Bill V
Well-Known Member
I'm having some trouble with the latch of my rear driver's side door, which I'm hoping someone here may be able to assist with. That door opens fine from the outside, but does not open at all from the inside. Both the manual and power door locks work fine. I've put the child safety door latch switch in both positions (and everywhere inbetween), without success. Further, the inside door pull handle has not been folding all the way shut, which I suspect is related (although I'm not 100% sure--more on that to follow...)
I have removed the interior door panel, and taken the inside door pull handle off. Here is what it looks like in the locked-open-further-than-it-should-be position:
[Broken External Image]:
Note that the tab which pull on the bar inside the door which opens the release is in the "closed" position, even though the handle isn't all the way closed.
When I pull the handle open a bit further, it reaches a point where I can pull the tab back. When I do that, and then release the handle, it will close into the "normal" closed position:
[Broken External Image]:
Now, when I pull the handle open slowly, the tab moves to the right like I believe it's supposed to do in order to open the door: (Note that I'm holding the latch upside down in this photo just to be able to hold it part-way open while taking the photo. The tab has moved about 45 degrees to the right in this photo, which means it has moved about 45 degrees to the left when oriented as in the other two photos.)
[Broken External Image]:
BUT--if I continue pulling the handle open, it reaches a point where the tab releases and snaps back--and if you then release the handle, it only closes to the position shown in the first photo above. The only way to then get it back to the "normal" position is to open it further again and hold the tab back while releasing the handle.
Is this normal? Or is the handle broken and in need of replacement?
I had been thinking that this was the problem, and that pulling on the rod inside the door would cause the door latch to release. But I still can't get the door to release using that method either. That's why I'm now thinking that the handle may be functioning completely properly, and that the problem lies somewhere in the latch itself, or in the child safety switch below that.
I appreciate any thoughts any of you have on this. Thanks!
Bill
I have removed the interior door panel, and taken the inside door pull handle off. Here is what it looks like in the locked-open-further-than-it-should-be position:
[Broken External Image]:
Note that the tab which pull on the bar inside the door which opens the release is in the "closed" position, even though the handle isn't all the way closed.
When I pull the handle open a bit further, it reaches a point where I can pull the tab back. When I do that, and then release the handle, it will close into the "normal" closed position:
[Broken External Image]:
Now, when I pull the handle open slowly, the tab moves to the right like I believe it's supposed to do in order to open the door: (Note that I'm holding the latch upside down in this photo just to be able to hold it part-way open while taking the photo. The tab has moved about 45 degrees to the right in this photo, which means it has moved about 45 degrees to the left when oriented as in the other two photos.)
[Broken External Image]:
BUT--if I continue pulling the handle open, it reaches a point where the tab releases and snaps back--and if you then release the handle, it only closes to the position shown in the first photo above. The only way to then get it back to the "normal" position is to open it further again and hold the tab back while releasing the handle.
Is this normal? Or is the handle broken and in need of replacement?
I had been thinking that this was the problem, and that pulling on the rod inside the door would cause the door latch to release. But I still can't get the door to release using that method either. That's why I'm now thinking that the handle may be functioning completely properly, and that the problem lies somewhere in the latch itself, or in the child safety switch below that.
I appreciate any thoughts any of you have on this. Thanks!
Bill
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