Caravan Sliding Door Lock Easy Fix Town and Country Routan 2008 +
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ส.ค. 2024
- There is a RECALL on this specific part. Read on, click SHOW MORE.
Fix the sliding door power lock on the Dodge Caravan, Chrysler Town and Country and VW Routan the easy way without tearing apart the entire sliding door. 20 minutes (an hour if you take your time) with a kit from ebay, with less fees at Godaddy, or buy instructions and download now.
Kit with actuator, wiring connector, zip ties, T15 bit, wiring instructions:
simplerepairso...
OR with ebay fees factored in:
www.ebay.com/i...
2015-2017 RECALL:
If your van has less than 150,000 documented (by Chrysler) miles and you are the lucky owner of a 2015 - 2017 you qualify for a voluntary recall. Chrysler has determined that only these years and amount of distance they traveled are worthy of fixing at their expense. They will refund money spent on parts and labor so I offer a Mopar MSRP priced version that includes a warranty on the actuator:
simplerepairso...
Buy 2 of these and show me a reimbursement paper trail I can use for marketing and I'll buy YOU many beers of thanks. Have a local shop install it. You can get reimbursed for that too and give them some business.
Details:
static.nhtsa.g...
Chrysler's reimbursement site:
www.chrysler.c...
PDF of electrical instructions can be purchased and immediately downloaded:
simplerepairso...
Hey Thanks! I saved you a ton of trouble! Buy me a beer! Be part of the less than 0.1% who do!!
paypal.me/Simpl...
Thanks to Eric and Dave for $20!
Thanks to Joseph $15!
Thanks to Marvin, Jason, Kevin and Bradley for $10!
Thanks for Chad, Edward, Jason, Uwe, Ramin, Glenn and Scott for $5!
Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Town and Country sliding door lock actuator
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
I bought this kit and installed it today. Took about an hour. The new original actuator was only 7 months old and its starting to fail. The only modification I had to do was cut some of the plastic off of the inside of the door panel where it has one of those plastic push anchors right next to the rod and screw on attachment that connects to servo rod to the lock rod on the door. Just used wire cutters and was able to cut it out of the way. It now allows room for the rod connector to move back and forth. The electrical connector that came with the kit didn't make a good connection, so I used wire nuts and taped them up and then taped them to the existing wiring harness. Thanks for saving me 6 hours of work to replace that damn original actuator!
Sorry about the connector. I've only seen a few that don't work. I test the actuator movements but don't wire both sides for the test, just some prongs to make an electrical connection.
Aug. 2023- Thank you for a great remedy to a horrendous job. Your kit and video worked perfectly and saved me time and money!!! I'm 75 years young and was able to fix this sooo anyone can follow your easy to do instructions and complete this. Super-Product!! TKS -Rich
Great to hear!
@@easierthisway4431 This IS Super Fantastic! Thanks!
Just finished and this is the most easy and best kit to fit the problem. Such a terrible design by Chrysler and this kit made it waaaaaaaay easier. Whoever designed this kit deserves a medal! Thank you soooo much.
Glad it helped
I bought your part for my daughter recently, and I just want to thank you for the effort you've made to help others. The fix is ingenious, and it was easy to install. Wish you all the best, and God bless you and all your endeavors!
Very kind, thank you.
Thank you so much! This worked great- I was able to get the lock to open, quickly snipped the power to the actuator and then patiently awaited these kits to arrive! Fast shipping and great customer service! So glad I didn’t let a mechanic charge us for this- honestly the hardest part is popping off the door panels, so if you can do that you can do this!
Excellent!
I ordered the kit last year and finally got around to fix the door today. Amazing door is working ! Thanks for this kit ! It was fast and super easy
I have a faucet from 3 years ago I've been meaning to install... right after I get this finished.
And now that faucet is a priority over my gas hot tub heater new project... so it'll finally get done.
@@easierthisway4431 .... Waiting for...???
I sent my car to the dealer. They asked for $1800 for the repair, but I was frustrated by that unreasonable amount. I watched this video from this wonderful person. I purchased the part and installed it myself. The process was very easy and the repair was completed. Thank you. You saved us from thieves and fraudsters of the merchant.
Great job!
Whoa, whoa! Thieves and fraudsters? Sir, it pays 6.2 hours by the book to replace the actuator the factory way, with the factory part.
We don't design it, we just fix it. It's an unreasonable design sure, but the mechanic still has to fight with the shitty door for hours to get this done. They are not defrauding you in the slightest.
Right but you could fix it in less than an hour using this method and it lasts for years (I'm at 4 years). How do I get Chrysler on board with this bypass?
