Old version-Ford repair for truck rear door wont open - part 1 of 3
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- čas přidán 18. 11. 2011
- Updated 2022/08/18
*** The new version of this video (where I use a bicycle brake adjuster instead) is at • Fix broken cable with ...
If you see links on the web, please let them know to point to the new version.
The old version shows how to repair a broken cable housing using plumbing PEX parts. You can use this same concept on several vehicles. Some Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Mazda cars, trucks, vans, and mini vans have this problem. Usually caused by a broken cable housing preventing you from triggering the latch. The cable sheath ends break easy. The truck in this video is a 1999 model. Same as 1999-2004 F series trucks with suicide doors including Superduty. Similar to 1992-2013 E series van cargo doors including the Econoline. In this video, I fixed each cable for about $5 each. See more info below.
Keep scrolling down.
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I have also included some info about a few other ways to fix this problem.
Another option: For a few dollars per cable, you can also use a bicycle brake adjuster to replace the broken plastic end. Take the cable with you to a bike shop. There are about 10 different kinds. The one I use is 7mm to the outside edges of the threads. Its length is 21mm.
Another option: (the easiest) In recent years, autoparts stores have stared carrying aluminum ends to replace the cable ends. They also carry the cables.
Another option (an expensive one): Each latch/cable assembly cost about $180 at the dealer.
If you use the method in this video, you need two 3/8 O.D PEX faucet connectors to repair one cable. I like to use 30 inch PEX connectors.
If you break the yellow part that clips on the threaded end of the cable....
---Dorman 75473 DOOR LOCK ROD CLIPS $5
This is a set of 3 clips but only one is the yellow clip. Not sure what the other 2 are for. Advanced carried this one in stock.
---Dorman 703-242 DOOR LOCK ROD CLIP (just the yellow clip). I couldn't find a parts house that carried this in stock.
---Ford part number e83z5421952-b ($9.56)
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Just tags beyond this point to help people find the video
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029
90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99
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Ford Motor Company
F150 F250 F350 F450 F550
F-150 F-250 F-350 F-450 F-550
E150 E250 E350 E450 E550
E-150 E-250 E-350 E-450 E-550
expedition expidition expedision, Navigator, Explorer, econoline, ranger
Lincoln lincon lyncon
Mercury murcury
mountaineer mountaneer mountainer mountainear
Superduty Super Duty Pickup Pick up P/U
4X4 4X2 4WD 2WD
Super Duty XL XLT
1/2 3/4 1 ton
Extended cab, Quad Cab, or King Cab
auto automobile
my car door wont open
my truck door wont open
rear door stuck
how to do it yourself diy homemade
door wont open from inside or outside
How to pull off the back half door panels on
how to remove or replace the interior door panel trim on your vehicle for a number of different repairs, door handles, door locks applicable to
Howto fix repair replace install change put in take out remove attach door panel trim plastic fabric installation instruction tutorial video
fix repair change put in take out attach trim panel plastic installation instruction tutorial video back speaker install access removed removing changing change passenger driver side
Fixpro256 f1i1x1p1r1o1 HowToAutoRepair h1t1a1r1 xyzzyHowToAutoRepairxyzzy - Auta a dopravní prostředky
The new version of this video (where I use a bicycle brake adjuster instead) is at czcams.com/video/7Ta7yx26qwM/video.html
Great description on how to fix the rear doors on my truck. I followed your directions and my 1999 F350 now has four working doors once again....cost $6. Awesome.
You, sir are a freaking GENIUS!!! I had the same problem on both rear doors of my 99 F-250 Super Duty, and I have two brand new doors now!! I am beyond happy about not having to spend the $400 to replace all 4 lock assemblies on my truck!!! Thank you for posting!
On the drivers side; the top latch...the passengers side was both...your fix worked for all three, though the bottom one requires a bit of tweaking to get it the exact length.
I just finished working on the left access door, your instructions are awesome! I found the tubes at Home Depot...$2 each! Gonna work on the right door tomorrow....THANKS for all your help!!
