Power Sliding Door Motor

What is a Power Sliding Door Motor and where is it Located?

The power sliding doors on your minivan are a huge convenience. With a simple pull of the door lever, the door opens and closes all on its own, as if by magic. That makes it easier for you to load and unload groceries or for your kids and their soccer teammates to get into the van, and no doubt improves numerous little tasks throughout the day. 

Well, it turns out that the wizardry that powers this wonder is purely technological. Inside each of your van’s sliding doors, located just behind the door panel, is a small electric motor. That motor turns a gear that moves along a rail at the bottom of the door frame, pulling the door along. If something goes wrong with the motor, then your power sliding doors will turn into manual sliding doors, making your life just that much more difficult as these doors can be heavy, especially for children.

How do I Know if my Power Sliding Door Motor Needs to be Replaced?

If your sliding door is hard to open or close manually or is only moving the door part way, then you’ll probably want to replace your automatic sliding door motor. The motor can burn out over time with age or suffer damage and stop working. 

What’s worse is that a damaged motor can make the door tough to open manually. The factory power door motor often breaks the plastic housing that is mounted to it. This lets moisture and debris into the motor, causing its electro-magnetic clutch system to fail. If this happens, the motor won’t disengage, which will make the door tough to push open. Our high quality replacement parts have been designed with a reinforced plastic housing to eliminate this flaw.

It’s possible to remove the gear that the motor runs and turn the door into a manual sliding door. Assuming you had a good reason to want power doors in the first place, though, this is only a temporary fix. 

Can I Replace an Automatic Sliding Door Motor Myself?

Fortunately, replacing an automatic sliding door motor can be done easily enough. The motor, as mentioned earlier, is located just behind the door panel. You’ll just have to take apart your door panel, disconnect the old motor, connect the new one, and put your door panel back together. Before replacing the motor though, you should check the door track first. Make sure it is lubricated and all the tracks and rollers are in good condition to prevent premature wear of your new sliding door motor.

Although the job may take a little time, it shouldn’t prove too complicated and will be well worth the effort. Think of how nice it will be to be able to easily open and close your sliding door when you are done!

Need a Power Sliding Door Motor Replacement?

Are you having trouble with your minivan's power sliding door? If the problem is a faulty motor, be sure to replace it as soon as possible so you can get your doors opening and closing properly again! At 1A Auto, we carry replacement power sliding door motors for many minivans, all at great prices.

At 1A Auto, we make shopping for a replacement power sliding door motor for your van easy - we're here to help you select the right part for your vehicle! Call our customer service toll free at 888-844-3393 if you have any questions about our motors, warranty, compatibility or to purchase, or you can buy online. Restore the safety and convenience of your vehicles power sliding doors today with a quality replacement motor from 1A Auto.