Opening driver's door from inside a bit difficult, Is it the door handle or the latch?? Options

[aylanco]

Hi All,

My driver's interior door handle has too much free play before it actually starts unlatching the door. The interior door handles open about 80 degrees total. My driver's door handle does not start to unlatch the door (ie pull the rod to move the latch) until about 60 degrees, which just does not feel right. The passenger door starts to unlatch the door at about 20 to 30 degrees, which feels normal. I pulled out the driver's door handle to inspect it. I am not sure what I am looking for, but the maze of parts making up the handle do seem to be a bit loose, and the cam actuating the movement of the rod does not make its contact until about 60 degrees of movement.

Before I spend the $ on one part or the other, is it likely to be the interior handle or could the problem be with the latch. I know it could be both, bit I am wondering if this is a common thing from one or the other.

Thanks

[URY914]

Check to see if the plastic slider on the outside handle is cracked/broken. You'll have to take it off the door to see.

Paul

[aylanco]

Paul,

This is a huge coincidence, BUT my outside door handle broke today when I was working on the interior door handle problem. The interior door handle has been this way since I bought the car in July, but the exterior door handle worked just fine until it broke today. In fact, that problem was going to be my next post! Huge coincidence.

[URY914]

Where did it break? The slider?

[aylanco]

I am assuming it is the slider. It is a flat light metal/hard plastic piece about 3/4 inch long.

[URY914]

That maybe the mounting tab that has a stud that mounts thru the door. The slider is round/hollow and slides on the handle.

The silder is shown in this picture. Pelican Parts sells replacements.

[aylanco]

Thanks for the photo. My broken piece is the tab that is part of the handle itself which appears to move the slider back and forth. Time for a new door handle!

[aylanco]

Well that answers that! Back to the original problem...Anyone have an idea about the interior door handle vs the latch??

[aylanco]

I'll backtrack here a bit for clarification. Here is the piece that is broken on my exterior door handle. I assume that is terminal. Thank you Paul for all of your help on this.

I would still like to hear from anyone regarding me original problem, the interior door handle vs the latch. Any help would be greatly appreciated!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

[markb]

The interior door handle is broken. That's what it does when it breaks. You can probably buy a used to replace it. I'll be happy to buy your old exterior handle. I need the parts. Anybody else got old broken exterior handles they want to part with (cheap)?

[tesserra]

I am going through the same problem. My car has only the plastic slider broken.

My question is if there is a lube or something to use when we put these parts together that will make them work better/last longer?

My outside drivers key stopped working about the same time. Hopefully its the same problem.

George

[markb]

A local locksmith told me to use triflow in the key area. I use HHS2000 for everything else. I think it's a Wurth product. I got mine at GPR. It sprays on thin, and then thickens.

[URY914]

I believe the reason that the handles break is that over time the latch post become misalined with the "catch" of the door. This misalinement is from the car saging over time. If that post and door shift in thier relation to one another, it puts stress on the handle everytime you try to open it. Sooner or latter the weakest link breaks and which is the parts of the handle.

You can pick up handles on Ebay and the parts from Pelican. The photo above shows how I fix the mounting tab when it breaks. I've got a couple of inside handles if you need them.

Paul