If you are talking about the button not going up, the problem is on the side of the latch on the locking pawl. The way they sit in there water that gets past the glass drips onto the latch... About the only way to repair it is to pull the inner panel and pull the latch out, clean it real well and lube.
I use a brush and scrub them clean, then apply graphite lube to all the parts that move, work the latch and apply some more graphite. Then coat the moving parts with silicone grease. That way the water can't get in and mess the latch up again.
Takes about 2 hours to do if you haven't done it before.
SM: I'll do that. The outdoor weather strip is missing, where the glass rolls into the door. I'm sure it gets plenty of water.
SM: Sounds reasonable. Hmm. Marine grease, maybe?
SM: Sounds about right.
SM: I have a book, but not sure which brand. I've had a variety of door panels off variety of vehicles. This one isn't too bad, the lock holds on with three hex head bolts. I'd rather that, than torx flat heads.
The latch got hard to open. Again. More spray stuff, lasted a couple days. This afternoon, I determined to pull the latch out, and super clean it, pack it with marine grease. The first linkage I tried to pull refused to come out.
Some flash light, and I was able to identify what might been where it was binding. I got my marine grease, and a tooth brush bent at right angle. Used that to mash in some marine grease. See if that lasts any longer than the other six or so lubricants I've tried. Not sure what is the next step, if this does not.
How'd you know the weather strip is missing, and water gets in?
Finally, it broke all the way. Trapped me in the vehicle, sitting in the drivers seat. I head home, crawled over tools, and out the passenger door.
I do have a handle clip tool. But one of the screws was too close to the dashboard, that was about impossible to get out.
There was a coil spring that makes some thing in the latch return. The coil spring had broken. I had to pull the latch out (what a pain) and find a spring. I used a Tecumseh governor spring from my old small engine repair days. Put the lock back together was a 3D jigsaw puzzle, things had to go just exactly right. Took me about four hours.
Next day I got around to put the panel back on, and take the van on a service call. Wow, works totally better, now.
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