[visual_image]

After two years, I finally fixed my power sliding door. Bit the bullet and bought the motor assembly for $685, no tax and free shipping. It took me 4 hours to repair it by myself. I couldn't get the window off, so that was were the frustration and most of the time was spent.

It works great now and this time I'll keep my in-laws away from it. Sure miss the convenience of having a power sliding door. My four year old don't have to struggle with closing it anymore. Yeah for power sliding doors!

 

[gs3tek]

After two years, I finally fixed my power sliding door. Bit the bullet and bought the motor assembly for $685, no tax and free shipping. It took me 4 hours to repair it by myself. I couldn't get the window off, so that was were the frustration and most of the time was spent.

It works great now and this time I'll keep my in-laws away from it. Sure miss the convenience of having a power sliding door. My four year old don't have to struggle with closing it anymore. Yeah for power sliding doors!

glad you got it to work.

mind I ask what year is your sienna?

we have an 06 with 45k miles and one of the shop guy told me a customer had one fixed at the dealer for about $1000

 

[grandmama]

please share how you did it so other memebers can use it as a reference

 

[tbalon]

Yes, please let us know if first gen or second gen Sienna? Any detail would be greatly appreciated by all.

 

[danmm7]

How did it get damaged? Since you mentioned your in-laws .... was it human error or poor design?
I would like to know what can damage the power sliding doors and how to avoid it.

Thanks!

 

[visual_image]

gs3tek, I have a '06 LE. Mine got broken at around 50-60K miles, don't exactly remember the mileage.

danmm7, I can't say weather it is human error or poor design, but I am leaning towards human error. Here is what happened; I have the child lock on so that my kids would not be able to open it by themselves, I would have to push the overhead button to open the door for them. Well, my wife's parents would be fighting with the door every time I push to open the door for them. When I push the button, they would still be yanking at the handle or repeatedly push the side button, even though I tell them not to push it. To get to the point, the door was made to go back and forth abruptly many times and the cable jumped track and bunched up. The spindle cover broke off and the cable got jammed, thus jamming the door. Had to drive with the door slightly open until I was able to get home to diagnose the problem. I ended up cutting the cable and making the door into a manual.

grandmama, I was going to take pictures to document the process, but my camera ran out of battery. I would be happy to answer any question anyone have on how to do it.

gs3tek, would you happen to know if the customer paid $1000 for parts and labor or just labor? Right now the lowest price for just the part is a little under $800.

 

[brian_bp]

The scenario described by visual_image was effectively the same as mine, but with a different cause... and I have yet to see the actual mechanism, because I just cut off the cable and use the door manually. I was setting up a canoe mounting system on the roof, and was repeatedly opening the door to stand in the doorway for access to the front rack crossbar, then closing to use a ladder to reach the rear rack crossbar, and eventually got so frustrated with the door always going the wrong way or aggravatingly slowly that I yanked on the handle (pulling it forward when it was headed rearward) and pulled it right off of the rear track and jammed the cable. So you can better understand the situation and level of frustration (and thus force), it was my wife's idea to put the canoe on the roof, and certainly not mine.

The manual door can be moved by a normal adult with one finger, and pulled off the track (which bend the track) by a normal adult male (me) with one hand; I can't imagine choosing to have a power operator, but my wife liked it and it came with the LE trim level which was chosen for other purposes.

 

[tbalon]

Moral of the story? Don't force the door or you will break it!!!

 

[brian_bp]

Moral of the story? Don't force the door or you will break it!!!

Yes, I agree. This is the one part of our Sienna which I believe is junk - the original design of the drive mechanism for the power sliding door. It is easily broken, but if nothing ever interferes with its operation, it will likely last a long time, as many have.

The best solution, since I have yet to hear of a cable failing with the motor power turned off, seems to me to be to leave the powered doors off (by the switch on the dash) and just use them as manual doors with soft closers (the motor that sucks the door in to final latched position).

 

[visual_image]

The best solution, since I have yet to hear of a cable failing with the motor power turned off, seems to me to be to leave the powered doors off (by the switch on the dash) and just use them as manual doors with soft closers (the motor that sucks the door in to final latched position).

If you are going to do that, then you might as well cut the cable so that the door could slide more freely. Compare how the non powered side with the powered side. They slide completely different. I do love that soft closer though. It made having the door become manual tolerable. Wish the other side had the soft closer. Perhaps that is a project to keep in mind.

 

[topspy]

Note to self1: No canoes on top....or at least wife suggesting it.
Note to self2: No in-laws playing open door/close door.
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

YMMV.
Good Luck!! 8)

 

[brian_bp]

The best solution, since I have yet to hear of a cable failing with the motor power turned off, seems to me to be to leave the powered doors off (by the switch on the dash) ...

