door wont open from either side..

[Blue91Ex]

hey guys, i did something stupid and i need help haha, my outer rear driver door handle broke a while ago, it feels like the door is locked, i was able to open the door by reaching behind the driver seat and pulling the interior handle.

today, i had my dad out trying to locate a pop noise in the suspension, but he noticed me trying to open the door from the inside and when i got it open he suggested the child lock. well i flipped it and closed the door to test it, now i cant open the door from either side.

is there a way to get the interior door panel off from the inside? i know i would have to take out the rear bench but is it possible to take it apart inside even with the bench out? i have been avoiding fixing the handle because i didnt want to mess up the clips that hold the panel on but i need to be able to open that door. any info on whether i can do this and how i can do this would be really appreciated!

also any ideas on what i would have to do to get the door open after i do get the panel off? can i switch off teh child lock that way?

thanks!

 

[FR-425]

With the door "unlocked" you can pop it open with a slim-jim.

 

[Blue91Ex]

does that work if the outer door handle doesnt? i thought the rod that actually opens the door breaks when ur door handle dont work? i guess ill have to go look up how to use a slim jim lol, dont want to just poke and prey with it lol.
thanks for the reply btw i use that door all the time. buckets in front too tall to easily acces back seats..

 

[jakegator]

Hey I had a similiar problem, my door just wouldnt open from either side. You can definitely get the door panel off from the inside, plus you dont have to remove anything. Under the handle is two screws, take them off. The door is held on with barbed clips that pull out and the top of the door has a lip (kinda like a U) that sits int he window guard. If you pry the door cover up and then pull out it will pop off. This is much easier with the window down. There is a good chance you will snap a few of the barbed clips doing it this way but they are real cheap and you dont "need" all of them. Also when you pull it off just remember the switches will be connected. If you dont feel comfortable pulling it all the way off you can pry it enough to get your hand in the door.

Once you have that off, put the window up as it will block the locking pieces. Reach your hand in and follow the bar the connects to the handle, there will be a box at the end. I dont remember which one but there is a hole in it that you can stick a screw driver in to release the locking mechanism.

Hope that helps, btw autozone or advanced will have the clips.

 

[Blue91Ex]

okay good haha, so can i disengage the child lock from the inside? or were you just talking bout the regular door lock? i tried to take the door panel off once (to fix armrest) but i didnt want to break all of those fragile clips in the process.

also i have looked around locally for the correct clips, cant seem to find the right ones here, there are like no explorers left around here so the stores dont stock as much for them anymore. i guess this repair will have to wait until after i find some clips beforehand..

 

[jakegator]

I've had to take the door panels off alot and have only broken 3 clips. I never replaced them just redistributed the remaining ones. It will stay on juts fine if you have one in each corner. I have not needed to turn off the child lock, however you should be able to do it from the inside. It may be good to put the child lock on in a working door and try to undo it from the inside so you know how to do it.
There will be cylinder inside, that is the locking actuator. At the top there is a rod follow it up until you feel it connect to another rod that goes towards the exterior handle and pull that rod. That should open it as if you were opening the door from the outside.

Hope this helps

 

[DjDom]

okay good haha, so can i disengage the child lock from the inside? or were you just talking bout the regular door lock? i tried to take the door panel off once (to fix armrest) but i didnt want to break all of those fragile clips in the process.

also i have looked around locally for the correct clips, cant seem to find the right ones here, there are like no explorers left around here so the stores dont stock as much for them anymore. i guess this repair will have to wait until after i find some clips beforehand..

Most universal clips will work, you can get them at any auto parts store. Some hardware stores here even carry them.

 

[Blue91Ex]

i tried some chevy clips and some other off brand one-size-fits-all ones but none work, chevys have the xmas tree part too narrow so it doesnt hold, most of the others are too big or too short. i will keep looking, i just havent foudn any locally that are the same size.

 

[Blue91Ex]

and thank you jake, all you gusy replying is very helpful haha, i dont liek trying to pull stuff apart to fix them when i have no idea what im doing or what im looking at, good way to break stuff haha

 

[jakegator]

Breaking stuff is part of the "fun"!

 

[Blue91Ex]

haha yea not when you are 17 making like 80-100 bucks a week and spending 50 of that on gas. but ill get around to it before too long haha, right now i got too many issues with other stuff (like a pretty big draw somewhere in the electrical system, if it sits more than a day and its cold out it wont start even when boosted)