unable to open rear doors from inside | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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unable to open rear doors from inside

lil bull

New Member
Joined
March 27, 2009
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City, State
Arlington, Ohio
Year, Model & Trim Level
97xlt
I took the coverings off of the drivers side rear door and found the latch lever was broken, so I fixed it so it works. No opeing of the door. I took the actual rod that the lever connects to and tried to manually move it back and forth, which it did but it did not release the latch. I sprayed everything, worked the child lock back and forth and nothing lets me open the door. The door will lock manually and from the drivers panel so that is not the issue. Is there a spring or something inside the actual latching mechanism that moves the little jaws open to allow the door to open?
 



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are the inside plastic handles sticking out or flush with the doors?
 






Probably the plastic teeth on the handles broke off. My kids broke those several times trying to pull them to open the doors when are auto-locked, instead of lifting the little cylinder lock first.
The Chinese (Dorman) handles are weak, I replaced already 4-5 of them in 2 years - the OE ones lasted 10 years.

In your case, you need probably to straighten the metal rods, if they are bended. Moving them with hand is too hard, it works only when pushed by handle.
 






it is not the door handles it is the latching mechanism that keeps the door shut, it is on the end of the door and has the little jaws that open and close when the latch is secured or open.
 






Tried WD40 or Silicon Spray in those? Inside door too with the long straws?
 












Check if the rod bends while trying to open the door. Mine did. I strapped another, less bendable, piece of metal to the rod. Now it "works"-ish... Just don't use it too often ;)
 






I used my hand to move the rod back and forth after I disconected it from the handle, it is not the rod bending. it is in the latch itself.
 






The metal latch? I think that's unlikely. I could also open the door using the bent rod with my hand, but not the plastic handle...
 






well then your problem was obviously not the same as mine. I simply asked if anyone knew of a internal spring in the latch mechanism that could break. I will take the think out and apart myself to see what the actual problem is.
 






The metal latch? I think that's unlikely. I could also open the door using the bent rod with my hand, but not the plastic handle...

+1. if they open normally from the outside... it's not the latch mechanism. it has to be either the inside handles are broken, the child lock is not disengaging or a bent/disconnected rod.
 






+1 on this. If you can open the door from the outside, it is not the latch. When this happened to me, I had to take it to Ford - have no idea how they got it opened to replace the latch.
 






Have you tried pulling it really hard? When I first got mine I was under the impression that driver rear door simply didn't open from the inside, but one day I yanked it really hard and it opened. So I discovered the only way to open it was to yank it really hard. My sister has opened it that way for almost a year now, and so far it hasn't broken off.
 






Have you tried pulling it really hard? When I first got mine I was under the impression that driver rear door simply didn't open from the inside, but one day I yanked it really hard and it opened. So I discovered the only way to open it was to yank it really hard. My sister has opened it that way for almost a year now, and so far it hasn't broken off.

My back doors are just like this. if you pull it out straight and "firm" it opens no problems. I've taught my friends how to open it this way that way I don't have to spend time/money fixing them since I don't sit in the back :D
 






The plastic gears in the inside handle brake very easy. Its a common issue, 10 min easy fix replacing the handle. I keep a few of these around.
 






I've had this problem ad tried every almost everything. Bent the rod,replaced door handles,lubed it. I took it all apart today and in my hand the lock mech works.I re installed it, and it worked until I attached the outer door handle to the lock assembly.
As soon as the outer door handle was attached I ccouldn't even open it with the inside door handle rod. Its like the spring pressure is too much.I think I may have to replace the lock assembly. Unless any one has any better ideas.
 






The plastic gears in the inside handle brake very easy. Its a common issue, 10 min easy fix replacing the handle. I keep a few of these around.
After I replaced a few of them, I disabled the auto lock feature.
Until now nobody broke my rear handles' gears anymore!
 






I replaced every thing and today replaces the lock mech.....and still didn't work...however I took the spring that pressures the latch to stay shut off and cut a little bit off to relief some pressure and now it opens like a dream no more pulling hard on the inside door handle. And don't thing I should ever have a door handle break. The rod doesn't even try to bend when you open it like it did before. I think that spring it what causes everybody's problem .that spring is just too much.
 






How do you remove the door panel on the rear driver side door? The door will not unlock
manually or by using the automatic door unlock/lock switch. I removed the manual door
unlock button and now I can't replace it. I really don't know what the @%+# I'm doing!
 



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Rear Door Panel Removal

Remove the two Phillips head screws near the handle. Using a panel tool or thin flat blade putty knife or flat blade screw driver slide under the bottom of the panel and pop out the Christmas tree push in fasteners, about 4 along the bottom and two or three up the sides. Once these are loose you can work the panel upward to slide it off of two fasteners, one at each upper corner. While manipulating the door handle the panel can be lifted up and off the door.
 






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