How to replace a 2008-2020 Dodge Grand Caravan or Chrysler Town & Country Sliding Door Lock Actuator
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- Опубліковано 12 жов 2021
- #dodgecaravan #minivan #dodgegrandcaravan
Does your 2012 (2008-2020) Dodge Grand Caravan or Chrysler Town and Country sliding door not lock or unlock. So typically, the lock actuator fails in one way or another. Ours stopped locking so that it was always unlocked. It wouldn't even lock by turning the knob and the automatic locks totally didn't work. I've heard of others that it wouldn't unlock so they couldn't open the door and were forced to always use the other door. Power locks are great when they work, but when they burn out or as mine did get jammed or strip out the gears, it is no fun to fix. And really it is nothing to do with the fob. This video will help you troubleshoot your vehicle and replace the part that is causing the issue. It is a lot of work but the dealership would charge at least a $1000 for replacing a $25 part.
You can do this repair. Also, from what I understand that the different years and models have a little different lay out to the door so, some are going to be easier than what I had to deal with. If I can do it, you can do it. Make sure to carve out a good day or two just in case it takes as long as mine did.
I think the 2010 and 2011 are similar to the 2012 but at some point 2013 or 2014, or 2015 they changed the design of the door slightly to not have the pieces interconnect as I understand it.
This is part of maintaining your daily driver series.
Gotta love Mopar! - Авто та транспорт
First time doing one.... definitely wanna give a hell job shout out to the engineers ....!!!!! open palm slap to the FACEEEEE 😅😅😅😅
I know that feeling.... "how much can we stuff into one door"
Hi Jay!
You're the best my friend!
You did an awesome Job and exuded tons of patience.
Really appreciated your words regarding getting that back window track back in. That was an unbelievable challenge!
Thank you for sharing the journey!!!
Wish I could meet you in person!
Best to You!!
Thanks glad it helped!
Nice explanatory video thank you for that
you are welcome. glad it helped!
Great Job bud
thanks
This is a great video, but I lamentably can not do that. I suffered a heart attack, and was left with congestive heart failure and this effort could complicate me more. I will have to pay a mechanic to do that. Thanks a lot for illustrating this process, and the Lord be with you!!!!!
Thank you my friend. I hope you find a good mechanic and take care of yourself and look to the Lord for strength
Thank you so much for your video on this problem, Jay! Armed with the knowledge of what to expect ahead of time, I was able to swap out my 2019 Grand Caravan passenger side actuator in under 5 hours. It would have been less, but I goofed on a couple of things and had to redo. Your best tip - Wedging the window in the up position. With that, you don't have to remove the window or take anything off the exterior. Thanks again sir!
Glad is worked out well for you. You are welcome!
I think I will try getting some practice in a junk yard . You kept at it and you got it .
You can do it!! Just keep at it and don't let it beat you. You might not take the same amount of time as others but as long as it gets done is what matters. I know I'll watch videos and say, oh they did it in so many hours why is it taking me longer. But it isn't a fair comparison. Again, it is getting to the finish line, not how long the journey takes.
Good video
thanks
Highest suicide rate in the world are assembly line workers tasked with assembling these doors in the factory. Probably anyways.
they probably have a special jig that makes it simple to do in like 5 minutes.
Holy shit what a job this is! Pain in the ass. But you're right. Patience. Take your time. Take a break if you need to. Watch the video again.
Breathe in... Breathe out.
Indeed. Sounds about like my experience. But it does feel good to do it yourself!
Be sure you sliders are lubed. My door was stopping half way then reversing. I lubed it up with penetrating oil by simply spraying it in the upper slider and that fixed it. It closed/completed the cycle after that.
great tip. Thanks for sharing!!
Save yourself a headache and pull the window out! The exterior trim has to come off as well, which is adhered with double sided tape, and try not to break any tabs
@@alfonzomarranca8741 I tried that and just cracked my exterior trim as it didn't want to come off.
I had watched a separate video of this from someone else and theirs wasnt as good. My problem is the other video said to take out the 4 -30mm that deals with window. I had the window taped up but after wtching yours it made more sense so what I did was take the tape off lower down window and frame til it sat on door bottom and took out screws. When it comes time to put back together since i hadnt had power to lower the window and just will have to push arm down to bolt up how will that affect the raise lower of window when it gets power.
I'm glad it helped. there is so much going on that anything I can do to help in the repair is my pleasure.
TIP:. If you can remember, always unlock the doors with the lock switch on the arm rest before activating the power door button. The door lock actuator and the power door pulley eventually go out of sync and the door starts opening a split second before it unlocks causing stress to the actuator if you only use the power door button.
