What to Do When the Rear Door Lock of a Van Won't Open?
2 Answers
If the rear door won't open, first check the child lock. When the child lock is engaged, the door can only be opened from the outside handle. If the vehicle suddenly loses power while the child lock is on, the door won't open from either side. Remove the window glass and the plastic trim strip inside the driver's door, then bend a wire into a small hook and insert it into the gap. Find a sharp steel needle with a wooden handle and observe the keyhole. There is usually a decorative cover at the end of the door handle, about the size of a key, which can be pried open directly. If even the mechanical key can't open the door, the car's central locking system may be in an electronic lock state, and you may need to wait one or two hours for it to unlock.
I also had trouble with the rear door lock of my van not opening. That time, I was in a hurry to load goods and the key wouldn't turn no matter how much I twisted it. Probably the lock cylinder was rusted and stuck. I sprayed some rust remover lubricant, waited ten minutes, but it still didn't work. So I removed the inner door panel and found the linkage rod connected to the lock mechanism had come loose. After reattaching and tightening the rod, it worked normally again. If you can't fix it yourself, remember not to force it—take it to a repair shop to check if the lock mechanism spring is broken or the latch is misaligned. For maintenance, you can regularly spray some silicone-based lubricant into the lock cylinder, especially before the rainy season, to prevent rust and jamming.