I know this thread is older but wanted to let you know that I did it exactly as you did and mine worked the first time. Great info and if it continues to work saved me some cash. Thanks
I had the same issue with my truck last week. Your video helped me a lot so I would like to share the solution that I found the is cheaper but very effective. I used break cables that got from Walmart for $7. The cables are the same size and work great . I also used the nuts from the break system and they hold the bottom end in place.
In my case, it was the one on top that broke but you don't have to drill any holes because there is already a hole close by that I used a big ziptie and is working wonderful. Thanks for the tip.
Mark, Thanks so much. The job was so much easier than I thought it would be. I did the top and bottom with the (4) Pex 20" and yes it was a T-27 torx on my 2002 F-150. I was able to fix it for $10. Ford wanted about $600. And it took about 30 minutes. Thanks again.
***** Ah yes I see them on Ebay. Great, thanks again, Mark, both ideas are ingenious.
I did this back in November of 2011 and it is now July of 2012 and I have had no problems. It was funny that both doors quit working within about a month of eachother.
Thank you so much for this video. Easy to follow. Took me about 10 minutes total to get the door to open and close again. Thanks!
Great job I repaired both doors for about 6 bucks. great public service
Great help. I used 3/8od polyethylene tubing. one piece. Notched the top at 1/4inch and squeezed with pliers to make oval and pushed into top piece. Cut he tube to a smidgen longer than the black of cable notched the bottom based on having the cable in the right position to fit into v groove and meet the mechanism in the right place to open. Tested while holding tube in place, worked so I tie wrapped and done.
Thanks for the reply :) Im gonna take it to a body shop and see what they can do, thanks again for the help!
ok I used your video to help fix mine thanks. I did it a little different but I couldn't have figured out with out your help thanks. on each end I used the break adjusters off a bicycle
I was curious about that, but I thought they would have just stated that right up front. I was able to dig it out of their support site. Looks like I have some work to do. Thanks for the heads up!
Mark, thank you for posting this video, I was sitting in the backseat of my truck wondering where to start on resolving this problem. Great video, excellent explanation.
I bought my replacement part for $99.
Mark, I have one door to repair, the right rear upper latch. I bought the entire assembly.
1A Auto.com
I have bought several parts from them.
Good, I hope the information helps someone.
Again, thank you for posting the video, it was of tremendous help to me.
***** ,
Yep, it is correct. Here is the link: www.1aauto.com/
That is a great idea. I remember thinking, I wish they made something like that. I totally forgot about my bike brake adjusters. I don't know if I will ever have to take my doors apart again, but it I do, I will try the brake adjusters. Thy would be a little harder to come by than the plastic pipe, but would make a nicer job.
I did a search for "slotted cable adjuster" and found several different kinds. Thanks.
awesome video. spent hours with my dad ..saw this and no lie..3 minutes later. thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the heads up
Hi Freddy, Just in case your doors break again...
I figured out a better way to fix these cables. I use bicycle brake adjusters instead.
That video is at:
czcams.com/video/7Ta7yx26qwM/video.html
I did exactly what you show here on a 97 F150 and it worked. $5. Thanks!
***** 1997 Ford F150. Top latch.
i am having the same problem.figured it out before i saw your view. yes it is a poor design on fords part. metal ends would have been a lot better. will get the right side also. just to be safe cause they are probably gonna break too. good job
Hey Tim,
Yes, it is the toilet line or the ones used under the sink. They will be in the plumbing department of most hardware stores.
Cool. I didn't think about pushing it into the top latch. I don't think it can come loose but that would be a better fit. Thanks.
Wow. I have not had to take out the bottom ones yet. The top one is pretty hard to get the cable out of. Surprised that the lower one came out some easy on you. I am a little busy with school right now, but if I get a little free time, I will pull mine and let you know what I find. Good luck.
Can't wait to try it this weekend.
Feels like you just got a brand new truck doesn't it? Well, almost. I know a guy that has not been able to open his back doors for 2 years due to this. I am going to fix his for him this weekend. I am sure he will offer me a few beers for it ;-)
Amazon sell new cable ends that are perfect for long last repair. I just finished both doors on the drivers side and it works perfectly.
