Rear Door Will NOT Open

1999AuSC2 · 07-23-2005, 07:13 PM

I'm working on my 1996 SL2. The rear driver's side door would not open when I bought the car. I've been trying to open it all morning. So far I have removed the inside door panel, rear seat, and rear 1/4 window. With the window down, I can actually see the inside part of the latch assembly. The mechanism is RUSTY, and the lock rod will not slide forward, so I assume that something is rusted tight.

So, I just want to break the mechanism out & replace it. How do I do this? I already read about TSB 94-T-11, but it doesn't look the same, perhaps because this is a 1996 model year.

**Ssicarman** · 07-23-2005, 09:01 PM

Gobs of WD-40 and work things until they get loose.

MySaturnYouNV · 07-23-2005, 09:28 PM

seems best to pull it off without damaging anything else but the door, then replace it from one from a junk yard or somethin...since most of it seems beyond repair.

Here we had plenty of good looking saturn doors at our junk yards...could easily be taken off and put on yours.

That is what i would do....i'd hate to deal with all the mechenisms inside the door.

1999AuSC2 · 07-23-2005, 11:07 PM

I've been soaking the rust, but suspect that something else is wrong with the latch. If I break the plastic out of the door latch, will I be able to replace it? I assumed that this was possible, based on that TSB.

There appear to be three screws that hold the latch assembly in, when I look at the passenger side. (I still have not been able to open the driver-side rear door)

**Ssicarman** · 07-26-2005, 01:35 AM

The TSB is not for 96's and is for the front doors. If you have things apart enough to be able to see the latch then you can likely get the door open somehow. Pull the other side apart to see what is supposed to be moving to open thing if you are not sure. This way you can concentrate on what you need to to get the door open. Also use the outer handle to try to open things up as the child lock may be activated and the inner one may not open things up.

1999AuSC2 · 08-02-2005, 03:01 AM

I was able to finally get the door open, after putting a long straight wire into a hole in the plastic lock mechanism, and hammering it down. Thanks for the tip about looking at the other side door to see what parts were supposed to be moving.

Anyhow, does anyone have a driver's side rear door latch assembly that I could buy?

Mine is rusted beyond belief. After I was able to open the door, it would no longer latch in the closed position. . .

FYI, after I got the door open, I removed the door panel, removed the rear glass track with one bolt, and then removed the latch assembly with three torx bolts.