The driver door will not open with either outside or inside handles. It worked perfectly and then not at all. Automatic door lock works fine. It acts like both handles are disconnected. How do I get the door open to fix what ever is wrong?

 

See if you can remove the door handle on the inside of the truck. With that out of the truck you may be able to grab hold of the rod that connects to the handle and open the door by pulling the rod. If the rod is disconnected at the other end then you will have to get the door panel off which will be hard with the door closed. You might have to cut holes in the panel.

 

Since neither door handle will unlatch the door why do you think doing something with the inside handle will help?

I have contacted Dorman who made the latch and they profess to never have had this problem, which appears to be an internal failure of the latch mechanism. I also talked with a Chevy service rep who said to remove the inner door panel to get access to the latch mechanism, but had no suggestion of how to unlock the failed mechanism.

 

I decided to try to remove the door panel as suggested. I was able to get all the fasteners loose except those captured by the dash. Then I removed the front seat so I could bend the door cover far enough away from the door to get my arm in to the door latch. To have enough room to work I also removed the left hand side of the back seat bottom. I then was able to get my arm and hand in contact with the door latch to feel the mechanisms. I had my wife pull on the door handles to see what was happening. The outside handle worked OK. The inside handle latch did not release when the inside handle was released. I was able to push on the inside handle release linkage until I heard a click that released the latch. The door was then able to be opened with the outside handle. So - problem solved! I'll replace the lock mechanism after a new one shows up from Amazon.com on Sunday. Meanwhile I left the inside handle disconnected so it can't lock the door shut again.

 

If the rod had disconnected or broke at the handle, you could have pulled the rod and opened the door without removing the door panel. It was worth a try. Never overlook the easy way out.

 

Nothing was broken or disconnected. It appears that the pivot that the inside handle cable attaches to was frozen from lack of lubricant or just poor assembly. (I'll verify this when I replace the actuator tomorrow.) When I was able to push on this pivot and free it the outside handle opened the door. The existing actuator was installed last April, so it lasted 10 months before failing.

 

gruvenparts, a member here sells rebult door lock actuators that use better components than oem or dorman. look him up.


I was wondering if you could have removed the outer glass sill plate and accessed the door linkages that way; without having to stress the $700 trim panel.

 

I have Gruven motors in the other three actuators. Wish I had done this one too instead of buying a new one last April.

I did no damage to the inner door cover by bending it out far enough to get my hand and arm in to the actuator to release the frozen linkage.

You may be able to go in from the outside top as suggested, but you would also need a tool about two feet in length to reach the actuator and move the mechanisms.

 

you should be good for a while then.


I was working for gm when this gen came out. there was actuator problems from day 1....yet my previous gen 2000 is still on the original actuators.


if you ever get the chance do one on the new caravan sliding doors....the door is removed from the vehicle as its a modular door with the assembly built on the water barrier cover.

 

I replaced the faulty actuator today. I found that the lever that attaches to the rod from the outside door was bent so that it contacted the plastic case causing enough friction to prevent the lever from completely returning to its release position. Since I did not bend this lever when I originally installed it, it was bent when delivered and I failed to see it. I made sure that the new actuator lever was not bent after installation.

The plastic clip on the new actuator that is on this lever would not latch completely. I believed it was latched but after opening and closing the door several times it came unlatched. So I had to open up everything and replace the plastic clip with the one from the old actuator. This one latches properly and everything works as it should now.

Total cost of this repair was zero dollars and about 6 hours of labor.