Even if doing this the intended way, this guy does the best job demonstrating where all the clips are when taking off the trim. The visual aids were super helpful!
Thanks Dan! This is intended to fix the power lock faster and easier than taking the whole door apart. At any point in this process the door can be closed and the vehicle driven with the panel off. It can also be done in the rain with the window up.
I've had feedback out of hundreds that that my x-y for one clip location was off - and he was right. I fixed it and tossed about 50 copies of instructions and printed a new batch. Also updated the wording about wires going into the door. The actuator wires come from the bundle of wires in the track below the door.
I print the instructions at bestvaluecopy.com on some really nice paper for about $0.30 each.
Just ordered my kit! I'm glad I found your video. I really hope this will fix it. Took our 2018 Caravan to the shop and they wanted almost $700 for the part + 3.5 hours of labor cost!!! You sir are a genius!!!
Did it work?
I installed the kit a few months ago and it's still operating as it should. Thanks!
OHFG.....I swapped the actuator out on the passenger door and it took me roughly 3.5 hours because I was taking my time. Dealing with the window rail was a major "Pain In The A$$". I found this video, ordered the parts and I was done in about 45 minutes (because I was taking my time and paying attention to things). This was SOOOO much easier. Thank you for putting this out there. Works like a champ.
Happy you found it!
This is FANTASTIC, I did it the old school way and was dreading having to do it a second time ... THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH for this hack!
Glad it helped!
Bro!!!! That was so simple, thank you!! Just got your kit in the mail and the instructions were so simple !!! Saved me a bunch of time, money and frustration!!!!! Highly recommend!
Thanks bro! Good name too. (Username used to be Jonathan...something)
I received your kit last week and just finished installing it a few minutes ago. It was easy to do and went exactly as described in the instructions. What an amazing fix for what would otherwise be a terrible job. Thank you very much.
Great to hear! Thanks you for the purchase.
Finally put my kit in today and ordered the second one. Hardest part was removing the door panel. Door works great now.
Great to hear.
Thank you! Saved big money and time with the kit. Super easy instruction to follow! Did both doors under two hours.
Excellent!
Wow this works amazing. The sliding door was jammed shut, was able to get it open by holding the unlock lever and pulling on the door handle at the same time. Was unsure if this would work because the locked seemed to stay jammed. When I got it open and cut the wires the lock mechanism moved freely. Completed the install and everything works like new.
Good to hear!
I am having the same issue. the lock is jammed in the lock position. Even trying to move the actuator rod with needle nose it does not move. Is this what yours did? Then when you cut the elec wires it let it move?
@@Huntmx24 I have the same issue. When I cut the wires, it is still jammed.
Don't cut the wires until it moves freely. Need to get that motor to spin to unjam the stripped gears.
Smart guy! I just installed the kit and it works great! Chrysler engineers can eat dust.
This saved me sooooo much money!!! Works great after ordering parts and them arriving in a timely manner! Ordered the entire kit for both doors as both were out by the time i looked into fixing this. Actuators are expensive at dealership with labor. My personal mechanic still was going to charge me an arm and a leg for labor cause of gettting to the actuator and replacing. Thank you sir for this fix! AWESOME AWESOME FIX! Dont look anywhere else and waste your valueable time!
Great to hear!
Thanks for your video. So much easier than removing the inner panel and everything else.
My actuator usually failed to unlock the latch. It could still be operated manually.
I did manage to mount mine without drilling through the panel or the rubber access panel. Though the inner panel doesn't see much water, if any, I still prefer not to put holes in it. There are two empty screw towers that you position the replacement actuator against. These towers are reinforced with molded plastic gussets. I was able to drill the holes I needed through one gusset to the right of the right tower, and through two gussets to the left of the left screw tower. You can then wrap your zip ties around the screw towers. Be careful to wrap them around protrusions on the actuator so they don't slip off. The gusset holes hold the zip ties back near the base of the panel to hold it as securely as your through holes did. Your method works well too, mine just eliminates the need to penetrate the panels. Wish I could post pics to help explain.
I really appreciate your idea and taking the time to produce a good video. Will put a tip in the jar.
Marvin - Appreciate the tip!
That rubber panel must cover up some hole needed for factory install. I can't imagine the two little holes I punch in there do much. I did drive around with the plastic door panels off for about a month before filming this and it was a noise ride, much like a panel van.
That is so simple compared to pulling the whole door apart. Saved a bunch of time. Thanks! I bought you a beer.
Happy it worked for you, and thanks for the beer!
All these works that's how you repay him.That dude deserves a lot more than that.
