Sliding door not working properly

I assume what is happening is the power sliding portion of the door is not operating.

If that is the case, what does it do? Does it not open or does it reverse track when closing?

There are a number of things that can cause these things so maybe get a video of what it is doing and that will help us take the proper next steps.

Below you will find all the info on this system including the door adjustment process because that is by far the most likely issue.

If the door is reaching a certain point, then we could have binding and the module is reversing track because it thinks there is an obstruction.

Please run through this material and let us know what happens.

Thanks

When you hit the close button all it does is click click, click, and you got to manually shut it.

Okay. I would suggest going through the alignment procedure above and if that all checks out then you will have to replace the motor and track because the clicking you are hearing is most like the track slipping.

The other likely cause of that is the motor is trying to move the door, but it is jammed but this would also be felt when doing it manually. So, if the door moves freely by hand, then the door is out of alignment, or the track/motor is the issue.

I pressed the button on door, the top button and the car button it sounds like it's trying to release but want then when I use the handle it's a little stuck. However, once I unlock it with door handle then hit the button it retracts until it's all the way open.

Okay. Is it possible to get a recording of the operation? I think I understand what is happening and if I do then I think you have an alignment issue.

Basically, what happens is the door tries to open but the motor is not strong enough to overcome the drag caused by it being out of alignment.

If you can get a video of this, then we can confirm it, but I would suggest running through the alignment process attached above.

I'll record the whole thing tomorrow.

Thanks. We will wait to hear back. Thanks for letting us know.

It's not alignment I checked that the rear lock or where it clicks it's not unlocking.

I checked the other side and it unlocks and slides and closes.

Okay. So, I think seeing what this is doing needs to be the next step. The only reason is I don't think I am understanding what is happening.

I thought the door was not sliding properly when you operate the handle.

If it is just clicking and not releasing but operates just fine when you are using it manually then this could just be a latch/striker release issue.

However, let's focus on getting a video of it just to be sure we are on the same page.

I'm sending a video now, but you can't really see it as much as hearing it.

This is it.

It did but looks like this was at night. Sorry but it didn't show anything. I can hear the door but can't see it.

Can we try one more time in the daytime? Sorry for the inconvenience.

It was making that clicking noise but wouldn't open, then when it was closed it sounded like the tract was going backward but the door wouldn't open. I'll try tomorrow morning. Do you work on Christmas day?

Perfect. So, before we condemn the motor/track we need to make sure there are no codes.

There is a chance that the motor thinks there is something there so it will not open the door, but it will set codes telling us that there is high resistance.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/checking-a-service-engine-soon-or-check-engine-light-on-or-flashing

If there are no codes, then we need to suspect the motor is just not capable of moving the door any longer.

Basically, the latch is releasing the door, but the motor is not moving it. It doesn't sound like there is a stripped track as you would hear repeated clicking while the motor is trying to open the door.

That's what a YouTube said, and he said you got to have a drb3 to check it but there's no one around here that carries that tool.

DRBIII is the OEM tool. However, most aftermarket tools will pick up these codes as well.

They are called body codes so they will be B codes, but I would just call around and see if any shops have a scan tool that can read body codes out of Chrysler products, and I am sure they can pull the codes.

I am pretty confident that this is the motor, but it would be nice to confirm any codes just in case.

How much do they charge to pull codes?

That varies but if you try a parts store first, they do it free of charge.

Most of them have the ability to pull all codes so I would try that first.

As for the actual shops, they normally charge you an hour of time to figure out what the issue is. So, I would now have them just pull codes. If you are going to go to an actual shop, have them actually diagnose it and tell you what they think the issue is. This will not only tell you what codes are but confirmation if they see it as a motor as well.

Can an Autel ms808 pull them?

It says it is a full function OBD 2 so it should. I would call Autel and ask them if it will communicate with all modules on this vehicle. I suspect it will be it would be nice for them to confirm it.

It acts like it's not releasing as it's closed but if I hit the button and pull the outside handle at the same time fast it'll open same as if it's fully open and I hit the button and soon as it's trying, I pull the handle it'll work fine.