Yes I got them fixed, I used small picks to open doors with top had to remove lower hex nut pushed tumbler and it unlocked.
Thanks that was a great video showing what I need to do to fix it!!!!! Thanks again!!!
I figured out a better way to fix these cables. I use bicycle brake adjusters instead.
That video is at:
czcams.com/video/7Ta7yx26qwM/video.html
From the dealer, they are $180 each. I found one on ebay for $68. In the listing it said it would fit my truck, but then told me it was not compatible. If you can actually get it for that, it would be a good deal for replacing one. Depending on how handy you are and how many of them are broken, it may or may not be a good deal. From what people say, they all start to fall apart about the same time, so you will be spending over $250 to do all 4. Just depends on how much money vs time you have.
Well thanks for the tip Mark but unfortunately my cable has been disconnected from the lower latch :/ thanks again for the help
Great! I will have to try that one day and update my video. Thanks
Thx for videos and help.
Wow! That is fast. It took me a lot longer than that to do my second one. ;-)
FORD DOES IT AGAIN THANKS FOR THIS
Hey just thought i would let you know i got the door open by pulling off all of the plastic and manually opening the latch with a screwdriver. Thanks again for the input just thought i would let you know everything has been figured out :)
You save me a Lotta cash thank you for your help 🙏
Your welcome. I hope you watched the new version(s) also????
If you remove the rear door speaker the added open area will help you get to the areas you need to, especially the bottom latch
If the lower latch cable is still ok you should be able to use the handle. If the cable is bad you should be able to pull on the inner part of the cable to disengage the lower latch. I am just guessing because both of my lower latch cables are ok.
Hey Mark im having problems with both latches on my truck is their anyway you can make a video or just tell me in a comment about how i am supposed to disengage the lower latch? thanks for you help keep up the good work!
Found it, thanks.😃
$850 would not surprise me at all. The parts are expensive. Mostly because they don't sell just the cable. They replace the entire latch and cable. If you have the time, it is much better to do it yourself.
is the grey tubing used a water line for a toilet,, need to know where to get the tubing
is there a special tool for the three nut/bolt things on the main mechanism ?
where can I buy the upper and lower cables. they are both broke on my wife truck. without going to the deal
That little yellow clip with knob at 4:40 is the same clip that will eventually give out on the rear hatch of a 2001 Mercury Mountaineer. In my instance it just came loose so I re-clipped it. The knob fits into a hole in the rear hatch lever. The knob is weakening in the hole. I'm trading it in so didn't need a permanent fix. I expect you could use a zip tie if you could find a nut for the end of that threaded rod.
+bobthemag2 Yes you could do that if you aren't near an auto parts store or if they don't have that part in stock.
(The info below is from the text information section of the video)
The yellow part that clips on the threaded end of the cable....
---Dorman 75473 DOOR LOCK ROD CLIPS $5
This is a set of 3 clips but only one is the yellow clip. Not sure what the other 2 are for. Advanced carried this one in stock.
---Dorman 703-242 DOOR LOCK ROD CLIP (just the yellow clip). I couldn't find a parts house that carried this in stock.
---Ford part number e83z5421952-b ($9.56) OUCH!!!
I have a 2001 mountaineer. My two rear doors are stuck shut! There's no info about how to fix them. I heard that it's a different mechanism than the two front doors. Forums have no solutions either. Did you ever have or fix that problem? anything would help. Thanks
+Maurice湯 茂 林 I have never worked on a Mountaineer. They are usually the same as a Ford Explorer. I don't think there is a cable in that model. Can you open it from the outside or the inside or neither?
Personal No, I can't but I think I can take off the inside door handle to see if I can disengage the latch manually. (I've seen it done on an explorer but it was the front doors :\) I've got front doors working but I need these back doors open! Any help you think of let me know please, thank you!
