Electric sliding door

[Scotclimb]

Just thought I’d share my experience with the side door. It would bounce back after closing a third of the way. This happened for a few months then the wire snapped and it no longer opened unless I struggled manually but thought I’d damage it further. Anyway. After trolling this amazing forum I found a guy who has a video tutorial on replacing tge pulleys and cables. I bought mine off eBay for £12 posted with three days. Spent 4 hours last night and tge door works perfectly. Let’s hope it holds out for years to come. Only trouble is I can’t find the original post from where welshgas had a link to the video.

 

[ArunAlec]

Just thought I’d share my experience with the side door. It would bounce back after closing a third of the way. This happened for a few months then the wire snapped and it no longer opened unless I struggled manually but thought I’d damage it further. Anyway. After trolling this amazing forum I found a guy who has a video tutorial on replacing tge pulleys and cables. I bought mine off eBay for £12 posted with three days. Spent 4 hours last night and tge door works perfectly. Let’s hope it holds out for years to come. Only trouble is I can’t find the original post from where welshgas had a link to the video.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Just thought I’d share my experience with the side door. It would bounce back after closing a third of the way. This happened for a few months then the wire snapped and it no longer opened unless I struggled manually but thought I’d damage it further. Anyway. After trolling this amazing forum I found a guy who has a video tutorial on replacing tge pulleys and cables. I bought mine off eBay for £12 posted with three days. Spent 4 hours last night and tge door works perfectly. Let’s hope it holds out for years to come. Only trouble is I can’t find the original post from where welshgas had a link to the video.

It’s good to hear you fixed it yourself. Must have saved at least a few hundred £.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Don’t think i’d tackle that myself

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Just thought I’d share my experience with the side door. It would bounce back after closing a third of the way. This happened for a few months then the wire snapped and it no longer opened unless I struggled manually but thought I’d damage it further. Anyway. After trolling this amazing forum I found a guy who has a video tutorial on replacing tge pulleys and cables. I bought mine off eBay for £12 posted with three days. Spent 4 hours last night and tge door works perfectly. Let’s hope it holds out for years to come. Only trouble is I can’t find the original post from where welshgas had a link to the video.

Can you say what mechanical experience you actually have so that others will know if they could tackle this job.

 

[Scotclimb]

Can you say what mechanical experience you actually have so that others will know if they could tackle this job.

I have very little mechanical experience apart from servicing our own vehicles, pads discs tge odd ball joint exhausts. Diy mechanic really. I made a mistake with the smaller length of cable. I had too much slack in it. So I probably could have done it in three hours if I didn’t have to reuse tge Ferrell I’d nipped on. A tiny drill bit got me there in the end. I’ll have a go at most things if there’s videos like that to keep you right.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

I have very little mechanical experience apart from servicing our own vehicles, pads discs tge odd ball joint exhausts. Diy mechanic really. I made a mistake with the smaller length of cable. I had too much slack in it. So I probably could have done it in three hours if I didn’t have to reuse tge Ferrell I’d nipped on. A tiny drill bit got me there in the end. I’ll have a go at most things if there’s videos like that to keep you right.

I was just asking because it gives people confidence to do this type of job on the van with just basic tools. All these things are just a learning curve and if you did it again you could probably halve the time.
Obviously if a vehicle is under warranty then that’s different but if the choice is spending loads of cash or giving it a go then every time but if special tools or lifting gear is needed that’s a different story. Well done.

 

[Vagophile]

but if special tools or lifting gear is needed that’s a different story

Sometimes the workshop cost of a repair makes the one off purchase of a special tool worthwhile for D.I.Y.
Whatever happened to tool hire shops?

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Sometimes the workshop cost of a repair makes the one off purchase of a special tool worthwhile for D.I.Y.
Whatever happened to tool hire shops?

There are plenty of tool hire shops around but most of them only deal with run of the mill every day tools. It really comes down to how much is that special tool going to cost. In the old days when I started you could strip almost any vehicle down to the last nut and bolt with a socket set. Today everything has a sensor fitted to it and although possible to diagnose with home equipment manufacturers don’t want you to do the work yourself and make it very difficult to replace parts cheaply.

