2001 - Cannot open or unlock power door. Help

[Beaverjfw]

Through some combination of the driver pressing the overhead button to open the passenger side power door, and at the same time a passenger trying to pull the door latch, the power door has become hopelessly locked and closed.
I cannot raise the manual unlock latch, it is jammed in the locked down position. The manual door handle is not engaging and power lock/unlock buttons only initate a click but won't unlock or open the door.
In effect, I have no way to unlock or open the door. If this is some assemblage/linkage problem inside the door, is there anyway to get at the mechanics if I can't open the door to work on it?
Any help appreciated.//Jim

[merc81]

I don't think it was anything you did, this is a common problem for that lock. I think there was a recall for this, although I'm not sure--I know there was a recall on the sliding door lock, but it may have been for another problem.

Anyway, its happened often enough to me. What you need to do is turn the overhead switch off so the electric motor won't try to engage while you do this. Then, fiddle with the inside door latch through the open front passenger door. That is, put your left hand on the outside door latch, and your right hand on the unlock button inside the door -- the manual one in the door.
Now, try locking/unlocking the latch repeatedly. Each time, lift the outside door latch and try the unlock button again.
It may take a few attempts, and my kids were better at this than I was, but it will open after a few tries. You need to sort of jiggle the latch button up & down a bit to free it.

The problem is the locking solonoid inside the door. It works like a power assist even when you move the lock button by hand. I removed mine and examined the thing. There is a long neck plastic plunger that moves the latch remotely. I think the mechanism just gets worn on the plastic parts and sticks randomly. I used dow corning grease on mine a couple years back and its been good since.

Hope this helps,
John

[JabbaTHutt]

My van did this a while back on the passenger side. The wife is so impatient about getting out that as soon as I was stopped she would hit the power unlock button and as soon as the kid heard it she would try to open the door, kept telling the wife its gonna screw something up. It did, she unlocked the van the kid pulls the door handle the same time I get it in park and BANG it won't open. I tried everything, got the top door panel off and managed to get my had down there, and nope that didn't work, I kicked the living you know what out of the inside of the door still didn't work, couple days later kicked it again, still no joy, couple days later kicked it again and this time it let go, has been fine since because the wife uses the manual button so no one is trying to open the door while the can is trying to unlock it.

[Beaverjfw]

Wow, thanks John, your solution (sort-of) worked.
I did the "grab the handle, jiggle the interior latch thing" but without success. With the passenger front door open, I had to grab the interior unlock latch with my right hand, yank on the outside power door latch and simultanteously hit the power door button on the door column with my right forearm. It seemed to be enough to unstick whatever had jammed.
I will put a do not touch sticker on the overhead switch and just leave it to the passenger to get out, so I don't have this conflict again (I hope)

[merc81]

Glad you were able to get it unlatched, but the power door feature isn't the problem and its going to do this again. The problem is the 'power assist' door latch hardware. When the motor slides the door almost closed, the power latch comes on and makes sure the door latches securely. This requires a mini motor similar to the motors that make the power windows go up and down. They fail.
You need to pull the door trim off and take the mechanism apart to lube it or replace it. I found the best success if I didn't let anyone open the door by hand but rather only used the power open/close button. That way it never gets slammed hard by people.

No matter what you do though, its going to get jammed up again in my experience until you fix it. Again, my kids were able to do the jiggle routine better than me--I just gave up on it until they opened it.
Putting the lube on the mechanism cured it for 2 years now however.
John

[taillightz]

Will removing the circuit breaker stop the power sliding door from not being able to open?

Thanks.