Also, if you can, have someone take videos and photos of everything you do from start to finish when disassembling the door. This way you know how everything goes back.
Again thank you for the great tip!! We don't have power doors so that is one less worry. Good call on the disassembly. That can really save you after a tedious day of dealing with the door and trying to remember where everything goes.
@@jaysjeepandclassiccars Yes, definitely a knucklebusting job.
if you take the outside trim piece off and take the rear window out you won't have a problem getting the back channel back in just be careful on removing the outside trim panel and you will have to have the adhesive to put it back on after assembling everything back in the door..
I tried to take the trim piece off and it ended up cracking into 3 pieces with the main piece still on the vehicle. Obviously, I didn't have the right technique or tools to do it right. I ended up having to fix that too as I couldn't find a replacement part.
Man, I’m just doing this along with the video.
It’s more or less coming along about the same, except the dogs ate a pizza while I was out here.
Experience is what you have right after you needed it.
Or so they say.
I still have to do the other door, so I’m sure it’ll be a 10 minute job.
Indeed. I hope your next door is 10 minutes. If it is let me know. but when it works and you saved all that money, you are in an exclusive club of owners that are independent of car shops!!
I’m kinda stuck right now.
I got the window channel lined up, I think.
I went to Home Depot and grabbed some long 6mm bolts to reach in the back and thread into the door lock and pull it back where I can reach it, but now I’m trying to snap those plates together.
It sucks.
Should I pull it all back out and snap it all together before putting it in?
@@marshallnmoonshine it has been over a year since I did the repair so I don't remember all the steps exactly what I did. However, i do remember a battle if it is the part I am thinking about. I used punches to hold the lock in place to get the screws in it. If you watch around the 44:00 minute mark I explain how I put the two parts together. I put the window channel in and then I was able to get a couple fingers on the hole and peg and get them to slide on together and in. It wasn't perfect when I finished but it worked if I remember right. And yes the door lock and the window channel need to be together if I remember right but they were separate from the door plate part. I hope this helps. don't give up. I know I tried it all sorts of different ways and if one way doesn't work for you try it the other way. There are so many different configurations to these doors that it is hard to say what is the best way. You can do it!! Don't give up! you got this. Once you get it, the rest isn't too bad...
@@jaysjeepandclassiccars I got it! I did end up putting the plates together first, and was able to get it into place. I hadn't disconnected the outer door handle cable, but that made it WAAAY easier to manipulate around.
Having them snapped together also prevented me from bending that rod between the door lock handle switch and the actuator.
Sacking up and disconnecting cables helped a lot. I'd never taken cables out before, so I was hesitant to open those cans of worms. I don't do much car work, but I was a machinery tech in the USCG, an electrician, mechanic and refrigeration guy in engine rooms on container ships for 20 years, so I'm handy enough and have more than enough tools.
If I have any advice to give to the next guy: Take pictures of the cable runs. As soon as you get that panel off, snap a picture. Because which cables are in front and which are in back can be tricky to figure out.
As soon as you get the whole assembly out, take more pictures before taking them apart, front and back. I doubt anyone reads the random comments, so you might add that up top, if you see fit. It REALLY helped me. I wish I'd taken more.
I did break the plastic part on the rear "applique" that like 4 guys in separate videos all broke. I used JB Weld Quick Epoxy to put it all back together and replaced the double sided mounting tape with Gorilla indoor/outdoor stuff. It should go right back in. We'll see how it goes on the other door.
Man, I'm glad I got this thing fixed. My kids are sick of hearing how much money I saved, unless I put it in terms of Disneyland trips. :)
@@marshallnmoonshine Way to go!! good job!! way to stick with it and make it happen.
After this was replaced, did your sliding door pop out after sliding the door close automatically? Mine pops out...like it can't latch on to close completely.
I don't have automatic doors but no it closes like it should. If you push on the back half of the door where the latch is, does it catch then? Did you get all the bolts back in the latch?
Great Video, what is the point of having that dumb plastic piece? The assembly is held in by the 3 bolts outside?🤙
great question. i guess someone up at Chrysler thought it made sense.
How many years will be the same as my 2009 as far as the door parts go ??
hard to say for sure but the 5th generation was from 2008 to 2020 but I don't know if changed the parts or not. I know it does depend on the options that you got and I think they did tweak the design somewhere around 2014/2015 but I don't know exactly.
Chrysler put out an extended warranty on certain years of these vans for 15 years & under 150k miles.
oh really??
