the back side and push the door stop back down. You will need a long rod of some sort. I used a piece of 1/4" rod and a flashlight and you can see where to push it back down. It just catches the door as it rolls by thats all. Once you have the door opened you can see the mechanism easily. Although it is in a little out of the way place. Probably just need to lube it or the cable to loosen it up some. You see I burned mine while doing some welding on the rocker panel last spring so, it sticks inside of the cable now and then.