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Door stuck closed

Hello,

I have a 98 Dodge RAM van. The passenger side front door is stuck locked. The power lock actuator is making some noise, while trying to unlock the door (so it's not that a fuse, or the actuator itself is deat). It doesn't work - I tried many times to open the door manually, to pull at the unlock mechanism while trying the power lock at the same time - nothing helps. The problem now is how to get the door open - once I do this I can replace the mechanism.

I managed to open the inside plastic cover, but I cannot get it completely open, because I need the door open to do this. So I have some minimal place where I can push my hand through to try to do something about the latch from the inside.

I had similar problem to the back door several years ago - but there I had much more space to work with and I managed to detach the actuator and open the door. Now, with the front door shut the only solution seems to be to try to break the tabs that hold the power lock actuator in place and hope that I can remove the actuator and unlock manually after this.

Before breaking anything, do you have any other idea? Anything else that I might try first?

Thanks,

- Alex

Reply to
Alexander Avtanski
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Coat hanger/jimmy and try to unlock the door. Try to unlock it with the room you have. Ruin/break door panel and remove to get better access. Remove the seat to gain more room. Let someone else do it. Jaws of life.

Reply to
idbwill

Very good suggestions. Thanks.

I'm done with #3. Next step I was already thinking about was #4 and I'll definitely try #5 before #6. :-)

Thanks,

- Alex

P.S. Any other ideas? Dynamite?

Reply to
Alexander Avtanski

I have a 97, and the electric lock on that side works only occasionally.

What happens when you try to open it with the key, and pull? Nothing?

Reply to
HLS

We got it open! Finally! :-) And trying to make the Net a better place, here are the instructions on:

HOW TO OPEN A STUCK FRONT PASSENGER DOOR OF A DODGE RAM 1500 VAN

1) Unscrew as many of the door panel screws as possible. 2) Pry the panel open as far as it goes. 3) Stick your hand inside, get your fingers pinched by the lock, say "Ouch!" and take your hand out collecting some scratches from the various sharp edges of the door's frame. 4) Repeat #3 until you see that it's not going to work this way, or until you bleed to death - whichever comes first. 5) Argue with your wife that there's absolutely no way to take more screws off the door panel to make it open wider, then watch grumpily from the back seat while she does this with ease. 6) When your wife tells you that taking a seat off is not a bad idea, tell her it won't help and you do not intend to do it. 7) Take the back seat out. 8) Take the front seat out of the back door, arguing that this will not make any difference because you still won't have room to stick your head under the door panel. 9) Stick your head under the door panel. There is enough room. 10) Take a good look of the lock mechanism. Pull the tabs holding the actuator in place - be careful not to break them. 11) Pull harder. 13) The tabs will break. 14) Actuator's entrails will spill inside the door, but you won't care because the door will open freely now! TA-DAAAA!!!

And here are some pictures:

First one - the car with the two seats out - look at all that space:

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Here is what's left from the actuator:

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And here is what was causing the problem - someone's bright idea to save a few pennies by putting a PLASTIC gear in the lock:

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It is not very clear from the picture, but the some of the teeth are crushed, causing the actuator to lock the whole mechanism. A few years ago, the back doors of the van could not unlock - there is lot's more space in the back so that time I managed to take the actuator off without breaking it. The SAME gear was squished and the actuator was stuck in "locked" position!

Now, does anybody knows who designed that thing?! I'd like to have a talk with that guy...

Regards,

- Alex

Reply to
Alexander Avtanski

what about disconnecting the battery and then opening the door manually. or did you already try that?

Reply to
boxing

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