Needs a gas tank float, Front Strutts abd the drivers side door wont open from the outside. Otherwise I love my Sambar and just like any girl, Named my baby Pearle. If anyone feels like helping a newbie, thanks in advance.
It sounds like you have the same problem as I do except that it is my passenger's sliding door that does not open from the outside. (It still opens from the inside.) My door is far down on the list of things to do. My guess is that it is broken cable or cable stop in the door handle mechanism. If was going to start fixing this right now, I would be trying to figure out how to get the door trim off the sliding door. I'll be posting more when I tackle the job. Have fun with your van
Hi Dunc, folks, I'm trying to figure out how to get the inner sliding door trim off too! Let me know if you figure out where the tabs are.
OK - the sun was shining so I thought 'why not go and figure this door trim out' and unlike most other days, I did figure something out. 1 - Pull the kiddy-esque lock dial off located in the front lower corner of the door. It comes straight back and takes a fair pull. By pushing on the door trim you can get small fingers behind it. Plastic bicycle tire levers might have helped. Everything is plastic so I'd avoid metal tools - but maybe that's just me. 2 - Get the window crank off. Greg (Greg0187) had a useful post somewhere in the forum. In the post he says to so slip some fabric behind the crank (and in front of the washer) as if to polish the crank axil. Then use that polish action to release a clip holding the crank on. Attack from behind the handle. 3 - Get the door handle off. This is the same procedure as the window crank. 4 - Pull the door trim off. Start pulling from the kiddy lock hole with the aim of releasing the lower front corner. These are only plastic clips holding the door trim on so there is no need to be a hero. Work your way up and then across the bottom to the back. There are 2 clips in the middle. Then work your way up the back. Finally negotiate the panel over the lock post/pull. Now you are in. My door was sealed from the elements with some ever sticky silicony-tar-goupe and plastic. The combo has a great re-usability factor but it is messy. I'm going to go take some pics and try and post them somewhere so you can make a little more out of my ramblings.
About the door release. In my case there is a broken axil base and so when one pulls the outside door lever the entire axil base is moved rather then generating the desired rotational action around the axil. So now I know exactly what is wrong but not how to fix it, yet. Replacing is always an option.
Cute van! Be careful with this, the clip is small and will fly right out of there if you don't have something to catch it! Maybe a small piece of tape briding the gap between the handle and the door would work.
Dunc, thanks for the motivation - I went in and opened up my doors yesterday. It was an easy fix - some silicone spray lube on the bushings and levers and the outside door handle loosened right up. Photos are here!