@@jaysjeepandclassiccars yup. up to 17 model year. but they kept using the same part till 19.. so guess what is happening to 18-19s... only no warranty.
@@patriotgarage good to know. unfortunately, at this point our van is well past that mileage.
HOW DID YOU OPEN YOUR SLIDING DOOR IF IT WAS LOCKED. THANK YOU
Great question. you might have to take the inside panel off and reach in the top to try to unlock it manually by pulling on the metal linkage that connects the lock button/switch to the actual lock.
Looks like an alien
kind of feels like one too.
Does anyone know if there is a way to lock and secure door..i don't need to use this particular door...i just am so tired of puttjng money into this van, but i need it to not open. Its the same issyet with not being able to lock manually. 2013 DGC
Sounds like it. You might be able to take it apart and force it locked and leave it disconnected. however, most of the time it is that actual mechanism that jams and gets it stuck. i think our issue was actually not allowing it to lock just as you are having but it was awhile ago so I don't really remember.
@@jaysjeepandclassiccars Thank You
@@marliseisrael3017 my pleasure.
My actuator arm is broken from the actuator and now i cant open my slider door cause its partially latch
you could try to take the door apart enough to reach in and try to grab the linkage to unlock the door. otherwise you might have to cut the panel to get access to where you need to get access to in order to undo the latch.
My door won’t open . Stuck in the locked position . How do I take the metal housing off so I can get to the actuator
which metal housing? the one holding the actual actuator? It won't move until you take the screws out on the side of the door which if it is jammed in the lock position could be an issue because you have to get to those with the door open... can you get to the actuator and move it by hand or take the linkage off the actuator and move it to unlock?
@@jaysjeepandclassiccars I tried to reach my hand in but it’s to far back . Window pulley in the way to open the metal housing more
@@jedicrypto160 that is tough. try to get the linkage off the actuator. i would try using a long screw driver or a long pair of needle nose pliers. I am not sure what else to do. you might take the window out but I'm not sure how to do that. I think you have to take the trim off to do it from the outside. I don't have many other suggestions though
If the door lock is frozen with the door closed remove the inside door handle frame with a shimmy or screwdriver and push the lock latch all the way forward past it's normal stopping point almost like your going to break it and pull the door handle at the same time, door will pop open.
good tip!
Brush up on your cuss words, fellas.
lol, it is a patience builder for sure!!
1st & last Dodge period, 2 slider actuators, 3 windows regulators all with 2 years.. Never again, enjoy that!
sorry to hear that.
I've taken the bolts out that I shouldn't have
I'm so lost
Pray for me
oh no! It has been a minute since I was in the door but you might be able to get them back in little by little and step by step. If not you might have to get the mechanism as a whole. You might reach out to clicketysplit (see comments below) and see if he has a tip. my guess is that it is not impossible to do but will take lots of effort and patience to get it done. I would take care of those first and then worry about the rest.
Its on an 18 model too.. friggin pain in the butt
indeed the entire repair is like that.
if it is the piece i am thinking about to get it out I had to pull down and around to get it off the glass. to get it back in, was a challenge trying to use that same motion to go around then up. if you are trying to get the channel out from the outside, then you have to take the trim off which when I tried just cracked in two different places that I had to fix. the whole thing takes awhile and can be frustrating. don't give up. you got this. if I can do it you can do it!!
The piece that holds the rail guide is called the Presenter. It breaks very easily and can be ordered from any Dodge dealer, cost is around $15.
If the door lock is frozen with the door closed remove the inside door handle frame with a shimmy or screwdriver and push the lock latch all the way forward past it's normal stopping point almost like your going to break it and pull the door handle at the same time, door will pop open.
Great Tip! Thanks for sharing!!
@@jaysjeepandclassiccars when I find the invoice I'll post the part numbers for the left and right Presenters.
@@clicketysplit1817 I appreciate it.
There is just no way I am doing all of this and I know a mechanic will charge an arm and a leg...which I would do if I were them..these car manufacturers do these things on purpose...for me to have the same issue as you do ..lets me know that this is common with these...but it's ridiculous. My passenger door unlocks automatically and I had no idea the lock was never engaging to lock when I pushed the automatic lock on my key fob 😢
Took me an hour
Good Job!
This is an extremely tedious job, especially when it comes time to remove and replace the inner door module that holds the actuator, but as you suggested totally possible.
Really liked your enthusiasm and patience.🫡 Thank you for creating this video👍
You are welcome! I am just trying to help the next person with the job and paying it forward.