Help! 2015 Genesis rear door won’t open.

[golfschatz]

I know this thread has been around for a few years but I'm assuming there are people out there still looking for a fix.

The quick summary: I was able to replace a friend's 2015 Genesis rear door latch without damaging the door interior panel. This may or may not apply to other models/years; you will need to evaluate your vehicle's door latch mechanism, etc. to decide if this fix will work for you.

I'm going to do a quick post to let people know what I've found and see if there's interest in more detail. Pardon the bullet points:

• In order to replace the broken latch mechanism, the interior door panel has to be removed, and as far as I can tell the door has to be open to remove the panel. Which, of course, you can't do because the latch is broken. Catch 22!
  
  
• With the assumption that the problem affecting other Genesis doors is the same as the one I repaired, you will NOT be able to get the door open with a slim-jim or other through-the-window-opening approach. The broken piece is buried deep within the door latch mechanism, and is in the internal linkage operated on by both the outside and inside handle cables. No amount of manipulation of the cables will make up for the fact that the linkage inside the latch assembly itself is broken.
  
  
• I spent several hours with a snake-cam looking inside the door and evaluating an unmounted replacement latch assembly to see if I could find a through-the-window exploit. Unless you have access to NASA-level or aircraft mechanic tools where you can work through a half-inch opening and maneuver a drill around three corners to bore holes in the back of the latch then you are out of luck.
  
  
• But: I did find another way to cause the latch to release and open the door! To understand how this works, it helps if you can open the door on the other side of the car and use a screwdriver to push the latch-pivot mechanism on the door's edge to simulate how the latch engages when the door closes. Note that there's a small black 'cam' at the outside-bottom of the latch-pivot that snaps up and holds the latch in its door-is-closed position. If you can press on that small back cam in just the right way, the latch-pivot will release. There's your exploit!

The general process:

Working from inside the car, pull the interior door seal away from the lower rear edge of the door frame by the rear seat bottom and back. This will expose a pinch-weld (I think it's called that) that sits between where you're sitting and the now-we-know-how-to-exploit-latch-mechanism. Use a Dremel tool outfitted with a 9901 Tungsten Carbide metal bit - they're $10-15 but worth it - to grind away a 'notch' in the pinch weld that will allow you to fish a custom-bent coat hangar wire tool in to where it can push on our cam and release the door latch. (In hindsight I might also have been able to drill a simple 1/8"-1/4" hole in the right spot, but I'm not sure about that. It might be that there isn't room to operate a drill with the seat back in place. I don't have the car nearby where I can consider that as an option, so in the meantime I'm just explaining what I did that worked.)

You'll likely need to get some light shining into the area between the pinch weld and the latch mechanism to know exactly where to put the notch. Use the other side (i.e., working) door to help guide you in where the notch needs to go, as well as how to design your coat hangar wire tool and how to manipulate it to be able to press the release cam.

Important: Wear hearing AND eye protection with grinding with the Dremel bit. Be very careful with this, because this particular Dremel bit will create thousands of razor-sharp 2mm needle-like metal shards, and it's VERY loud. Make sure you use a vacuum on all the nearby surfaces to suck up the shavings before touching anything. You have been warned...

Once the door is open you're on your own. Vacuum up any additional metal shards left over from the grinding you did and press the interior door seal back into place, which nicely hides your little notch. You'll need to remove the interior panel, window lift hardware (and probably the window itself), and all sorts of other stull to get to where you can replace the actual latch mechanism. It's a lot of work, but you'll be so proud of yourself when you get it fixed!

Save the receipt for your replacement latch. If the Hyundai Genesis people ever decide to make this a recall or service bulletin program then you might be able to get reimbursement for the part and any labor costs if you paid someone else to make the fix.

Great detailed info. Since I already bought a used inner panel for $160, it may be easier to destroy the old panel. What do you think?

 

[TheRealElbadoo]

Great detailed info. Since I already bought a used inner panel for $160, it may be easier to destroy the old panel. What do you think?

