Need Help 01 GTS driver door won t open

[Peter K.]

Could use some suggestion before we ruin a door panel. We have several Vipers, the door button on my 01 GTS won't open the drivers door. Won't open with the regular door handle from the inside. Won't open with the upper rear emergency handle. Putting my ear up to the outside button I do hear the button click. My mechanic and I think we went thru everything we could. Passenger side operates as normal. Window is down as well.

[Fatboy 18]

Could try removing the door speaker and getting a camera phone somehow in the hole to see if you can shine some light on things. Your other option may be to unbolt the drivers seat and carefully remove it from the car out of the passenger side to allow you access to the door panel. Very odd that the manual lever in the door will also not work! Clearly something has broken on the lock or the cable wire disconnected.
Here's a link to some pictures of the passenger side door lock, so you can get an idea of what you need to push or pull, you might be able to get a piece of stiff wire near the lock and lever something to open the door. Good luck, (I would put the window back up to give you more room in the door.
https://www.pacificmotors.com/auto-p...viper-1997-02/

[ViperDrive97]

I just recently had this issue when I was doing a rewire of my door wiring harness. The clip that holds the wire for the emergency latch came out of the housing clip that holds it when I was putting the door back together. I had no idea that it popped out. You will need to get a pick and a mirror and fish down to grab the wire or you have to get a slim jim and rotate the door latch mechanism from the window slit.

[AviP]

Here's a suggestion. Open the passenger side door panel to understand how the mechanism works and then replicate on the driver side. It might be a pain in the ass but you won't damage anything.

[GTS Dean]

^^^This.^^^

[goggles Pizano]

so your latch is not unlatching. you can feel resistance when using the manually release that pops the latch

[Fatboy 18]

Any updates, would be nice if the OP reported back on how they got on.

[Peter K.]

Not yet. Have several cars and a garage under construction. Good news is that we got the thing running, wiring near computer.

[99RT10]

I had this issue on a Gen 1. There isn't any emergency release, so it WAS A PIA!!! Since it was an RT, it was a little easier to work around(no top), but the seat had to come out and pull the bottom screws off the bottom of the door panel to get to the latch. Uses a long, custom bent screwdriver to release the latch.

Not a fun job, in a GTS.............. REALLY NOT A FUN JOB. Good luck either way

[Peter K.]

5 minutes to open. Now to put the latch on the bench, clean, test and reapair if possible.

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[ViperDrive97]

I would check your door wiring harness. Mine went out that way. I re wired the entire harness. Your emergency release tab/clip probably popped out of its holder, if that happens there is nothing to pull against so the wire just flops around instead of pulling the latch.

[Peter K.]

The car got me......The ole broken wire in the door trick. Made several preventative repairs while in there. And reconnected the emergency latch. Thanks for all the suggestions.

[ViperDrive97]

The car got me......The ole broken wire in the door trick. Made several preventative repairs while in there. And reconnected the emergency latch. Thanks for all the suggestions.

Its great that you got it sorted out!