97 Mountaineer unlock jammed - door closed

[Heuster]

For the life of me...I always tell the kids not to try and open the doors until they hear TWO, 2, duas, dois, TWO clicks...but they didn't and tried to open the door at the exact moment the doors were being unlocked and now I have a rear door that don't unlock and the manual slide won't even move.

It's stuck shut and I have NO idea how to fix it since I can't get the door panel off with the door closed. Any of you guys have any idea how the freak I'll ever be able to use my rear door again?

Thanks!

 

[Heuster]

Someone?

Guys, I have been all over the Internet looking. Someone has to have had this problem or knows a potential solution. I'm going to spend all day today spinning my wheels...someone throw me a bone!!!!

I got the door panel off...with the door shut, that is a chore and a freakin half. The door is locked and is jammed internally somewhere. The actuator works, you can manually move the unlock rod some, just not enough to unlock it all the way. What is the part that actually is the door lock? Not the actuator, not the rod, but where the door closes...that's what's jammed up the unlock process. Someone help!

 

[Heuster]

bump

 

[storlied]

It's the lock solonoid, I had it happen on my Driver's door.. oh man...

 

[budwich]

well you got three other working doors..... take the panel off of one and compare its operation to the non-working door. You'll likely get your answer / fix a lot quicker especially on the first long weekend of the summer.

 

[hworksinc]

You're talking about the latch mechanism. One of mine broke and jammed - in the unlocked position. For mine, there was a little spring that broke and jammed the lock/unlock lever in the latch. The solution for me was replacing the latch mechanism - I couldn't find a suitable replacement spring and the latch was fairly corroded anyway.

 

[Turdle]

Does the outside handle of this non locking door seem abnormally " floppy"?

Mine just broke yesterday--the mechanism will not push up enough to allow the door to unlock. Do not try the inner handle in this condition, or, you will break it also.

Kepp "hitting" the door handle while you push the unlock button, this may get it unlocked to where you can open it and remove the inner panel for handle replacement.

 

[fast_dave]

The infamous FORD door latch assembly that breaks when the door is closed - preventing you from opening/closing the door.

Well, I've been there about 6 weeks back, here's a quick write-up -

First - roll down the window of the door that is stuck closed. You'll need to do that to get the inside trim removed - no matter what door you are working on.

Then - in my case - Stuck Closed Drivers Door - I needed to remove the Drivers Seat, lift it over the center console, and take it out the passenger side door. If I didn't remove the drivers seat, I had no way to work on getting the door panel off. With a rear door, I don't think you need to remove the seat.

Remove the trim around the inside door handle, and remove the 2 philips head screws holding the interior door handle to the trim panel. Use a trim removal tool, and remove the door trim. It's a *****, but it can be done with the door closed. I used a thin steel paint can opener that is fashioned like a tiny crowbar/little "L" - and bit by bit, worked my way around the trim, pulling it straight out and up. You can also fabricate one out of a thin steel putty knife, bent 90 degrees in a bench vise.

When you get the panel removed, find the steel rod that connects to the inside door handle. Take note of the direction that the rod travels to unlock the latch. In my case, I grabbed hold of that rod with some vice grips, locked them to the rod real tight, and sharply pulled the rod back towards the latch about 6 times when all of a sudden the door popped open!

You'll need to replace the door latch assembly, as the spring inside has broke.

Good Luck & Report back -
FD