Sliding side doors - open position

[Peabody]

Hello,

Just got my 2013, five months after I ordered it. Something I noticed with the opening of my sliding side doors, they are limited to less than full opening. As far as I know this is the only one I have seen that does this. Wondering if anybody else's doors are limited? - or if it is some "feature on new vehicles", to make it easier to close the sliding doors for back seat occupants. Yes it is a XLT wagon (non-premium) 2013 - #149156

To describe how they are limited - there is a bumper in the rear mid level track, positioned approximatley 5 inches from the rear of the track. As well there is a bumper on the lower track, and the spring keeper (the thing that holds the door open) is positioned foward a little more than others. I do have 255 degree doors, but see another 2013 with 255 doors that do not have this limit, but it is a van (not wagon) All pictures I have seen in brochures and web, do not have this bumper showing.

So the question is - do other Wagon owners have these limits on the sliding doors?

If you ask if this limit can be removed, I thought about it, but slim chance. The bumper on the lower track is attached to a welded on piece inside the track, so any modification will leave bare metal, and rust will overtake it. Seems to me the lower track is totally different than normal.

I hope to post some pictures when I can.

Thanks -

[103west43rd]

Interesting post. My 2010 XL wagon's door's open all the way. I do not have 255 degree doors. Here is a question for you......If you open your rear door's the full 255 degrees and then open your sliding side doors fully to the stop you described, how close are the edges of the two door's? If they come within an inch or two of each other, that would be the reason for the stop's being where they are. Let us know.

[Peabody]

Not sure when they started it, but all new 255 degree doors I have seen have a big bumper screwed to the rear of the sliding doors, and it is designed to hit the resar door first, no matter which is opened first or how far. The only reason I can see for the stop is so that the stamped finger grips (four bumps in the inside side of the window frame in sliding doors) are readily accessable and not hidden to rear passengers that are seated, so they are used and not the plastic door handle that moves and used to open the door. On your wagon, I bet when the sliding doors are all the way open, you can not see those finger bumps. Did you even realize they were there?

[103west43rd]

Thanks for the reply. No, I never noticed the finger grips!! When my door is fully open, the finger grips and the interior door handle are at the rear edge of the door opening. When the door is pushed into the holding postion to stay open, both the finger grips and interior door handle are behind the rear edge of the door opening. I tried using the finger grips to close the door. Using the interior door handle seems safer.

[Peabody]

Thanks for the reply. I think that is the reason I got the "new feature" of the door stop, so people have it easier to close the door from the inside.