Technical Ducato sliding door woes

[ducatambo]

I noticed the side sliding door was becoming rough. I gave it a good yank to open it and the top roller popped out. The door was hanging kinda half-off! The main (vertical load-bearing) roller broke off. I tried to get the door to shut with the broken roller but could not. I managed to remove the top roller bracket and get the door to shut, and stay shut, on the middle and bottom sliders while I had a new top roller on order. In the process of doing this, the panel with spring-loaded contact pins which sits in the door and provides contact to a plate on the body and operates the central locking, fell out. I put it somewhere for safe keeping. Note that logically the central locking to that door should now be disconnected.

Roller only took a couple of days to arrive. I was hoping for a straightforward easy fix
The fist problem was how to get the door open. I removed the inner panel to have a fiddle about with cables & locks from the inside but that didn't do it. I had to just give the door a pull upwards & outwards and it opened. Unsurprisingly it hadn't been sitting quite right.

I replaced the roller & top runner bracket. I should have used a jack or something to push it up into position, but didn't.
Upon gently sliding it shut to check it was rolling ok, the doors stuck shut like it's locked in the middle. The upper lock didn't engage. What now?

I tried manually running wires to the contacts for the central locking motor and sending pulses of electricity. It made a few sounds like it was trying to lock or unlock but not really the kind of encouraging 'clunk' that suggested the lock actually threw one way or the other. Once again, logically the central locking to that door should now be disconnected.

I tried pulling on the door from outside with some force but it won't open. I don't want to risk damaging it. What to do?

 

[AsdaPricey]

Hello @ducatambo

I’ve spent some considerable hours myself adjusting the door and have a vague understanding of the locks, cables and what effect each roller has on the doors fitment.

I would suggest due to the weigh on the latch that the lock servo cannot over come the friction to enable it to release. It’s snagged.

What if you made a v shaped bracket from flat plate to slide under the door bottom with a hole drilled to accept the hook of a ratchet strap then pass the strap over the roof and anchor the other under under the other side of the van working the ratchet slowly to lift the door weight off the latch whilst you also keep trying the key fob?

 

[ducatambo]

that's a good suggestion with the ratchet. i figure there's weight pushing down where it shouldn't be. i thought about wedging a crowbar or suchlike in but worried about damaging the door. if you read my original post again you will realize that trying the keyfob will have no effect as the central locking eclectrics are disconnected from the door. I'm not even sure it's locked as i was able to open it less than an hour before. it could be snagged somewhere else. other door closure components are also worn and i suspect i'll end up replacing them too... once i get the door open.

 

[AsdaPricey]

I thought you’d jury rigged the wiring ? in which case the inner handle cable is connected directly to the latch and overrides the latch motor. If you’re working alone tie the inner handle back so you can wriggle the door free. In the absence of a ratchet strap what about two windscreen removal suckers to grab onto?

 

[ducatambo]

sorry for confusion. i kinda jury rigged it, just connected a length of wire to the lock motor and touched the wires on the leisure battery. i suppose theoretically there might be a way of 'properly' wiring it up, then again maybe not if the only way of accessing the contactor panel is thru an open door.
but i was wondering about the internal door handle overriding the lock. my vehicle has the three-pole connector to the lock motors implying there is a deadlock present. e-learn confirms this. should i still be able to open from the inside? i can't.
it turns out there's a handy dent in the door below where the latch/lock is, so i can hook the ratchet in without needing the plate.

 

[AsdaPricey]

When I double lock mine from the inside with the fob, the side door can still be opened with the lever, so would assume that’s deemed necessary from a safety point….however when I got my door seriously out of alignment when sorting a cable that kept freezing in winter, I couldn’t open it with the lever as the latch was dragging on the catch - fortunately I already had the inner door panel off and with the aid of a helper operating the lever and me jiggling the door about from inside freed the latch so it opened.

How much of the rear of the catch on the door jamb can be seen from inside the the van ? ( can’t see it at all on mine as the kitchen unit is there)
If they’re accessible , could you cut a slot in the screws with a dremel or junior hacksaw and screw them out from behind so you can remove the catch leaving it still attached to the latch then lower the door down?