I’m working on a problem I discovered accidently. I have electric solenoids that open my doors.

Press the button…solenoid pulls the cable on the latch and the door pops open. One evening out with my wife we encountered a dead battery. Not a problem if you are outside, but for some reason you were inside…
well, we’re too old to climb out the window. I have a somewhat claustrophobic wife and this is a BIG problem for her.

I’ve tried several fixes including the original door hardware but nothing is doing the trick.
My first attempt is to mount a hood release cable on her kick panel and route the cable thru the kick panel and lower hinge to the inner door, but I haven’t found the right combination to trip the latch.
I tried anchoring the cable housing to the inner door face and attaching the end to the latch where the solenoid cable attaches. I’ve also tried mounting the cable so when actuated it pulls the solenoid cable

But if I get enough tension on the emergency cable it prevents the solenoid from pulling enough to actuate the latch. I’m two days into this and getting frustrated. Looking for alternatives…

surely one of you has solved this problem. You also have to consider I’m working blind behind the door panel by feel and mirrors WITH all the window stuff to contend with…

 

I did it very similar to your bottom illustration . Outer sheath of the e- cable is secured in line with the cable pulling the latch, just keep enough inner cable out of the sheath so it flexes enough so it doesn't interfere with the unlatching function.. This what i did on my panel because I have the shaved handles on the outside only and needed a means to get in if I happened to lock myself out. Not a problem if I'm inside because I have inside handles. I thought you installed something already for the inside...

 

So just how did you get out of this predicament?

I have shaved outer handles and what I did was I left the stock interior door handles inplace, I have power windows and a 6" chop, no way I am coming out through any window.

To avoid getting locked out i ran a wire directly unfused from each solenoid separately to a place under the hood, on the drivers side under the hood I have a momentary contact switch so if I accidently lock my key fob inside, on the passenger side I just have a wire in place that I can just touch to the starter solenoid if needed.

I carry a jump pack under my tono cover in case of a dead battery .

Do you have stock door latches?

I did have one time when the driver and pass hit both key fobs at the same time and blew the fuse that fed the remote and had to use my emergency switch.

 

still scratching my head for a good solution
john

 

I did try adding the original hardware but couldn't get actuator bar to connect directly to the latch...used a spring between them and it was hit or miss on working...wives don't like hit or miss
I might look back at that and fabricate up a new actuator arm that will work properly... big obstacle is working blind inside the door. I'm about ready to cut out a section of inner door

 

I used a cable I took out of a Honda Civic that was used as a trunk release, was an easy set up..

 

I'm using a Suburban hood release cable but just get the adjustment where both will work... I just went back out to the shop and looked. I have another
original door release hicky-thing. The arm is attached to the handle bracket with a rivet. I might drill out the rivet, fab up a new arm after I cut an access
in the inner door and make it work. The main problem is access...with the window, the tracks and the tight area I can't get my fat hands in there. and working through
the inspection hole... I need longer forearms . It's all hidden on both ends. I'm gonna worry it till it works.

 

I didn't take pictures of my setup simply because it's my secret entry. Couldn't you use a choke cable mounted under the dash then run through a wire loom to the door and then anchor the outer sheath to the turned up vertically in line with the cable from your actuator . I used thee brass fitting from an electrical Mar connector to tie the cables together which allow some adjustment if needed..

 

here is how mine is set up, I used the altman latch and welded on a tab for the rod going to the solenoid and just connected the original inside handle operating bar (I think it was the original) to the altman as pictured.

I would think that a small cable attached where I attached the inner bar pulled toward the front of the truck would open it right up

 

Don't need to weld on that tab, cable attaches to the other hole..

 

I do not know what I was doing wrong but I could not get the latch to release pulling down on that side

 

@ Ishort Actually I need to apologize, I just looked at the bear claws I removed out of the doors from the one I'm working on and you are correct .I'm going to have to take a look at my panel to see what I did ,that was
15 + years ago..

 

Probably a dumb question for the OP. How much current does it take to pull in a door actuator like that? I was wondering if an guy could use one of those ECU back feed kits. Have it stowed away in a console or glove box to temporarily give you 12 volts of power thru a cigarette plug.

 

I have 40 lb actuators in my door on the panel. I have light duty ones in the pickup and the one I'm doing now because it's only to unlock the doors..as long as you have 12 volts either ones should work..

 

I do not know about the OP but I have 60 lb pull solenoids that take a 30 amp fuse each, I did some relay logic so only one can be activated at a time.