Marvin and Jason both bought me 2 beers. It can be done at more than 1. Just sayin.
One thing I would like to add for anyone that might run into the same issue that I did. I have a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan GT and I'm not positive if it's because the door panel has both a window switch and heated seat switch that seems to make the panel mounts just a little bit different than in the video, but when I put the panel back on the door lock bar wouldn't move at all because it was pressing up against the part with the three screws on it connecting the bar to the lock actuator. I simply removed that clip from the inside of the door panel by cutting it off and I put the panel back on in the same way that the video shows, now no more binding, and removing that panel mount didn't seem to make any difference at all with how the panel is secured. It works perfectly.
Nice work. I didn't know there were models with heated back seats. Minivan luxury.
We don’t have heated seats, but running into the same issue- the door panel pin is keeping the 3-Screw connector from traveling to unlock position..
thhe best inveention since jesus Grist, it saved my time and my car door opening , poor me ... works super great
I bought the kit on eBay some time ago and just got around to doing it. Yep super easy although it did take a couple hours. The clips can be tricky. I had a couple of plastic panel pry bars and I found it easier to open the door halfway and go in from the side rather than the top on the first two. I also was tripped up on the whole ‘wires going into door’ and then realized where the power was coming from. Lastly, the clip on the panel near where the actuator mounts was interfering with the new actuator. I had to partially remove the panel again and trim that clip body with snips so it would clear. All in all a great fix.
What year van do you have? I've only had that feedback from vans with the rear heated seats.
Whoever put this package together is a genius.. A couple of things that might make it even faster for you. When the directions say to spice the wires going into the door, they mean the ones going to the bottom of the door, not the center of the door. The quick connector in my kit was bad. You might want to have some crimp conecters on hand. Other than that, this is fantastic!
Sorry about the connectors, have had a couple noticeably bad ones when I put the wires in one side. Send me a msg in ebay or reply to the godaddy email, I can't find you based on the youtube username.
Thank you very much, I didt this and it saves me hundreds of $ and works perfectly fine. And it took less than 2 hours. Thank you
Why doesn't Chrysler/Dodge motor Company hire this guy ? !5 minutes with the boughten kit and I was back as good as new. Thanks so much !
15 minutes? You win!
This kit was amazing! Thank you!! I saved so much time and the install was very easy. Now my door lock works again. The instructions were clear and easy to follow.
Great to hear!
Fukn GENIUS, I got my kit in the mail this weekend so will be mounting it tomorrow and I’ll let you know how it goes. Thank you so much!
Thank you!
Totally returning the OEM actuator and doing this… Just ordered off eBay and looking forward to installing.
Thanks!
I am pretty good with house repairs but get nervous with car or electrical repairs, but I thought I'd give this a try. I was really surprised at how easy each step was. Took me about 90 minutes but I was working slowly to be safe. This is an ingenious repair! If you are not engineer, I think you missed your calling.
Couple tips for the less experienced like me:
1. You need to use a lot of force to get the door cover off. But be careful and use a long pry bar with a twisting motion at the clips. My pry bar was not long enough and I broke one clip by not twisting. It was no big deal because of the next tip.
2. For my 2017 Grand Caravan, I removed the clip closest to the new actuator because I thought it might interfere with the mechanism. This worked out perfectly because I used it to replace the broken clip mentioned above. The door holds together very well and does not miss this one clip.
Really irritates me that Chrysler does not cover this repair for my van. They have extended their warranty for many cars, including the 2017 model, but not mine because of the manufacture date. GRRRRR. It's obviously the same thing but they are nickel and diming. And if they know they have a problem, why are they charging $700 for an actuator that costs $20 on Amazon? I won't be buying another Dodge.
By the way, left you a tip because I think you could charge a lot more for this kit. Thank you!
Good tips Craig! I'm not an engineer by degree but have been doing automation controls engineering for 18 years.
Awesome idea here and thank you! . I have a 2016 and will do this instead of spending 5+ hours fighting with the door.
Glad it helped
@@easierthisway4431 works perfect! Very easy install! Now I know why they designed these doors they way they did...to rob us blind! $$$
Yes, yes it is. Let's take a part we know fails, because it has been failing for 20 years, and burry it in the door.
Just purchased two of these kits on ebay seeing that they are almost gone and for when the other sides lock actuator inevitably goes out and I need it. A year and a half ago I purchased a new actuator through 1A Auto and went through the horribly annoying and difficult process of tearing apart the whole door assembly to remove, install and reassemble. The actuator failed yesterday and became jammed in the lock position. I refuse to go through that process ever again. Thank you for this work around solution to a terribly engineered door assembly that should instead have an access panel to the part like pre 2008 models did.
