BlueRidgeMark

Yes, I searched!


My rear doors have decided they are on strike. I cannot open them either from the inside or outside. Operating the electric locks or the manual lock makes no difference. They have been this way for a couple of months, but it's been low priority. Time to get them working now.

Any suggestions on getting the things open or getting the inside panels off while they are closed? I'm pretty sure I can get the doors open if I can get the panels off. Once I get it open, I can probably figure out the problem, but I'd be happy for any suggestions there, too.

Hommersimpson

both rear at same time sounds like a child safety thing is on..

KD3NE

He cannot open them from the outside .... and I am not even sure if 94 and 97 XJ have child safety locks.

Hommersimpson

True... guess ya can scratch that thought..

KD3NE

I believe you should be able to remove the rear seat even with the doors closed ... but I might be wrong.

That should make pulling the panels off easier.

I believe you can pull the panels off from the inside, but there might be some collateral damage.

My sons 95 suffered the same issues ..... the mechanisms in the door were all gummed up and nasty.

We had to clean and relubricate it all and then go about resetting all the rods.

One rod had no adjustment between its two connect points but it was too long ... we had to bend the ends in just a tad to get things working. It was the rod from the lock tumbler and lock mechanism.

Just had a thought ............ are you certain the doors are UNLOCKED?

I mean can you feel that they are ...... you know the handles feel a bit different between LOCK and UNLOCK.

KD3NE

This is why I hate power windows and locks.

At least with manual locks and door regulators ...... 20 years down the road you have a better chance of them working well ...... so long as you properly maintain them.

I wonder how many people with manual windows and locks, take their door panels off once a year or so to clean and lube the mechanism???

I do mine every three years or so.

BlueRidgeMark

I suspect that is the problem. I should have mentioned that they didn't go at the same time, and got progressively worse over time. Since I'm normally the only one in it, and this summer has been super busy, I've let it go.



No, I'm not certain at all. Can't tell. Working the door lock mechanism doesn't feel right, and doesn't do anything. Trying to open it from inside or outside doesn't feel right, either. That's why I suspect it's a gummed up issue, as you found.

Thought about pulling the seats to get more access, and I'm pretty sure that can be done. I've assigned that project to one of my boys, so we'll see.

Time to get some upholstery tools!

Waynerd

One of the rear doors on one of mine I need to push the button on the handle in several times. Fairly quick with some force. Then it will open. Sometimes only halfway. Then I need to repeat while also pulling on the handle and it will open eventually. Not sure what's up with it. Not currently driving said jeep so I haven't fixed it yet.

BlueRidgeMark

Well, I got the inside panels off. Normally they pop off from the bottom and then can be lifted up to remove the top edge, but since I could not get to the bottom edge, I had to pry them off at the top. For anyone else facing this problem, yes, it can be done. You just need to go carefully. The top edge sits in a hard rubber (or soft plastic?) channel, and with the back seat removed, you can carefully pry from the rear of the door and get it off. Of course, you'll remove the handle first, and the screws for the door latch plate.

Once I got it off, I still couldn't open anything. It appeared that the electric lock mechanism was keeping the rest of the mechanism from moving. I jumped 12v to it, both polarities, and it would not budge. I tried several times both ways, and I could hear the electric mechanism working, but I got very little movement, and not enough to let it open.

So, as a desperation measure, I broke out the actuator with a pry bar.

That allowed me to open the door, but it still turned out to be a Mistake. Yes, capital M mistake.

It turns out the basic problem was rust in the part of the mechanism that comes from the outside pushbutton. That was frozen up and locking up everything. Instead of the actuator being something that just acts on an existing manual mechanism, it turns out the actuator body is an integral part of that mechanism. Without that actuator body in place, there is no connection between the outside push button and the latch mechanism. That actuator body IS the connection.

So, I can open the door from the inside, but not the outside. To fix this will require a new electric actuator mechanism.
I’ll post pictures of all of this later, for the benefit of others.

This brings me to my question: Does anyone know if the door mechanism is the same for a 94 and a 97? I am still parting out my 94, and can scavenge from it if it will fit.

BlueRidgeMark

I got my answer. Pulled the panels off the 94, and it's clearly NOT compatible.

It's possible it could be made compatible, but it would require some major surgery. There is a bracket on the 94 that does not exist in the 97, and the child safety lock is in a different location, so a hole would need to be cut in the 97.

So, pondering whether to drop the bucks on new ones, try to find used ones, or just live with it...

rzldzl

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f51/do...verhaul-59201/

my rear doors one on of my 98s is doing the same thing...i bookmarked the above link for when i finally get around to it...he notes the door actuator being integral too

my other 98 has manual locks but i added universal remote control actuators ($5 each) totally easy to do...was expecting to have to go this route with the malfunctioning electric door locks on the other 98

rzldzl

https://www.moparpartsoverstock.com/...5235202AC.html

shows that the same part is used in 97 xj and 2012 ram

2012 ram USED at the wrecker should be easy to find, and have less use? dunno how cheap they would go for

BlueRidgeMark

Yeah, I saw that, but it won't help in my case. Since I destroyed the actuator housing, I have no place to connect my outside button.

Thanks for the tip on the Ram. I'll check that out.

BlueRidgeMark

FOLLOW UP:

All better now. A couple of used lock mechanisms from a member here, a bit of cleaning with some throttle body cleaner, some Lock Ease to keep things going, and we're back in business.

The initial problem was just rust and gunk in the push button. It got frozen up and would not allow the mechanism to move.

If you haven't done it, and you don't use the rear doors much, you might want to just take things apart and give it a good cleaning and lubing like I did.