HELP! Rear Driver Door

[twenty2]

My rear door hasn't been open in nearly a month due to not being able to open it! I've manually tried unlocking the door from the inside with no luck. Windows roll down just fine, but I need to find a way to open it to fix the problem. Any ideas on what to do?

[guruerror]

My first thought would be that your door lock actuator is shot and that your 'rear door security' (child safety) locks are enabled (page 2-10 in the 2003 H2 manual).

I've never used mine, but as I understand their operation; with the child safety locks on you wouldn't be able to unlock the door with the manual control on the inside of the door...only electronically from the front controls. If your actuator is shot or the rod popped out of the actuator that might explain your current dilemma.

Question...since I'm at my desk and not in front of my truck at the moment...if you flip up the rear seat bottom and leave the seat back in the upright position, is there enough clearance around the edge of the door panel to work it loose and pop it off.

...that or a slim jim might be your only DIY options at this point.

[twenty2]

I've tried that solution of folding down the seat and there's isn't enough clearance to pop the door panel off. I've read somewhere that it may be the actuator, but not certain. In guessing it's the rod inside the door, but it's getting inside the panel is the issue. Even McGuyver would have a hard time! Lol

[guruerror]

Yeah...that's a tough one. After thinking about it, it's almost got to be a combination of a faulty actuator and the 'child safety' lock being engaged. If it were the rods, it would have to be both rods; the one connected to the exterior door handle AND the one connected the interior handle. It's like your lock simply isn't unlocking...hence neither door handle working. The fact that you can't unlock it by sliding the manual control indicates to me that the child safety is on.

Have you tried just removing the bucket around the interior door handle and seeing if you can fish around inside with a coat hanger or a slim jim or something (prolly too tight of a squeeze); beyond that you could try a slim jim on the outside (which I don't think would work either since it's a newer vehicle). The only other option that comes to mind would be to physically break into the door from the outside.

An apparent weak point on these trucks are the exterior door handle buckets. Many people have apparently experienced break-ins where the assailant jimmied a screw driver under the bottom of the bucket and broke away the plastic to expose the rods. This would definitely give you access to interior of the door.


http://www.jimmijammer.com/JJ%20desc...,%20021200.htm

I wouldn't recommend going with a screw driver. If it were me, and I was determined to DIY, I'd order a replacement bucket off of ebay (they're pretty cheap) and then use a Dremel to carefully cut around the interior edge of bucket and remove the whole damn thing. Then I'd get my hand in there and feel around for the actuator/rods and try to unlock it that way.

Or you could just take it to a professional...lol.

[twenty2]

Originally Posted by guruerror

Yeah...that's a tough one. After thinking about it, it's almost got to be a combination of a faulty actuator and the 'child safety' lock being engaged. If it were the rods, it would have to be both rods; the one connected to the exterior door handle AND the one connected the interior handle. It's like your lock simply isn't unlocking...hence neither door handle working. The fact that you can't unlock it by sliding the manual control indicates to me that the child safety is on.

Have you tried just removing the bucket around the interior door handle and seeing if you can fish around inside with a coat hanger or a slim jim or something (prolly too tight of a squeeze); beyond that you could try a slim jim on the outside (which I don't think would work either since it's a newer vehicle). The only other option that comes to mind would be to physically break into the door from the outside
An apparent weak point on these trucks are the exterior door handle buckets. Many people have apparently experienced break-ins where the assailant jimmied a screw driver under the bottom of the bucket and broke away the plastic to expose the rods. This would definitely give you access to interior of the door.


http://www.jimmijammer.com/JJ%20desc...,%20021200.htm

I wouldn't recommend going with a screw driver. If it were me, and I was determined to DIY, I'd order a replacement bucket off of ebay (they're pretty cheap) and then use a Dremel to carefully cut around the interior edge of bucket and remove the whole damn thing. Then I'd get my hand in there and feel around for the actuator/rods and try to unlock it that way.

Or you could just take it to a professional...lol.

Thanks for the info and schematic on door... I'll keep you guys updated... Might have some beers b4 tackling this all day..

[twenty2]

Well, I was able to get door trim out completely from the inside of the truck. Now, trying to manually open door with upper rod with no luck... Any ideas?

[guruerror]

Good deal...that must have been a PITA!

If you hit the power lock button, does it look/feel like the actuator is trying to move? Or is it completely unresponsive.

The actuator should look like/similar to the below image. The circle highlights the child safety switch that is typically accessible on the edge of the door when opened. I would try to see if you can locate and move the white lever (indicated with the arrows below) to the unlock position; then try to manually unlock the door with the slider on the door panel.

If that all works you should then be able to open the door with either handle or by moving the rods inside.

[twenty2]

When I hit the unlock/lock button it does actually function.. Sometimes it activates the lock halfway.... It kinda was a PITA, but I wasn't gonna give up. Thanks for the pic! I'll mess with it tonight... Late lunch break.. Lol

[twenty2]

Boom! I got it opened!! Thank the lord!!! I ended up spraying the lock from the inside as well as everything else connected to it, and "whammo" the door opened when I was working the door handle!

[guruerror]

Good to hear...

...I'm still impressed that you got the door panel off while it was closed; LOL!