Thanks for buying them.
It saved my $$$ and time. perfectly works... It took me 2 hours completely replaced .. Thank you so much!!
Good to hear. You're welcome!
Found your video and you have restored hope in me! Just ordered the kit, it is a brilliant hack. THANK YOU SIR.
Enjoy!
I just want to say, for anyone that is new to doing their own car repair, or is just slow and methodical, this job can easily take a couple hours. For one, those clips can be hard to get to. Luckily, I have a pry bar just like in the video, but you need something relatively long that you can get into tight spaces to twist the clips off. It still took me a long time, and I broke at least one in the process. I think you're supposed to twist towards the direction of the arrows in the video. Second, when wiring, the instructions tell you to cut two wires, then where you made the cut, "Strip the wires going into the door..." This is for wiring in the new actuator. To me this is not worded clearly enough. What is meant is to use the wires that are coming from the car into the door that powers everything in the door. Don't use the wires that go further deeper into the door, as those are now dead after you made the cuts.
Pulling panels off the first time takes some force. Feels like something is going to break but it's the give of the plastic before it pops the clips.
Let’s just say this guy is the MAN!!!! Thanks boss!
You bet
Just bought a kit to fix the annoying buzz on my wife's van! Hope this does the trick!
Better than it failing later.
Thank you so much, worked great!! Dealer wanted $1200 for both doors. Done in 1 1/2 hours for under $100👍🏻 Great work!!!
Btw wiring schematic comes with the kit I did not know and purchased it separately. Just for others to know in the future👍🏻
Happy it worked for you! I refunded your download purchase. Names on ebay come in as the usernames, and unless I cross reference the the shipping labels and downloads I won't notice. Downloads are automatic too and end up in a different bucket since ebay now manages payments outside of paypal.
Thank you. This was a great solution. Saved me $1000.
Excellent!
Thank You So Incredibly Much! The video, the links, the instructions, and making the purchase from eBay were all absolutely Excellent. It saved me so much time, money and aggravation!
Great to hear!
Thank you, brother!!! I really appreciate you making this video. Great job!!!
Glad it was helpful!
Great idea and very clever, I just wish it would work for my Dodge Caravan. Both lock actuators on both door jammed and unable to be moved. One locked and one unlocked. I found the key to doing the job is to remove the side window, and that allows inserting the panel back in the proper place much easier.
When they jam sometimes they are stuck but usually can get them to move putting a channel locks on the rod and push with some force, hitting lock/unlock to get the gears to move. Once they are free and it works in manual stop using the power lock until disconnected to avoid jamming again.
Loved this video and product! Saved so much money and time and was really simple to complete.
Great to hear!
Thanks for sharing the video. Adding the link to leave you a few dollars for sharing the idea is perfect.
Thanks! I appreciate it Chad. You are legit contributor #2 after 4980 views from 3900 unique viewers.
I’m shocked I didn’t think of that.
Freaking brilliant.
Thanks Tim.
Checking my comments, got your "Freaking brilliant" and "rinky dink" in the same week. It must be an election year.
Can't thank you enough! Ordered the kit on e bay, it worked great!
Good to hear!
I finally installed your eBay kit on my 2011 VW Routan. The buzzing is gone! Maybe you can add the Routan to your description to funnel a few more sales your way? Can't thank you enough for coming up with this, so I bought you a couple beers.
Excellent!! Happy it worked!! Good idea on the VW. It's basically the same vehicle except VW has higher standards for the transmission, and probably many other parts as well.
I can do it without my husband. Thank you very much. Chrysler says it costs $180 to inspect why door doesn’t open. WTF!!!
Excellent work!
Dodge told me 750$ to fix 😳
I could kiss you. This was so simple and worked like a dream
I'm more of a hug kind of guy, but thanks!
@@easierthisway4431 deal
Could this possibly fix the issue of the sliding door not locking with the key fob or with the door lock switches from the driver seat? If you lock it manually it stays locked and ONLY does not lock using the fob or driver door lock switches. Its a 2015 and every other lock work just fine. I bought you a beer just for making this awesome video!
Never heard of just the fob and driver door not working for one door. Maybe try your left hand, just kidding, never heard this before.
Only thing with this kit is to be mindful of the clip because once the door panel is installed it can jam against the retaining clips of the door panel and won’t allow the door to unlock once locked. I just cut the retainer off the door panel so the actuator won’t jam up against it. Works perfect..
What year is your van?
@@easierthisway4431 2017..
