Any ideas of what I can do to fix: 2011 Dodge Caravan power door "bounces" back open instead of closing in cold weather. This will randomly happen during the year, but almost always on mornings when it's really cold out, I drop my boys off at school and they push the button to close the door. It will mostly close, then "bounce" back open. Usually I just have to push the button 2-3 times to have it try again and then it will close. The last 2 mornings it has been really cold out and I've had to push it closer to 20 times. It's very annoying and embarrassing. I have had this problem since buying the van used over 3 years ago, but since the dealer couldn't recreate the issue in their nice warm garage they did not fix it under warranty and we were left with no resolution.

 

What is "really cold"

 

The last 2 mornings it has been around -20 with windchill.

 

You can't out engineer physics. Nothing works in -20. Lubricant will gel in parts (door rollers and track assembly) and create a resistance to movement. The door module software detects an obstacle .....just as it should. You're fighting a losing battle, unless you can find some lubricant that flows at -20 and hose every moving part of the door down with it. OR...heat the inside of the van really well, and that heat transfers to the mechanisms before you venture off.

 

What was the actual temperature?
Windchill has no effect on inanimate objects, your van will not get below the actual temperature.

 

I have a similar problem- but in South Louisiana (where we freak out if it gets close to freezing). On mine, there is a U shaped piece on top the lower front hinge (I may be using incorrect terms, I haven't been able to find a diagram where I could make out proper names for parts) which has 2 springs compressed and kept in by a cylindrical metal plug. One of these plugs came out and the spring was sticking out. When this happened, the door would bounce back every now and then. I attempted to push it back in and plug it with a piece of plastic, however it was a fail and the door still bounced back open. The spring popped completely out and now the door won't shut automatically. If I disengage the power doors, it will close fine manually. Any ideas on what's going on and how to fix it (hopefully cheaply)?

 

If it's the end of the cable, sorry. Only fix is an entire track assembly.