Yeah, I also bought a door panel before I came up with my approach and ended up not using it. I keep meaning to list it on eBay but never quite get around to it.

My concern with the destroy-interior-panel approach is that you still have a lot to do to get the door open once you've torn apart and removed the inside panel. You'll be working in an inconvenient position from the back seat to remove the window lift mechanism, glass, and other parts, and then access the faulty latch mechanism through small interior openings to get the door to open.

Assuming your latch mechanism has the same problem as the one I worked on, no amount of pulling on cables or linkages external to the latch assembly will get it to release. That being the case, you will have to attack the latch mechanism itself if you can reach it working through the inside openings. You're likely going to need to attack it physically with a drill, Dremel, or other compact implement to crack it apart so that the internal locking cam breaks free and releases the door. I don't think it'll be an easy job.

Of course, this all conjecture on my part since I haven't tried this approach. If there are people on this forum who have successfully repaired their door using the destroy-interior-panel method, it would be great if they can share their experience in detail. That way you'd know what you're facing and can make an informed decision on how to proceed.

If you do decide to try my method, then before you start Dremeling your pinch weld I'll remind you to verify that probe-to-release will work by testing it on the presumably-working other door's latch mechanism. If you can't make it work with the working door open where you see what you're doing, then you likely won't be able to do it through a small notch on the broken closed door.

 

[golfschatz]

Yeah, I also bought a door panel before I came up with my approach and ended up not using it. I keep meaning to list it on eBay but never quite get around to it.

My concern with the destroy-interior-panel approach is that you still have a lot to do to get the door open once you've torn apart and removed the inside panel. You'll be working in an inconvenient position from the back seat to remove the window lift mechanism, glass, and other parts, and then access the faulty latch mechanism through small interior openings to get the door to open.

Assuming your latch mechanism has the same problem as the one I worked on, no amount of pulling on cables or linkages external to the latch assembly will get it to release. That being the case, you will have to attack the latch mechanism itself if you can reach it working through the inside openings. You're likely going to need to attack it physically with a drill, Dremel, or other compact implement to crack it apart so that the internal locking cam breaks free and releases the door. I don't think it'll be an easy job.

Of course, this all conjecture on my part since I haven't tried this approach. If there are people on this forum who have successfully repaired their door using the destroy-interior-panel method, it would be great if they can share their experience in detail. That way you'd know what you're facing and can make an informed decision on how to proceed.

If you do decide to try my method, then before you start Dremeling your pinch weld I'll remind you to verify that probe-to-release will work by testing it on the presumably-working other door's latch mechanism. If you can't make it work with the working door open where you see what you're doing, then you likely won't be able to do it through a small notch on the broken closed door.

Thanks. Really appreciate the time you have taken to write really knowledgeable answers. Actually I am not going to do this myself. I have found a really good small local body shop and just want to get them as much good info as possible because this is a somewhat unusual problem. At this point really don’t know if it is the latch or the actuator. Think it is latch because it happened quickly and didnt notice any binding or strange noise. Thanks again. Gary

 

[TheRealElbadoo]

Thanks. Really appreciate the time you have taken to write really knowledgeable answers. Actually I am not going to do this myself. I have found a really good small local body shop and just want to get them as much good info as possible because this is a somewhat unusual problem. At this point really don’t know if it is the latch or the actuator. Think it is latch because it happened quickly and didnt notice any binding or strange noise. Thanks again. Gary

You're quite welcome. I am dying to hear from anyone else who's found success getting their door open with my method. I've had this posted for several months now and haven't gotten any direct feedback - positive or otherwise - from someone who's actually tried it.

Before you spend any money at your body shop, would you mind seeing if you can at least replicate my probe-to-release action to unlatch your working-side door mechanism? I know it worked on my friend's 2015 Genesis, but I have no idea if it's even possible on other years or models. I'd be willing to talk to you on the phone/FaceTime/other video to walk you through the process if you want to share contact information.