 

[Gina-B]

There are plenty of tool hire shops around but most of them only deal with run of the mill every day tools. It really comes down to how much is that special tool going to cost. In the old days when I started you could strip almost any vehicle down to the last nut and bolt with a socket set. Today everything has a sensor fitted to it and although possible to diagnose with home equipment manufacturers don’t want you to do the work yourself and make it very difficult to replace parts cheaply.

Which is exactly why I'm taking out the additional warranty!

 

[Scotclimb]

Which is exactly why I'm taking out the additional warranty!

Good idea. I’m not feeling so glum today. My vans back in my workshop. The ferrule I put on wasn’t crimped tight enough. So the wire pulled through the ferrule. Just picked up heavy duty bolt cutters and hopefully have it done in a couple of hours.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Good idea. I’m not feeling so glum today. My vans back in my workshop. The ferrule I put on wasn’t crimped tight enough. So the wire pulled through the ferrule. Just picked up heavy duty bolt cutters and hopefully have it done in a couple of hours.

Hopefully second time lucky

 

[Scotclimb]

Hopefully second time lucky

That’s it done again. Fingers crossed it keeps going for years to come. The lad we bought it from loved the fact it had an electric door. So far I wished it was manual. Does anyone know the costs involved in going back to manual? Thanks

 

[Ozzy Pete]

That’s it done again. Fingers crossed it keeps going for years to come. The lad we bought it from loved the fact it had an electric door. So far I wished it was manual. Does anyone know the costs involved in going back to manual? Thanks

I suppose you should have tried to see if it closed fully manually when you had it stripped. Hopefully you won’t need to think about it for a good few years.

 

[Gina-B]

Good idea. I’m not feeling so glum today. My vans back in my workshop. The ferrule I put on wasn’t crimped tight enough. So the wire pulled through the ferrule. Just picked up heavy duty bolt cutters and hopefully have it done in a couple of hours.

Best of luck Scotclimb.

 

[pjm-84]

That’s it done again. Fingers crossed it keeps going for years to come. The lad we bought it from loved the fact it had an electric door. So far I wished it was manual. Does anyone know the costs involved in going back to manual? Thanks

Quite a bit from memory. Mine is generally fine. I find the dogs have a tendancy to flick debris up onto the bottom track which causes the bounce back. Be careful sweeping fingers on or at the back of the track. Some sharp edges which caught me out.

 

[CraigD]

I used the same video last year and replaced one of my door cables on a caravelle exec. And I agree with Scotclimb that if you are able to do stuff like brakes, wheel bearings etc then you should be able to do these cables too. The price to get it repaired at VW was many hundreds (can't remember how much now).

 

[Taf Powell]

Just thought I’d share my experience with the side door. It would bounce back after closing a third of the way. This happened for a few months then the wire snapped and it no longer opened unless I struggled manually but thought I’d damage it further. Anyway. After trolling this amazing forum I found a guy who has a video tutorial on replacing tge pulleys and cables. I bought mine off eBay for £12 posted with three days. Spent 4 hours last night and tge door works perfectly. Let’s hope it holds out for years to come. Only trouble is I can’t find the original post from where welshgas had a link to the video.

This is great advice

Just thought I’d share my experience with the side door. It would bounce back after closing a third of the way. This happened for a few months then the wire snapped and it no longer opened unless I struggled manually but thought I’d damage it further. Anyway. After trolling this amazing forum I found a guy who has a video tutorial on replacing tge pulleys and cables. I bought mine off eBay for £12 posted with three days. Spent 4 hours last night and tge door works perfectly. Let’s hope it holds out for years to come. Only trouble is I can’t find the original post from where welshgas had a link to the video.

Such good notes Scotclumb and other friends. I understand the dealerships charge c. a Grand for the repair. Of course as the failure occurred Christmas Day, the Scottish workshops are shut until 5 Jan!
I’ll report back.
Thanks all
Taf