Sliding door will not open from inside, not the pin

[niggle]

Hi all, my 03 Forte sliding doors were both malfunctioning, the driver’s side would not open from the outside but I solved that by adjusting the rod that has the serrated end, however I am still having problems with the passenger side door, which won’t open from the inside.

I have observed both mechanisms when operating the internal big button for comparison and the passenger side one does not transfer movement to the rearmost rod via the mechanism covered by the steel plate with the chunk of cast metal at the top, whereas the driver’s side one does so this is obviously the problem. This mechanism is part bolted and part riveted in place so not sure how to proceed from here...

[Sol]

I guess you'll have to drill out the rivets and then unbolt the rest to get a good look at it. Something will be worn or snapped. Probably a plastic bit. After nearly 20 years, things do start to wear out and let go.

Use a sharp drill bit, much smaller than the rivet head and it will cut through the centre, causing the head to fall off. Might be able to swap it with a part from a breaker or eBay.

[Gryffindor]

I had the same problems with the outer door on my previous B, a 53 model, not opening from the outside. Bought the part which is supposed to wear out, looks like a small ally dumbbell or dog bone, and gave it to my local garage to fix the door.

They did - it could be opened from the outside once more - but now it wouldn't open from the inside! I was furious and nearly sued the garage - a door handle not opening a door would be a safety issue in an emergency - but I dumped the car soon after for another problem so they didn't get sued.

I'd suggest it's one of those very fiddly PSA quirks and only a Citroen dealer or independent could guarantee a fix.

[niggle]

I guess you'll have to drill out the rivets and then unbolt the rest to get a good look at it. Something will be worn or snapped. Probably a plastic bit. After nearly 20 years, things do start to wear out and let go.

Use a sharp drill bit, much smaller than the rivet head and it will cut through the centre, causing the head to fall off. Might be able to swap it with a part from a breaker or eBay.

Yes that is what I was thinking, hopefully I can find a working one in the breakers, MoT due imminently and nowadays doors that cannot be opened from inside or outside are a fail. Not sure there are any plastic parts involved though, possibly the cast metal piece has broken.

[niggle]

All sorted now, I drilled out the rivets and detached everything except the cable for the bottom runner catch and found nothing obviously broken, but by carefully observing and comparing with the way the right hand one worked I realised that the problem was with the child lock mechanism.

There is a quadrant that the internal opening button acts on and is supposed to move outboard when the child lock is on, disengaging the connection of the inside opening button from the main mechanism that unlatches the door, but with child lock off it should move inboard and engage with the main mechanism, however it was permanently in the outboard position and not moving in when the child lock was off, thus acting like the child lock was permanently on. I shoved a few grip washers of the inwardly toothed variety down the pivot shaft the quadrant rotates around, so now the child lock is permanently off.

I realise in hindsight that actually there should be a spring on that pivot shaft, pushing the quadrant inboard when the child lock is off but allowing it to move outboard when the child lock is on. There is a hole in the inner door panel that this pivot shaft engages with and if you undo the one torx bolt that holds the mechanism to the door at that end and pull on the mechanism I imagine that the spring could make a dash for freedom.

Hopefully a non functioning child lock is not an MoT failure, I mean my kids are in their early twenties and I am not a grandad yet.....

Sorry I didn’t take any photos, the mechanism I am talking about is numbered 13 on the diagram here: https://translate.google.co.uk/translate...ch&pto=aue however the bits I am talking about are not clearly visible, they are at the back of the the left hand end of it.

[Sol]

It's not a fail as far as I know, no one checks child locks. Well done! Good fix there.

[niggle]

Yes I am pleased to have sorted it, especially having only found the part on line, new, for £175+vat! Found this used one out of stock, but the photos are good, particularly the 4th one where you can see the bit concerned at bottom right: https://www.autotech24.eu/left-rear-door...ii-9138h1/