Great video. I ended up drilling two small holes through the plastic posts that are next to where the actuator is being placed. Then I used safety wire instead of zip ties. The actuator body sn't moving at all, very solid. I'm sending you a beer! I wish youtube would stop being dumb and allow private messages and us to post pictures. What is the lifespan of these new actuators? Hopefully better than the original door lock actuator.
From what I've read they should last 100,000 cycles. So if you lock and unlock your car (counting that as 2) 10 times a day this should last 13.7 years. Based on how they are constructed I really doubt it'll go that far but at least they are in an easy location to replace. You can submit pictures on the messages in ebay, or reply to this with your email. I have to approve comments for them to show up.
My symptoms for a 2014 passenger sliding door as as such: If I open the door via button on dash or FOB, it will open, but the little hook that is meant to engage on the latch at the bottom inside rear of the door at the track, does not engage and will sometimes hook and hold with help from me and most of the times not engage. If it does engage, and stays hooked, if I try to close the door with the FOB or dash, it will start closing and ALMOST close but will need a push form my hand to latch and shut. If the hook does not engage, it will. not even try to close on its own. It works fine to open and close manually, and the latch will close the door properly when assisted by me.
Based on my description above, has anyone had similar and this fExcellent DIY Fix was the ticket?
Thanks in Advance!
That is a sliding issue. If it detects too much force on the close it reverses to not pinch something or someone. Our passenger door does that when on an incline. Something on the track isn't moving freely.
I noticed in the video, you only use the remote to open the door after the part is installed. Does it function normally when you press the button inside the vehicle to open the door as well?
Yes.
That's great thinking outside of the box MacGuyver! Much easier. I don't need it yet but my actuator is buzzing ;-)
Buzzing is the gears grinding. They will strip soon and just stop working or jam.
@@easierthisway4431 Ah great!
woah I did this to my jeep cherokee way back in 2006 with a similar kit. i did all 4 doors easy peeasy lol
I did the back door on my 2001 Grand Cherokee. Probably should have made a video for that too.
@@easierthisway4431 you really never know. It could be just the thing, someone is looking for 👍🏼 thank you for putting all this together.
Super job, I try myself. Thanx.
I have 3 questions:
1) In the recall info, it says RT vehicles built on or after May 1 2014. Well, mine was made Oct 2014, so I guess I'm out of luck. I wonder if anyone has had any luck getting reimbursement if only 6 months difference.
2) I have a 2015 Town and Country: My doors are not stuck, they open and close fine, but it just makes the buzz ONLY when unlocking (on the right door). Will this device work as it basically bypasses the current actuator? Thanks
3) Do you ship to Canada?
Shipping to Canada is calculated too high on the godaddy site, I refund the difference. Cost is around $17.
Cool magic show!
I have a 2018 Grand Caravan with the driver's side sliding door that will not unlock. After trying several times, I was able to get the door to unlock manually from the inside last night and then open and close the door a couple times. When I went to do it again this morning, it was locked up tight and I was not able to physically push the lock enough from the inside to get it to unlock.
Luckily it is extremely rare that somebody sits behind me in the middle seat, but if someone were there and we were in an accident, they would have to bail out of the passenger side.
A huge safety issue.
At 43,000 Miles I am probably out of warranty but I will be calling the dealership Monday to see if there is a recall or service bulletin out for this since it seems to be common enough.
Push the unlock button at the same time put some pressure on the lever, or works better to open the door up to get to the rod linkage and put a pliers or vice grip on it and push/pull to get it freed. Not surprised at 43k miles. About 10% of the ones I buy new jam... but I test them and don't ship it.
So had to replace the window regulator and the lock actuator, window regulator I was able to change out fine. Used your kit for the lock actuator and have it all installed correctly. But I think the metal bar might be off. When I unlock the car, i can’t get it to go far enough to the left to actually unlock the door. Was wondering if you had a tip for it? Gonna keep trying
Loosen up the connector between the actuator rod and lock rod, pull it to the end of travel and make sure the manual lock is the same direction at end of travel. Tighten it back up.
Does this fix actually disconnect the old bad actuator from the wiring? and you just leave the old lock actuator buried in the door? I am asking because my driver side actuator still locks and unlocks the door however it makes the crazy loud buzzing noise sometimes when locking/unlocking and when you hit the mph speed where it auto locks. Its really annoying.
Yes it disconnects the old one so it stops running and jamming. Buzzing is from the gears wearing out and skipping teeth. It'll jam soon.