+Maurice湯 茂 林 I don't think I am going to be of much help. If you look on a site like oreillyauto.com and put in your vehicle. Then do a search for a common part, like a window regulator. Look for the one for the rear door. Look at the compatibility list. It will show you what vehicles use the same part. Looks like 98-2001 mountaineers are the same. Also a bunch of the explorers around those years are the same part. So you should be able to search youtube for "rear door panel" for each of those models until you find one that looks your door panel. I poked around, but I don't know what yours looks like, so I can't match it up. Good luck
I think it is a T-27 torx bit.
I'm still wondering how do I get the main parts out the parts were the cables attach to open door
What are the "main parts" you are talking about?
Well how much is the whole assembly piece?
I can't get the T27 screws out. I am turning the screws and they just keep turning. Any advice?
If the threads are stripped, put a torques bit in a drill. While spinning the screw at a slow speed, slip a sharp object under the head of the screw to help force it out. I usually use something like an old sharp wood chisel. If that doesn't work, you may have to drill a hole in the head of the screw until the head pops off.
I figured out a better way to fix these cables. I use bicycle brake adjusters instead.
That video is at:
czcams.com/video/7Ta7yx26qwM/video.html
My T27 just kept spinning in the screw head. I hammered a T30 into them and after extrication replaced them with bolts.
What part did you not like?
I had been trying to find a 2000 ranger 4x4. the back doors are busted and I don't think that I can get any panels off...
Hi Paul, Did you figure out how to get your panels off?
I figured out a better way to fix these cables. I use bicycle brake adjusters instead.
That video is at:
czcams.com/video/7Ta7yx26qwM/video.html
Oh yeah i got them figured out. In fact I gave the truck back to the owner. He burned his other truck up so now he is driving the ranger.
just so you know if google sees you asking people to click your ads they will shutdown your adsense(just helpin you)
A shop quoted me 820$ to fix both doors! Does this sound right? Ill probably fix it my self
got mine with snapped off cables. no cable to pull on.
Hi Han Solo, Did you get your doors fixed?
I figured out a better way to fix these cables. I use bicycle brake adjusters instead.
That video is at:
czcams.com/video/7Ta7yx26qwM/video.html
That is a different body design than mine. I don't know much about that model. Sorry.
The cable on my bottom latch came OFF and after three hours there's still no way to get my arm or hand in there to release it manually. FML.
Hi Kenny, I thought I replied to this before, but I don't see it here. Did you figure out your problem?
I figured out a better way to fix these cables. I use bicycle brake adjusters instead.
That video is at:
czcams.com/video/7Ta7yx26qwM/video.html
Yes thank you!!!! The bottom cables came completely out of the lower latch and it required a few camera phone pics with a flash to locate the manual release. I was finally able to reach in and manipulate the latch to release. I bought the aluminum ferrule kit off eBay which made a permanent and solid repair. your video is the best by far!
I don't know if y'all have a pipes U-Pull-It butt that is the cheapest way to go
The cables are usually to brittle, unless you get lucky and get one that has already been replaced.
This is one of my old videos. I replaced it with some new ones.
How to remove the rear door panel when the door is stuck shut: czcams.com/video/3tAdn3vXZqg/video.html
How to open the rear door when it is stuck shut: czcams.com/video/yfeQGMvsoSg/video.html
How to make a new cable end: czcams.com/video/7Ta7yx26qwM/video.html
Thank you for the video I took my door cover off and it was the cable for the bottom one neither O'Reilly or AutoZone has the cable I guess I'm going to have to buy from the Ford Place
The Ford dealer will bend you over with no Vaseline. They only sell the latch and cable as an assembly. Very expensive for what they are. But they are the easiest to install. With a little work, there are kits online that you can order to replace just the cable housing ends, or you can use my other video to replace the ends with bicycle brake adjusters.
You right about that thank you for the information I will look at your other video
Scotty Boy
If the lower latch cable is still ok you should be able to use the handle. If the cable is bad you should be able to pull on the inner part of the cable to disengage the lower latch. I am just guessing because both of my lower latch cables are ok.