Rear doors will not open

Tiny
MNCHEVYGAL
  • MEMBER
  • 1998 CHEVROLET TRUCK
Well this is peachy. Both of my passenger back doors on my Cavalier will not open now. The doors are not electric. Just your plain door locks.

Anyone know what would cause this? The passenger side backdoor went first about a a year and a half ago. Just left it cause of money issues. Now the driver side backdoor goes.

What makes no sense to me is that the the locks are locking/unlocking.

1. We live in Minnesota and had a sudden cold spell but also had many back in October.

2. Sprayed the hindges over the summer for the added smooth shut.

Does anyone know how to fix this without going to a repair shop? If hubby has to take out inside door panel. How do you do this? He thinks he knows about cars but does not.

Thank you in advance for any advice and help. :D
Wednesday, November 29th, 2006 AT 10:53 AM

9 Replies

Tiny
COMPASS AUTO
  • MEMBER
  • 10 POSTS
Unfortunately it sounds like your door latches are stuck. You may be able to get them open by locking then unlocking them pushing pretty hard on the lock lever in unlock direction and trying to open door simultaneously from inside handle and outside handle. You have to get the door open to remove the screws in the bottom of door panel to remove it. Warning once you get doors open they probably will not shut again, need new latches available from dealer only. "Just fixed one a week ago same
problem". Hope helpful. Good Luck!
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Saturday, March 10th, 2007 AT 9:46 PM
Tiny
MIKE H R
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,094 POSTS
You need to spray the door locks with WD40. The door panels are held on by push connectors. Take and gently pull on one side of the panel a little to see if they will pop out. Be careful not to bend the door panel made out of something like cardboard the can be helped with a screwdriver or a door panel removal tool. There should be two screws one by the inside door handle and one by the armrest. These are usually covered with a small plastic insert. After the door panels are off then spray the door locking mechanism good. Keep working the door try to open and close them. If one has been stuck for over a year and a half then it will be hard to get free. If you want to try before removing the door panel, is spray WD40 on the locking mechanism, with the window down spray WD40 into and on the door latches, let the WD40 penetrate for a day then spray them again. Let the WD40 penetrate some more. Then try opening the doors, sometimes it takes a while, once you are able to get the doors open the spray them good, while opening and closing the doors.
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Sunday, March 11th, 2007 AT 10:35 AM
Tiny
STEVE39
  • MEMBER
  • 18 POSTS
  • 1982 CHEVROLET TRUCK
I have a 1982 k-10 4x4 long-bed pickup and I keep blowing fuses to the cab and cargo light (it is the same fuse for both lights). I have tried a 10, 15 and 20 amp fuse and all blow within a few opens of the cab door.

What can I check next?
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Tuesday, May 30th, 2017 AT 1:05 PM (Merged)
Tiny
WRENCH
  • MECHANIC
  • 57 POSTS
First you need to put back the correct size fuse, not good idea to keep upping the fuse you could burn up some wiring or cause much more damage then just your problem your having. Second you need to look at your door switches see if there broke or the wire is cut, if not then trace the wire back from door switch to fuse there should be a cut or burnt wire there some where. Use a meter and check for continuity.
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Tuesday, May 30th, 2017 AT 1:05 PM (Merged)
Tiny
STEVE39
  • MEMBER
  • 18 POSTS
Okay, I will check the wire paths with a meter. I know its not a good idea about putting in the different amperage fuses but the label for the correct amperage was worn off of the fuse box and I could not see what was suppose to go in there exactly.

Thanks!
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Tuesday, May 30th, 2017 AT 1:05 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KRYSTLESTONE
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1999 CHEVROLET TRUCK
  • 100,000 MILES
I am stuck having to crawl through passenger side of vehicle to enter my 1999 3500 Chevrolet truck the drivers door will not open. What parts will I need to replace and how do I get the door to open? Please, I am not familiar with any of the doors inner workings, so please include a diagram labeling different parts of the mechanism please. Thank you
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Tuesday, May 30th, 2017 AT 1:06 PM (Merged)
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,004 POSTS
If you are not familiar with how to take off the door panel YouTube videos often help. "how to remove door panel on a 1999 Chevrolet truck" or something similar.

The bad thing is the door is shut, this will make it difficult to remove the panel without maybe damaging it, getting to the fasteners may prove to be a challenge.

A small time body shop might do this rather quickly and inexpensively they will know what needs to be done, once inside.

However, should you want to try a last ditch effort before taking it somewhere try this.

Other than taking the door panel off inside and actuating the mechanism by hand then repairing whatever is wrong inside.

I have found this to work on stuck doors.

Try to the best of your ability, "unlock the door" (as if it would open). I mean make sure the lock mechanism is in the off position (inside) you might even do it with the key from the outside, just make sure it's unlocked, to the best of your knowledge.

Have someone hold the outside handle open even roll the window down and have them hold the handle inside (open) your second try.

Lay something like a small piece of plywood on the door panel even a towel folded up to sort of cushion the plywood, flat as you can get it, as close to the rear of the door as possible. This will spread out the "load", maybe prevent damage to the door panel (like busted plastic).

Lay down in the seat and give the plywood a good swift mule kick.

Hopefully it will pop open.

I have done this on different cars for friends and family, even in the auto salvage yard when a door needed to be opened

Should it come open during your kicks inspect the situation maybe a chunk of wood or a toy got slammed in there, thus wedging it tight. Could be that you need to spray some lubricant in the mechanism in the jamb just do this prior to closing it back.

I also looked in YouTube for your exact situation you may find something similar for other cars, if you alter search wording.

Let us know how it goes.

(never had that problem with mine)

The medic
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Tuesday, May 30th, 2017 AT 1:06 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JEKYLL75
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2004 CHEVROLET TRUCK
I bought a truck yesterday and everything is great with the car, except the keys will start the car and open the trunk, but will not open the car doors. Anybody have any ideas or where I can go to get help with this?
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Tuesday, May 30th, 2017 AT 1:06 PM (Merged)
Tiny
BURRBRIAN
  • MECHANIC
  • 158 POSTS
It sounds a lot like somebody has changed the locks in the doors. If the same key starts car and opens trunk but will not open doors I would say the door locks have been changed. You will have to have another key made for them by a locksmith. If it takes one key for ignition and another for the trunk then the same key should do the doors that does the ignition, in this case it is possible that the ignition has been changed out, leaving you in the same place. Having a key made for the door locks. If you are using a key-less fob then you really need to see a Chevrolet dealer to find out what is going on. Either way it is a real bummer! Good luck!
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Tuesday, May 30th, 2017 AT 1:06 PM (Merged)

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