I'd attach a video showing me releasing the locking hook on the door latch mechanism I removed from my friend's car, but this site doesn't let me do it. Maybe it needs a different video format or perhaps I'm just not holding my mouse correctly. Let me know if there's an easy way to do it, or I can upload it to Google Drive and post or DM a link.

Rick

 

[TheRealElbadoo]

Here's a (non-monitized/no advertising) Google Drive link to a demonstration of me releasing the latch on a 2015 Genesis rear door lock. I looked at the site Terms and Rules and think posting a link like this is allowed; if not, let me know the right way of doing it.

Google Drive Link to Probe-to-Release Demonstration

Apologies in advance about my poor handheld camera work.

Before filming the video I had pushed the catch to its latched position, simulating what happens when the door is closed. Pushing "just so" with a screwdriver or coat hangar allows the latch to release to its open position.

The idea here is that IF (and only if!) this latch release works on your car's working-side door lock, then you have a chance of being able to do this on your broken-side latch using my method of notching the pinch weld and working a piece of coat hanger in there.

If you can't get this to work, then a) you're doing it wrong, or b) your car's latch is designed differently than the one on my friend's 2015 Genesis.

 

[ReplacementCoach]

Here's a little more detail I posted on another forum in response to a question from one of the users there:

Yes, I know my picture doesn't really show what you need to do. I'm going to have to get access to my friend's Genesis to take a couple more that will help explain what I did in more detail. In the meantime, BEFORE YOU TOUCH YOUR CAR WITH YOUR DREMEL, please spend some quality time studying how to get the latch mechanism to open on the other side of the car (which I assume still works) or on the replacement latch (assuming you already have it in-hand).

Start by opening the door (or replacement latch) and then simulating what happens to re-latch it by using a screwdriver to operate the little catch-hook that rotates closed when it's pulled against the post on the car door frame. The little catch-hook has three positions: completely open, half-engaged like when you don't close the door all the way, and then fully-engaged like when the door is fully closed. Do this several times just to get the hang of how the mechanism locks and unlocks.

Once you've mastered that, look carefully at the area near the catch-hook on the latch and study what happens when you unlatch things by pulling on the door handle (or pull cable, if you're using an unmounted replacement latch). You'll notice a tiny plastic piece - the cam I talk about in my original posting - that moves back and allows the catch-hook to rotate to free it from the door frame's post. THAT is what you need to be able to be able to manipulate with the coat hangar.

The door handles PULL that little cam from the inside of the mechanism, and it's the internal connection between the cables and the cam that are broken. What you're trying to do now is PUSH that cam back from the OUTSIDE of the mechanism. You'll rehearse this by sitting oh-so-uncomfortably on your garage floor and poking at it with a small screwdriver to see how it works. Take care not to damage the plastic while you're working with it.

It takes some practice to learn how to hit the cam just right to release the catch-hook, so spend some time to figure out how to do it reliably on the unbroken door. Use that to help you decide where to notch the pinch weld on the broken-door-side and how to work past the post on the door frame to release the door from the inside.

Note: If you can't manipulate the working-side latch after reading these expanded - but still lacking pictures - instructions, please don't proceed. You really need to be able to rehearse this to understand how it's going to work on the side you're trying to fix.

Good luck,
Rick

Thanks for your detailed instructions on how to get into the door. For your friend's car - do you know if the child lock was on? I have the exact problem for the same rear left door, and I'm worried the child lock will mean the cam won't open

 

[TheRealElbadoo]

Thanks for your detailed instructions on how to get into the door. For your friend's car - do you know if the child lock was on? I have the exact problem for the same rear left door, and I'm worried the child lock will mean the cam won't open

Early on in my work I did consider the scenario where a) the link between the outside handle is broken AND b) the child safety lock switch is engaged. That would result in the same situation where the door couldn't be opened using either inside or outside handle.

The only way this could help you would be if the outside handle breakage is right at the door handle, and you could somehow manage to examine and manipulate the cable linkage through the window channel to move it in the way ordinarily done when you pull on the outside.

