Chev Express Van door won't open

[klassenl]

I have a 2016 Chev Express for a work van. The other day I closed the rear main door and it didn't close quite right, something about the sound you could tell. I grabbed the handle to try again........and nothing. The door feels like it's locked. When I unlock it with the key, it doesn't turn all the way to the unlock point and it wants to spring back.

I opened the panel on the inside and everything is still attached to the cylinder and the latch. The inside handle won't unlock or open the door.

Any ideas. All for brute force and ignorance if needs be.

 

[nadogail]

Your Chevy van is 17 years newer than mine, I have not seen the problem you describe. Maybe you need to tug on the connecting links to the upper and lower latches.

Good Luck

 

[jkuro]

Try cleaning and lubricating.

 

[FredWanaker]

is something caught in the door keeping it from fully closing? Some latches don't work well in an intermediate position.

 

[klassenl]

is something caught in the door keeping it from fully closing? Some latches don't work well in an intermediate position.

This is my concern. It closed half way and now it's done.

 

[FredWanaker]

so what I might do is go to a wrecking yard and buy the latch mechanism to see how it functions, then figure how to release it from the inside with a screwdriver, coat hanger etc.. Sounds to me, and I don't have one nor have I seen one, is that the latch is stuck in the safety position. Make sure that the hinges are oiled and free so that you aren't somehow bending those.

 

[Wrench97]

Assuming it does not have power rear door locks, with the panel off check this spring to see if it is broken, if it is use a long thin screw driver to press down on the lever it is suppose to hold down and see if it opens.

 

[klassenl]

Thanks for taking the time to find the picture. I'm quite sure that whatever unlocks the door inside that latch mechanism has given up. I have the inside panels off and all of the rods and things are attached and free to move. It just won't operate the latch.

 

[CoogarXR]

As the owner of a zillion 90s astro vans (and still the current owner of a '94), I must say, I'm disappointed to hear that all these years later, Chevy never got their rear-door-**** together, lol.

Astro rear door handles break ALL the time, and you have to take the speaker out and fumble around blind to find the rod. You can't remove the door panel with the door shut (unless you are lucky enough to have a conversion/cargo model). Once you find the rod, you have to pull it with just enough pressure to pop the door, but not so much that when the door pops, you amputate your arm on the sharp speaker hole you're working through.

 

[Wrench97]

Thanks for taking the time to find the picture. I'm quite sure that whatever unlocks the door inside that latch mechanism has given up. I have the inside panels off and all of the rods and things are attached and free to move. It just won't operate the latch.

The spring pushes the latch lever to a position to unlatch the door if not in the right place all the levers will move but the door will not unlatch.

 

[klassenl]

I managed to get it open this afternoon. I don't know what I did. It seemed to work well until I locked it and closed it....now it won't unlock again.

 

[FredWanaker]

we had a scottish terrier who learned by accident how to lower the window on her side of the car in the back seat. We'd watch her hit her paw on the switch until she got it right again. So........ if she could do that, you can do whatever you were doing again until you hit the right lever, then replace the latch.

 

[CJM8515]

the rods inside the door are held together in various places with little plastic clips. they break and often

ive ziptied many of them

with the inside panel off look at the rods and watch them-see if they properly operate the latch

 

[klassenl]

I went into the van and gave the metal piece that holds the pin a couple of love taps with a screw driver. That does the trick. I'm still wondering if it goes to an intermediate point that's not open and not quite closed and it needs that tap to make it close all the way.

 

[FredWanaker]

buy a new latch and save yourself the grief. A new latch can be anything from a new one to a used one from a pick and pull.