I have a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan modified for wheelchair accessibility. My driver side sliding door won’t open with the fob or button controls, however if I manually push the lock switch into the unlock position I can open the sliding door. Once I close the door the lock switch returns to the locked position. So will this kit fix this issue or do I have to do the long hard way repair?
The gears for unlock are probably stripped but work fine to lock. This will fix it.
My door lock is jammed in the locked position. I pushed it forward hard and was able to get the door to open and close. Is my actuator jammed or is it sending an elec signal to stay locked? Will this kit work? looks so much easier than the real fix! looking to buy this.
It'd kill the battery if it was holding it locked. It's jammed. Push lock/unlock and put some force on that rod to get it loose.
@@easierthisway4431 I will dig into it soon. Thanks for your reply!
Hello, Thanks for your video. Why my Van is a 2017 model and it's not cover for the recall. I request my VIN number and always say "No Recalls". My Van has only 42.600 miles.
That's not cool. Miles and door lock uses are not related, not sure how they came up with a 150,000 number where they don't have to fix it, or a certain part of the year they 'fixed' their issue we all have.
Better way of doing it good job really genius thanks
Thanks!
Mine has the actuator seized in the locked position. Would you think it okay to install this and just use bolt cutters to snip the bar connected to the failed actuator just past the connection point of the new actuator?
No. You'd be disconnecting the lock leaving it in whatever position it is now.
My passenger sliding door will not lock with the rest of the doors, any help would be appreciated
they can fail in either position, ours failed to lock as well, manually still worked fine. Does yours work manually? If it does this will fix it.
I assume the button on the post still works after the change over? My 2017 makes a nasty noise when I unlock or open the door. It unlocks and opens but if it's locked that noise happens every time
Yes the post button still works. The gears are grinding and sometimes get stuck. This will fix it.
Very nice video. I have a grand caravan 2014 with manual sliding door that opens fine but it won't lock anymore. Will this fix that problem as well?
It needs to be able to lock in manual.
@@easierthisway4431 Ok thank you. It does not, so it must be something else then. Thank you!
my actuator works and lock can be moved manually as well, however using the actuator the lock doesn't quite unlock all the way. It moves it most of the way, but not enough. i have to manually give it a little push to complete the unlock. any suggestions on a fix that doesn't involve replacing the actuator?
Get one of these. Your internal gears are worn out. I would suspect it buzzes and grinds.
What should I do with the existing rod going from the original actuator to the lever? The one you clipped on to. Mine is stuck and will not move at all. It’s stuck in the unlocked position. Watching this video it seems as though I’d have to either cut the rod or somehow disconnect it from the original actuator.
Push lock/unlock on the remote (or front door) and put force on that rod with a pliers or channel lock to get it to free up. The original actuator overtraveled and is jammed. It needs to be freed up or this bypass will not work. Do not cut the rod it's connected to the lock. The old actuator still has a switch inside it that needs to function for the automatic door. It will not try to open the door if it thinks it's locked.
My passengers rear door opens and closes but it wont lock and the lever inside doesn’t move its stuck, will this fix it?
Open up the door and put some force on the rod in the lock direction and hit the lock/unlock button on the remote or front door to free it up. Put some force on it. If it unjams and works manually this will fix it, but it has to move first.
My rear right sliding door open & close with the key fob however it close and open from inside as well but does not lock or unlock.
Does this kit still work with it?
Thx in advance
If the manual lock still works this will fix it.
Mine opens perfect just makes a click click click sound when I open and when I close it. What is the fix?
That happens on an incline for the door travel motor, or the cinch motor is torqueing out. Clean up the track.
Please help. My sliding door does not open at all. Not even manually. I removed the door panel and have tried to fiddle with the lock/unlock button and by manually pulling on the lock/unlock rod but still nothing. How can i get this door to unlock? Any tips anyone
Try both at the same time - hit the lock/unlock button and push/pull on the lock rod with a pliers. If it gets loose it can be bypassed with this kit. The plastic gears in the old actuator are stripped and jamming.
I ordered your kit for my 2014 Town and Country. The passenger door won't lock. So I installed your kit, nice and easy. But, it's not working. The bar going to the old mechanism from the manual lock doesn't travel at all, it is jammed. Suggestions?
Push lock/unlock buttons and put some force on that rod to get it loose. The motor overtravels the stripped gears and they jam, needs to be free for this bypass kit to work.
Push lock/unlock buttons and put some force on that rod to get it loose. Need to get the motor to spin to free up the stripped gears. Once it moves my hand you can cut the wires.