It's been a while since I messed with the car - and in any case it's fixed now - but I believe I decided this scenario wasn't at play based on subtle differences in the feel and interior door sounds when the handle was pulled. Everything told me that the door handle itself was operating properly and the cable linkage was being pulled as expected.

The broken part I found inside the latch mechanism affects both the inside and outside handle cable linkages. I'm not betting my life on it, but I'm guessing that just about everyone who finds themselves here looking for a solution is fighting the same problem.

Btw, I still haven't had anyone confirm that my way of manipulating the cam mechanism can cause the latch to release. This can - and should - be tested on a working door lock before attempting my pinch-weld-access method. I don't know if this will work on any other vehicles than my sample-of-one 2015 Genesis, and I sure would like to know if it works for anyone else.

 

[unclejunebug]

...

Btw, I still haven't had anyone confirm that my way of manipulating the cam mechanism can cause the latch to release. This can - and should - be tested on a working door lock before attempting my pinch-weld-access method. I don't know if this will work on any other vehicles than my sample-of-one 2015 Genesis, and I sure would like to know if it works for anyone else.

I'm able to open the latch on my working rear door by pressing down on the "cam" mechanism as you call it. I haven't tried fixing my broken door yet but hoping to sometime soon. I have a 2016.

I did buy a replacement door panel off eBay long ago so I'm planning to destroy my current door panel to see if removing it will give me enough access to the latch mechanism without having to grind out the pinch weld.

 

[TheRealElbadoo]

I'm able to open the latch on my working rear door by pressing down on the "cam" mechanism as you call it. I haven't tried fixing my broken door yet but hoping to sometime soon. I have a 2016.

Yay! I'm glad to hear that you've at least replicated the cam release! Without that, the method I've described has zero chance of working for anyone else.

I did buy a replacement door panel off eBay long ago so I'm planning to destroy my current door panel to see if removing it will give me enough access to the latch mechanism without having to grind out the pinch weld.

If you use the door panel method, there's quite a bit left to do once it's been cut away. You'll have to pull the window lift mechanism and then work sideways through the (small?) opening it creates to get access to the latch. You'll likely have to work around internal door and window-slide structures to cut the latch casing apart from the inside (Dremel tool to the rescue once again!) in order to get it to "release" (i.e., fall apart enough that the pieces come out and let the door open. I'm not saying it's not do-able, because others have apparently used that approach, but I bet it's quite a challenge working from the back seat of the car. You might want to (non-destructively) pull the other side's door panel off to preview what this will look like.

Btw, just to make sure my description of grinding the pinch weld isn't misunderstood, the notch I'm recommending needs to be only about 3/8" wide - as long as it's located in the right place. (I've thought of an alternate, but similar approach that would use a simple 1/4" drilled hole - but it would also have to be in just the right place.)

 

[unclejunebug]

If you use the door panel method, there's quite a bit left to do once it's been cut away.

Sorry, I meant to say that I'm going to see if I can access the cam after the door panel is removed without having to grind the notch. There may not be enough space but I figure if I'm going to remove the panel I might as well try it out first.

Btw, just to make sure my description of grinding the pinch weld isn't misunderstood, the notch I'm recommending needs to be only about 3/8" wide - as long as it's located in the right place. (I've thought of an alternate, but similar approach that would use a simple 1/4" drilled hole - but it would also have to be in just the right place.)

How deep is the notch that you cut?

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[TheRealElbadoo]

Sorry, I meant to say that I'm going to see if I can access the cam after the door panel is removed without having to grind the notch. There may not be enough space but I figure if I'm going to remove the panel I might as well try it out first.



How deep is the notch that you cut?

Check out the photos and description in my original post (#51) in this thread. That shows size and position of the notch - which in hindsight could have been about 1/2" further up - in the pinch weld visible once the rubber door seal is pulled away. It's useful to look at the working-side door to see how a notch helps you fish a coat hangar in to engage the release cam.