'96 Dodge Caravan sliding door lock

The lock on the passenger sliding door of my '96 Caravan doesn't work.
At least not electonically. I took off the door panel and inspected
the works. The actuater seems to be ok, but the metal piece that
connects to the actuater seems to have broken off. I need to order
some parts here, but am not sure about the part number. I was hoping
to be able to be specific about it so that I might be able to pick one
up second hand on the net.

I am wondering if anyone knows where I can get a on-line diagram of the
mechanisim. Plus, I noticed that the lock mechanism has this number
stamped on it: B87OW and underneath it this: 0456. Is this the part
number?

Finally, anyone know where I can pick up replacement parts at a nice
price?

Thanks,

Shacky

 

Alternative....
This also happened to me - many years ago. I was able to drill a small hole
in the mechanism just after where the metal piece broke off, and install a
split pin (cotter pin) with a couple of small washers, through my new hole
and through the hole in the end of the actuator.
Cotter pin .05 cents
Washers .05 cents
Time - about 30-45 minutes including door panel re and re.

Much cheaper than even a used lock mechanism! It's been working just fine
like that for 3-4 years now.

 

Hmmm, interesting idea. I think I will try something like that.

 

Hmmm, interesting idea. I think I will try something like that. Thanks.

 

Hey Mike if you are gonna take that off you may as well buy the acuator, i
beleive the last time i priced it was about 50 bucks, it comes complete with
acuator and all

 

Upon further inspection and work, it appears the acuator needs to be
replaced. The electronics work, but mechanically the piston seems to
be broke on the inside. I did drill the hole for the cotter pin,
tommorow I'll pick up an actuator see if I can make it work.

 

ooops, Shacky, get the prices of both, for some reason the complete latch
assembly is almost the same cost as just the acuator.Make sure they give you
the rods for the update if your vehicle applies to it

 

ok, thanks

 

Double check - the actuator may be OK. It has an internal 'overtravel'
allowance to allow for manual operation. You may just need to have the
mechanism load on the actuator in order to actually see it move. In other
words, the piston rod that you can visually see on the end of the actuator,
moves more/further, than the internal solenoid piston.

I also thought the same thing when I first looked at mine. It did not appear
to move properly when locking and unlocking, until I connected them back
together.

Even though 50 bucks may seem cheap, I figure why give them even 25 bucks,
when a 25 cent repair may work better - no chance to break again. And it
will take you a much longer time to remove and reinstall the mechanism, than
to do a repair that will take 5 or 10 minutes.

 

The problem with the actuator is as follows. There is a white piston
that goes into a black housing. It seems that when the actuator is
triggered, a part in the housing spins. Somehow that spin causes the
piston to move out or in, depending on it's last position. My problem
is that whatever connected the piston inside the housing seems to be
broken. I took the flexible sleeve off and can feel rough edges spin
when I trigger the actuator and when the piston is in place, you can
hear them spin against it.

That's what it seems like to me, at least. If I am wrong about this I
would like to be set straight.

Thanks for all the help and believe me, I would rather spend a buck or
two, than $50!

 

I got the new actuator for $36 today. The parts guy told me the
mechanism was another $65. I connected it as recommended , but I used
a short piece of coat hanger that I bent on each end. It works great.
Thanks for the help...for some reason I wasn't thinking about making it
work, I was going for the whole mechansim so I saved at least $65 from
the help here.

Thanks again,