I have a 2000 QC. The lock actuator on the rear passenger door failed. I could still manually unlock and lock. I can now no longer unlock the door manually and it is now stuck shut. Is there any way to get this damn door open so i can replace the actuator? I removed the hinge bolts and the door was still held in place by the latch. Any help would be awesome!

 

anyone have any ideas?? Im going out of my mind trying to figure out hw to get the door open/latch replaced

 

I hate to be the one to say it, but your gonna have to cut a hole in something. If the lock is truely stuck, there is nothing you can do except from the insides of the door. My best advice is to search for a replacement interior trim panel, or door handle or whatever part you can find and then cut yours off and use the hole as an access hole.

The only other thing I can think to try before hacking up the door is remove the interior trim piece that covers where the latch would be for the back door, and see if there is a way to drill out the latch from behind it. I doubt it will work, but it's another thing to try.... basically something will need to be destroyed, so pick the easiest/cheapest part to replace.

 

Before cutting the door panel, I would suggest you get in the back seat near the stuck door and remove all the screws you can get to. I'm not familiar with the rear door panels on a 2000 QC. I think there should be one under the door pull handle area and *if* you can get to them there should be 2 screws down on the very bottom edge of the panel. Remove the screws you can get to and work on the top part of the panel. You should be able to kind of pry it up out of the channel it rests in, alongside the window. If you can snap it up and kind of bend the panel back towards you, you should be able to release some of the plastic snap-in fasteners around the edges of the panel and push the panel and pull the moisture barrier sheet down far enough where you can get in the door cavity to see if you can manually operate the actuator or the latch mechanism inside the door to open it. I guess it is possible but I would not figure this to be an internal problem in the door latch. It could be the actuator is bad or it could be as simple as a broken plastic retainer clip on the lock assembly.

Dodge only sells the whole actuator and latch assembly. You can not buy the OE actuator by itself. If it turns out you have a bad actuator, you can replace it with an aftermarket door lock actuator that you can buy from any good car alarm/car audio shop. Pep Boys sells one for 10 bucks here. You would just leave the OE actuator in place but unplug it, mount the new one in the lower section of the door and connect the actuator rod rod to the rod on the latch going to the door lock plunger. You can also snap out the OE actuator rod from the hole in the very bottom of the latch assembly and attach the rod there. That's how I installed my door lock actuators in my Dakota, but I didn't have power locks. They are interfaced with my Viper alarm and have been in place over 3 years now and have not had any problems. Then connect the 2 wires on the new actuator to the 2 OE actuator wires. If the lock works backwards after that just reverse the connections.

I just went through a similar problem with my girlfriend's 2003 Honda Accord, about 2 months ago. The door lock actuator in her driver's door broke so her whole keyless entry and electric lock system would not work at all, for either door. Honda wanted over $300.00 to fix it. I fixed it by installing an old aftermarket door lock actuator I had saved from my old Jeep Comanche pickup truck and just connected it to the door lock plunger rod and the 2 OE actuator wires. The keyless entry and door lock system have worked fine ever since. It only took about an hour to do.

Hope this helps you out. Don't kick the dog. Just see if you can get it apart enough to open the door and then you can take your time fixing it. Before you try this though, I would suggest you put the hinge bolts back in so you don't wind up with door alignment problems.

Jimmy

 

Im glad you're a member on this forum Silver, you have saved a lot of people costly repairs. Were you a mechanic or something at one point?

 

Yes, start with this if you haven't already. I only said what I said because I assumed you had already tried to get the interior trim panel off in one peice with no luck.

 

If all else fails, I wonder if you could run a saws-all down in between the door and the cab?

 

I was a car audio and alarm installer for over 16 years. I did a lot of work on boats too, being in Florida. That's a job that takes a lot of patience and teaches you to be really methodical and meticulous with your work. That and I had the chance to learn about cars from a lot of other really good guys I worked with over the years. Plus I have always had to fix my own car/truck myself and I really do not like paying somebody else to do something I can do myself. I tried to be a tech at a Jeep-Chrysler dealership a few years ago, but it really didn't work out. Working at a dealer service dept. is a really hard way to make a living. Plus the dealer had a completely different mindset than I did about fixing a customer's car. I have learned a lot online and from fixing my own and my friends' cars over the years. I get a lot of personal satisfaction fixing and maintaining my truck and my girl's car, and I like to pitch in here and help when I can. I know what a hassle it is to be trying to get something done or fix some wierd problem and need help and not have it. One day sooner or later I will be the one on here asking for help too.

Jimmy

 

what if you tried using one of those lock-out kits they have. like if you locked your keys inside your car. and just jambed it down through the outside and popped it open like that? might be worth a shot.