Technical Frozen door

[Stewart Young]

Preliminary enquiry, as the Doblo is at the moment outside in the deep thick frost!
Last night we defrosted the car for my wife to go to collect our son from the airport bus. Between them they managed to force open the frozen passenger side sliding door, in such a way that it won't now close, and of course the central locking won't work. Any ideas what the damage might be? Any hope all might be well when the thaw comes? Or likely to be an expensive repair...? Cheers,. Stewart

 

[Stewart Young]

Preliminary enquiry, as the Doblo is at the moment outside in the deep thick frost!
Last night we defrosted the car for my wife to go to collect our son from the airport bus. Between them they managed to force open the frozen passenger side sliding door, in such a way that it won't now close, and of course the central locking won't work. Any ideas what the damage might be? Any hope all might be well when the thaw comes? Or likely to be an expensive repair...? Cheers,. Stewart

Further inspection, daylight but still deep frost. Problem seems to be with the little clicker at back of door, that should latch on to hook at rear of door frame. When ones person holds sliding door tight shut with their shoulder, and other person turnsmy in diver's door, other doors all lock but sliding doesn't I wonder if a small replacement part is available and easy to fit....?

 

[bugsymike]

Preliminary enquiry, as the Doblo is at the moment outside in the deep thick frost!
Last night we defrosted the car for my wife to go to collect our son from the airport bus. Between them they managed to force open the frozen passenger side sliding door, in such a way that it won't now close, and of course the central locking won't work. Any ideas what the damage might be? Any hope all might be well when the thaw comes? Or likely to be an expensive repair...? Cheers,. Stewart

With sliding doors, most likely it has come off one of it's runners.
Main thing is don't let an "animal" force it closed , if you want to keep costs down do it with "love and kindness", I have repaired many commercial sliding doors on Ducato and Iveco Daily vans that heavy handed work men have damaged.
I would say, with it carefully opened, oil all runners and lock mechanisms, then check to see if it has been forced off it's runners top or bottom and refit if possible, make sure it will slide easily back and forth, then slide it up towards the lock mechanism, where it engages just before there is usually a pointed pyramid type things that locates in a spring loaded plastic button on the door pillar, make sure this is correctly in line when sliding the door towards it's closed position, if all that is good and there is no obvious damage to the lock/catch it's self , make sure the lock is in it's open/released position so that the catch can engage correctly, if all good the door should close with even light pressure and a gentle slide.
Most times oil and a few hand tools will do the job if careful, worse case a lock assembly may be required.
By the way pouring warm/hot water around the car, it often re freezes around door seals etc. so when forced open it can rip the rubber seals, much in the same way when people just turning on frozen wipers rather than using de icer and lifting them carefully off the glass.
Spraying de icer around the door seal / gap area may have released it before damage also.

 

[bugsymike]

With sliding doors, most likely it has come off one of it's runners.
Main thing is don't let an "animal" force it closed , if you want to keep costs down do it with "love and kindness", I have repaired many commercial sliding doors on Ducato and Iveco Daily vans that heavy handed work men have damaged.
I would say, with it carefully opened, oil all runners and lock mechanisms, then check to see if it has been forced off it's runners top or bottom and refit if possible, make sure it will slide easily back and forth, then slide it up towards the lock mechanism, where it engages just before there is usually a pointed pyramid type things that locates in a spring loaded plastic button on the door pillar, make sure this is correctly in line when sliding the door towards it's closed position, if all that is good and there is no obvious damage to the lock/catch it's self , make sure the lock is in it's open/released position so that the catch can engage correctly, if all good the door should close with even light pressure and a gentle slide.
Most times oil and a few hand tools will do the job if careful, worse case a lock assembly may be required.
By the way pouring warm/hot water around the car, it often re freezes around door seals etc. so when forced open it can rip the rubber seals, much in the same way when people just turning on frozen wipers rather than using de icer and lifting them carefully off the glass.
Spraying de icer around the door seal / gap area may have released it before damage also.

Just taken a photo of 2010 Doblo van o/s/r sliding door in the open/ unlocked position of door catches if that helps.

 

[Stewart Young]

Just taken a photo of 2010 Doblo van o/s/r sliding door in the open/ unlocked position of door catches if that helps.

Thank you very much for your detailed, thoughtful and informative response! I shall attempt to apply it.... Regards Stewart