@@easierthisway4431 ok, I'll try that, I already cut the wires, tho, but I can jump them back to get it loose
@@easierthisway4431 ok, I got it freed up and was able to get it installed. One small issue, the little metal arm from the new lock mechanism was hitting one of the door supports, and wouldn't let the door unlock. So I had to replace it with one a bit longer so it missed that support. It might be a good idea to send the full arm in the kit (not cut)
I bought your kit got everything hooked up. Actuator is not working when I unlock and relock at driver door. I have switched wires in the connector it's still not working. Could the actuator that you sent be defective? The window rolls up and down so I'm getting power to the door.
The window power comes from the canbus module in the door, locks come through the harness in the track. I've sent you an email with more details on how to troubleshoot it.
i’m having those issues now can I just bypass something and just have it unlocked all the time? If so what’s the procedure, thanks for any advice much appreciated !!
Can't disconnect it without unplugging the old one, which is part of the steps included.
Thank you so much for doing this!
👍👍👍👍👍
You're welcome Dan! Thanks for buying! It will be there Monday.
Does anyone have a link to a video to get the panel off if the door won't open at all? My lock won't disengage even manually.
Pretty sure the door doesn't need to be open to get the panel off. Start at the rear corner and pull it up away from the window, then go in through the top to get pry the clips. If you get the top pulled out a little ways the manual lock linkage bar can be grabbed with a pliers, put some force on it while hitting lock/unlock to get the old actuator to release. The actuator gears overtravel when they are ground down and jam.
Will your fix solve this problem? My door would not lock with remote. Lock lever was jammed in unlocked position, but after moving lever to lock position using force it moves freely to lock and unlock. Now when using remote to unlock there is a short buzzing/ grinding noise coming from the actuator. I suppose the sound of actuator gears stripping and will soon fail completely. When it fails I think I should still be able to lock/ unlock and open door manually.
If it can move manually the kit will fix it. The power wires to the actuator in the door are cut so the original motor won't run. My theory is it jams when it overtravels but I have yet to open a jammed actuator to see inside.
A he'll of a lot easier. Ty
2 questions.
1. does the door open automatically when you unlock the door?
2. does the button in the van not work anymore?
I'll try to answer your questions, maybe they're not the answers you're looking for.
1. No. It opens as part of the sliding door opening sequence from 3 different sources. Unlocking doesn't open the door, opening the door (remote or inside buttons) unlocks the door.
2. We don't touch the buttons, just the actuator. My buttons never failed, just the actuator. The buttons by the sliding door can be disabled from the front to keep kids from opening with their feet.
Hope that helps.
How does this bypass work? Does not the long silver lock bar need to be detached from whatever is frozen/broke before the aftermarket actuator can work successfully?
Do not detach the bar. I didn't. If yours is jammed put some force on it with a pliers and hit the lock/unlock buttons to get it freed up. The old actuator motor is disconnected in this fix and shouldn't jam after it has no power to overtravel. It still has a limit switch that tells the car the door is unlocked and to proceed with the auto opening. If it is removed completely the motors won't work, or if wired to show unlocked all the time the motors will attempt to open a locked door and burn out or blow a fuse. There's a lot there to digest. This is moving the actuator motor. I use good motors.
My manual door lock is stuck in the unlock position. Message me when you have the work around and I will immediately buy two of the replacement kits. Thanks again. You probably won’t be able to keep your kits in stock if you figure that one out because the only alternative is a nightmare. You’d have me at your mercy with your pricing if you could figure it out.
If someone has a stuck actuator they can send me it would help get this idea moving.
I would totally do that for you. I’m not that mechanically inclined and if I took it all out I’d have to put it all back together. It is my daily driver and I can’t drive around with the guts out of it.
Right. If you take the door apart it's not advisable to drive around not shut.
Open up the plastic door panel and push/pull on the rod coming from the manual lever and at the same time hit unlock/lock to try to get the actuator motor gears to free up. If they get loose let me know.
I have a 2016 grand caravan that sliding doors make no noise anymore and they are locked forever I can move the tab to unlock and lock but nothing happens now will this kit work for me?????
You can open the door up to see why the lock is moving without unlocking, might be the rod is disconnected. The manual lock needs to function in order for this kit to work. If you have a 2016 with < 150k miles it is part of the recall.
My lock is not moving freely - how do I free it up to do the install?
Push lock/unlock and put some force on that rod to get it loose.
good idea ... unfortunately has a very, very limited application. most of door actuator failure include a mechanic failure. meaning it is seized either in the locked or unlocked position. so even with an auxiliary actuator, it remains physically seized. but thank you nonetheless for sharing your 'outside-the-box' idea!!
Thanks for the comment. This does require the door lock to move and function in manual.