So, if you have no codes and it is acting crazy like this that usually always means the door motor is the issue.

Without looking at it myself, I have to rely on what we are discussing here and that is basically where I would be looking to replace.

Which motor again? I forgot.

I posted it earlier in the thread, but I will attach it again here to save you from searching for it.

This is the sliding door motor. Basically, it is responsible for moving the door open and closed. It is the common cause of these types of failures. The only times I have seen it not be the issue is when you press the button, and you hear the motor working the entire time like normal, but the door just doesn't move. At that point it is a track issue, but I normally replace the motor at the same time just because you are there.

That's what it does when it's closed, I press the button and it acts like it's opening all the way then it moves back and locks itself without door moving.

This is a better video of it. I got closer to it to see if that's what you were talking about.

I understand you would like me to be able to tell you exactly what to replace but unfortunately, I am not looking at it to be able to diagnose it.

So, all I can really do is help you make the best decision with the info that you can gather.

If there are no codes and the door does not operate, then the most likely and common cause is the motor.

However, in this video you can hear the motor run for a short time. So clearly it can work which means you need to monitor the control module and see if the motor is just doing what it is told.

Normally this would mean the control module is the issue but with no codes I find that hard to believe.

All this to say that what I suspect is happening is the motor is beginning to fail and will eventually not operate at all. When it does turn on it is not able to move the door, so you get the result that you are getting.

If it were me, I would replace the motor and retest the operation.

How much is the motor?

How does the control module get the motor to go?

The motor is controlled by the module by different electrical signals. Basically, when the module sends voltage on each different circuit it powers the motor to do what that circuit is meant for.

I am attaching the wiring diagram below if you would like to monitor the voltage signal to the door. What I would suggest is you monitor it on the other door that is operating correctly and if it matches on both doors then the module is fine, and the motor is the issue.

I am also attaching the part number for the sliding door module so you can source a part. The price listed may not be accurate any longer.

How would I hook a meter up to check? Could I use a volt tester?

I think I may have found the problem when you open the door all the way until you hear the click that locks the door as soon as you hit the button. I looked to see if that piece was unlocking to let the door unlock to move its clicking but it's not moving to unlock door.

Okay. At this point, I don't think we are going to definitively determine what the issue is if we don't have a scan tool. Basically, the module is responsible for controlling the whole system. It releases the latches and turns the motor on. So, we need to use a scan tool to monitor each portion of the system to see what the module is telling these components to do. If the module shows that it is commanding each to operate, then we can check the voltage to confirm it is actually doing it.

Yes, you would use a meter to back probe each of the wires in the diagram above and then operate the door. We need to see if there is voltage coming from each to confirm if this is a module issue.

So, at this point if the latch is not releasing then you can back probe those wires and find out if there is voltage or not. If there is voltage when you press the button, then the latch could be the issue. However, based on the videos that you showed, I still think this is either the module or the motor.

The release moves a little but enough to open. I pulled the handle to just where it releases to see how far it needs to open to release, and it only moves a little. I kept messing with it and then it started back working and closing on its own, then back to clicking. so, my thought is that piece is stuck from moving and it's got all of dirt and grease build up around that area. I need a scan tool to do this but the only shop I know that has a good one charges $300.00 just to look at it. I called around and some say they can't cause it's a Dodge and they do not have the equipment, but I can send it to the dealer, and I said no. I already know they don't mess with this year's model.

It sounds like you are in a smaller town because I share these same issues with the businesses around me.

If it is dirty, then we may be able to improve the operation by just using two chemicals. Try using an engine degreaser to start. Gum outsells a pretty decent one. This will strip any dirt and grease out of it but we will want to lubricate it again so any spray silicone will work once it is cleaned out a little bit.

If it improves the operation at least this proves that you are right, and we can get more serious about cleaning it.

What's that piece called I tried looking it up?

I would check both the latch and the hold open striker. I attached the info on this below.

What's the peace that locks into the hold down striker?

That's where my problem is the part that releases the door and the part when the door is fully open into the lock part. both of them are going bad, I can't find the part though.