If you are going to do that, then you might as well cut the cable so that the door could slide more freely. Compare how the non powered side with the powered side. They slide completely different.

The unpowered cable mechanism certainly does resist nice motion of the door.

I did cut off the cable, but if it had not failed I wouldn't cut it, in case I were to change my mind or sell the van later; it would be better remove the cable and motor mechanism, or at least unhook the cable from its anchors and tuck it inside the door panel, out of the way and intact.

I do love that soft closer though. It made having the door become manual tolerable. Wish the other side had the soft closer. Perhaps that is a project to keep in mind.

I would have paid for just soft closers as an option, and would like them on the other door (a 2004 LE in Canada had only one side powered) and on the hatch. This has been discussed before, but I suspect that it would be both expensive and non-trivial (due to wiring).

 

[mot]

Note to self2: No in-laws playing open door/close door.
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

YMMV.
Good Luck!! 8)

Amen to that, except it's the PS door for me.
My driveway is slanted (downward) and when they get open the door they let it fly open.

Although I do not forsee anything happening with just a few swings, but over time the hinge mechanism will suffer...

Maybe I'm just too paranoid or something! ;D

 

[Nunzie]

The cable on my passenger side (2004 Gen 2) rotted and snapped. I cut off the extra cable that was dangling and removed the pulley mech from the door.

I am researching (searching) for how-to's on replacing this cable.

 

[tbalon]

The cable on my passenger side (2004 Gen 2) rotted and snapped. I cut off the extra cable that was dangling and removed the pulley mech from the door.

I am researching (searching) for how-to's on replacing this cable.

I think someone did it on a first gen Sienna using some plastic covered cable from Home Depot.

 

[mpv4-8]

danmm7, I can't say weather it is human error or poor design, but I am leaning towards human error. Here is what happened; I have the child lock on so that my kids would not be able to open it by themselves, I would have to push the overhead button to open the door for them. Well, my wife's parents would be fighting with the door every time I push to open the door for them. When I push the button, they would still be yanking at the handle or repeatedly push the side button, even though I tell them not to push it. To get to the point, the door was made to go back and forth abruptly many times and the cable jumped track and bunched up. The spindle cover broke off and the cable got jammed, thus jamming the door. Had to drive with the door slightly open until I was able to get home to diagnose the problem. I ended up cutting the cable and making the door into a manual.

Your scenerio is exactly like what happened to my '05 Limited except it happened on the exterior door handle. The car wash guys kept pulling the handle and pushing the button on the pillar repeatedly in order to clean the window. The door jumped the track but I was lucky enough to lift it and put it back in place.

So for everyone ... DISABLE the power sliding doors when having someone else clean the inside windows

 

[bmwpower]

The cable on our 04 just snapped. Any idea how to replace just the cable?

 

[la04sienna]

My passenger side power sliding door cable snapped about two months ago. I'm too recently (a month ago) replaced the power sliding door cable myself. It takes about 4 hours (I would say that I can do this fix in about 1.5 to 2 hr now). I stumble across the cable assembly only on ebay for $200. I was so surprise that there such part. I have been search all over and everyone tells me I that Toyota don't make the cable alone, you got buy the whole motor assembly and the cheapest that I can find was $860 + S&H. I think all the STEALERS are in a conspiracy on this one. If you go to any Toyota part site and search for part # 6963108030, you will find it listed. Well the repair cost me $222 + 4 hrs. What a deal. The best of all my wife and kids are so happy that they got their power sliding door back. My kids said to me, "Dad, you can fix anything. Aaaaahhh!

To look back at the repair. I follow the TSB from Toyota and take pictures along the way just incase I forgot how to put back certain cables. I gotta tell ya, there are at least five (if I remember them correctly) of those bicycle cable in there! The most time consuming was to take the window glass out of it track/door. If I was to follow the TSB instructs more closely, I would not have spent so much time, but I found in the start of the TSB there are some unnecessary steps and therefore I deviated from the instructions somewhat.

I hope the part # 6963108030 will help many of the DIYer like myself. I know I save over $600 on this repair.

 

[grandmama]

you mentioned you took pictures along the fix, it will be nice if you can share those pictures.

Great work! Do you think most people can do the DIY?

 

[la04sienna]

I meant to say I took picture of the cables after I took the interior panel off so that I know how to put them back. I think people can do this if they know how to change their own oil change, change air filter, or rotate tires. I will put up a DIY in a couple of days.