From the ones I have worked on they buzz and then fail. The motor stops running but still functions with the lever in manual and the can bus knows the lock position. If a majority of them were seizing up it would be a safety issue trapping people in without being able to open the door to get out in an emergency. I think Chrysler/Dodge would have to issue a recall if this were the case.
@@easierthisway4431 YEAH ... you would think they would issue a recall. the van became virtually useless as both sliders had seized in the locked position. when the second one failed, the front seats needed to be moved forward and the 2nd/3rd row seats stowed (while inside the van ... not an easy task), then the rear hatch needed to be opened just to exit the van. VERY SERIOUS ISSUE. unfortunately the solution is to junk the vehicle, since the doors cannot be serviced if seized in the lock position (short of cutting them open and replacing the entire door?!)
@@dasanco1 Agreed, unfortunately my actuator is also seized up and it doesn't even allow manual unlocking. Going to attempt the full tear down this weekend.
This repair requires the old actuator to be connected to give the lock position to the can bus. I'd be interested if it can be loosened or snap the gears so it can move freely. I bet there is perfect spot to drill a hole into the actuator to break a gear and free it up.
@@easierthisway4431 forget about repairing it if it is seized in the lock position ... to repair the actuator you must remove the window's rear track AND the rear latch assembly. both REQUIRE the door to be open ... absolutely no other option, short of cutting the door out of the vehicle.
My driver door is stuck on lock so this should work, but will it also eliminate the buzzing sound when my passenger door unlocks?
You should be able to loosen it up with the panel off by pushing/pulling on the lock rod with a pliers. It will eliminate the buzzing as well.
Hey I see your still replying to comments. I have a 2012 dodge caravan with no automatic doors. It’s jammed open right now. Will this method work if I can free up the existing rod? If not, can I straight up disconnect the old one since it’s it’s not automatic?
If you have power door locks yes. Put some force on the rod and hit the lock/unlock button, might get loose. Yes you can disconnect it and it'll be fully manual and not jam... but you need to get it loose first.
Mine is stuck locked. I got the panel off but that bar wont slide at all. Even with force. Will doing it this way make it move and un jam itself? I cant reach in and unlock the door at all. It's just stuck or jammed in lock position
Try hitting the lock/unlock button with the force applied. If the actuator motor can move at all it might free up. It needs to move and work manually for this bypass system to work. If you replace the original part the hard way please send it to me, I'd like to open it up.
Good to know, but I can't get my driver side sliding door open.on the dashboard. It says unlock door still won't work what can I do to get it open.thanks
The lock needs to move in manual for this to work. Open up the door and push/pull on the rod at the same time push the lock/unlock buttons to get it to free up. If it moves this fix will work, but if you hit lock/unlock and it jams you'll have to free it up again before doing the fix.
what happens if the lock button doesn't move will this sill work i would realy like to know.
The lock lever needs to be able to move manually. Open up, put some force on the rod, push lock/unlock.
@@easierthisway4431 ok I'l try that. Thanks
This looks like a great time saver. Will the door lock and unlock properly using the buttons on the pillar and up front or just from the remote?
These function with the front buttons on the doors as it used to. The van has a counter on the lock/unlock cycles in case a kid or dog is mashing the buttons. It stops responding after about 15 cycles from both the door buttons and the remote to prevent draining the battery, and probably to prevent these actuators from failing within the first 36,000 miles.
@@easierthisway4431 I noticed they stopped functioning while I was testing things before doing the repair. Thanks for that comment.
Mine won't open even when pull the material bar, I guess will have to go the hard way
Put some force on it, it's already broken.
So you leave the old part in place? And it doesn't prevent the new part from working?
Yes. The old part has the limit switch that still works to tell the door it is unlocked and can run the power sliding door.
Great video. Do you have suggestions when both the left sliding door won't lock and the window will not go up and down? Thank you for your time.
The window power and the lock status connect to the can bus module on the door. The lock actuator power does not. If the door is locked and the door open is pressed on the remote the display will show 'Unlock Door to Operate'. If it does not the module on the door is probably not powered or connected on the can bus. I'd start with checking the wiring to that module and for damage to the wires in the track of the door.
@@easierthisway4431 Thank you! I'll give it a go.
Hi. Did you check out how much current the new actuator draws?
I found one that looks similar to yours but it draws 4x the current of the original. would it damage the door control module?
The door module receives the unlock feedback for the can bus but the power for the actuator does not come from there. I have 2 of these installed and never blew a fuse.
why on earth haven't the guys at dodge put that actuator where this fix is, in the first place?
The dealerships like getting $600 to fix them, no reason to change it.