rear dutch doors locks clicking

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crash
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rear dutch doors locks clicking

Post by crash »

just wondering where the mechanism is in the rear doors for telling the lowers to lock or unlock?

when i pop the rear it's started to click click click as i life the hatch door, now the rears are locked. never had a problem with this until about 2 days ago.. i'm thinking it's just a connector or something that needs cleaned but i'm not really sure where to start looking.

thanks
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Post by rlsllc »

Check the switch on the right side lift strut, the left one is the dome lamp, IIRC. The controller for the door is the black box in the jack storage area.
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Post by crash »

Thanks Roy. What's IIRC ?

Heh. learned something new, I always thought that little black box was something to do with trailer wiring #-o

I'll check into it. I used the back door last night and it fuctioned normally, no random clicking. I suspect cleaning and some dielectric grease will resolve it (now that I know where to look).
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current rides:
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vans owned: Image
97 Astro AWD (selling by summer .. i think) SOLD
99 Astro LS Sept 08 ASV VOM
94 Astro LT
93 Astro LT
96 Astro LT AWD * parts van*
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Post by e7ats »

IIRC= If I Recall Correctly.
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Post by crash »

holy.. my first day on the internet or what? 8-[
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current rides:
04 Mazda 6 V6 5spd

vans owned: Image
97 Astro AWD (selling by summer .. i think) SOLD
99 Astro LS Sept 08 ASV VOM
94 Astro LT
93 Astro LT
96 Astro LT AWD * parts van*

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Post by rlsllc »

Sorry, I was being LAZY. :} You may also want to look at the switch in the lower right door that the key slides into. It looks like a lock, but is just a keyswitch. Your hatch would prolly not latch or pop open if it had a prob, though.

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Post by dragonvan »

Just for info...

On the '02 and newer GM changed the lock/latch/switch situation a bit. There is no longer a dome lamp switch (actually had a tsb cause techs were chasing customer complaints). The controller for the rear latch/lock and wiper is in the upper door just to the right of the wiper motor if you are looking at it from underneath with the hatch up. There is no lock, or switch or anything in either of the lower doors, just the latch and release handle on the right side one. The switch for popping the hatch snaps onto the back of the lock, which you push in to release the hatch and turn with the key to lock or unlock. The switch has a little spring steel contact plate that gets bent out of shape just a bit after years of use and sometimes there will be a bit of corrosion. I will try to make a post on the fix for these in a couple of weeks... GM wants about $70-80 for the switch... half an hour and some dielectric grease will fix it.

How do I know... Just did mine two days ago.
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Post by rlsllc »

Does the "controller" switch on the dome lamp, or do the '02 and up vans not have dome lamps on with the hatch? My '99 has something similar to what you described, but I've not had to mess with it enough to know if it is the same. I know it doesn't have a key in the lower door, but some combo key/button in the hatch.
You sure have a bunch of good knowledge. =D>

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Post by dragonvan »

Thanks rlsllc. The dome lamp does not come on when you open the rear hatch. When I bought mine I thought... that's something I have to fix. A couple of days later I was looking at recalls and TSB's and noticed one for the dome lamp. It said do not diagnose complaint of no dome lamp when rear hatch is opened because there is no switch on '02 up (IIRC). Looked at the wiring diagrams and... yep no dome switch at the rear. Thought about installing a switch in the D pillar but I've got RKE so I just hit the unlock.

As far as knowledge... I've worked on a lot of vehicles in the past 10 years, and read a lot. If I knew half of what I've probably forgotten, now that would be useful... and maybe impressive.
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Post by e7ats »

I though the same thing. I took it back to the dealer and told them the dome light wasn't working off the back hatch. They went as far as taking the interior and notices parts where missing. They went to the TSB's and saw there was no switch for it.

I also hit my RKE to turn the lights on when in the back.
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Post by crash »

dragonvan wrote:I will try to make a post on the fix for these in a couple of weeks... GM wants about $70-80 for the switch... half an hour and some dielectric grease will fix it.

How do I know... Just did mine two days ago.
hey dragon... just a friendly bump so you don't forget about this one. 8-[
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current rides:
04 Mazda 6 V6 5spd

vans owned: Image
97 Astro AWD (selling by summer .. i think) SOLD
99 Astro LS Sept 08 ASV VOM
94 Astro LT
93 Astro LT
96 Astro LT AWD * parts van*

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Post by dragonvan »

Thanks for the reminder Crash.... Jog my short memory again in about 2 weeks. I'm in Custer, SD tonight on vacation :)

Just couldn't stay away from my mail or the board though.

BTW 104F in badlands and Wall yesterday and 90-95F in the black hills. The highest that I saw coolant temp go with the efans was 230F with the van fully loaded and pulling the 3500lb camper, A/C on of course. I'm happy with this as GM turns on high speed on the LS1 at 235F. I will add to the fan install post when I get back... tomorrow the real test... Bighorn Mountains!!! slow and long.
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Post by ScottS »

I noticwed that my 98 does not have a button on the dash to release the hatch - whats up with that ? My 97 has one, the space is there for the switch - [-(
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Post by potskie »

My 98 doesnt have one either. I'm assuming they didnt bother with it because of the push button on the hatch itself.
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Post by ScottS »

I also noticed that the pushbutton switch on the rear hatch wil not fuction if the key is in the ignition. Maybe to stop poeple from opening the hatch at stoplights ?
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