Door handle not working

[GordyB]

Hi all, not had chance to dismantle or look it up online yet but my offside rear door handle (external chrome one) has stopped opening the door. It still feels the same to use with the notch halfway pulling at it but the door stays latched. The central locking and the internal door handle all work fine still.

Before I take it to bits, is it common, will it be repairable i.e. something come undone OR should I be getting new parts ready before dismantling? Will it be the chrome bit or something inside the door? If I need new are they the same for all doors or will it need to be a MK1 rear offside handle etc.?

Car is a 2001 Connie SE

Thanks

Gordon:xmas-smiley-005:

[werdna232002]

whatever the fault is you need to remove the door card and check. it is very easy to remove the rear door card compared to the front.

[trikey]

unclip the metal rod at the nylon clip (Solenoid end - NOT door handle end) work the handle a couple of times then refit the rod into the clip, snapping the clip shut when the rod has found its own position. All will be well then.

[hogweed]

Don’t know if this counts as a hijack – if so, I’ll start a new one. My rear o/s door used to take about 3 presses of the remote to get the little button to come up, a bit at a time, whereupon you could use the handle to open the door. I hardly ever use the rear doors, so didn’t worry too much.

Recently, it suddenly started popping up on the first press of the keyfob, along with the other 3 doors – great I thought! That lasted a couple of weeks, whereupon it suddenly stopped working at all – just stays right down in the door and doesn't move.

Neither inner nor outer handles work now, so the door is completely u/s.

I’ve looked at Arctic’s guide to messing about with rear doors, but it’s hard when you haven't got the car in bits at the same time to compare with the pictures.

From my symptoms, is this the thing where the threaded rod slips in the nylon clamp thingy? Or something else?

One thing I didn’t quite get from the guide was how to actually take the mechanism out of the door – is this very hard, and/or likely to leave me with a door hanging open because I can’t get it back in again?

Cheers :-D

[Dorset Bob]

Originally Posted by trikey

unclip the metal rod at the nylon clip (Solenoid end - NOT door handle end) work the handle a couple of times then refit the rod into the clip, snapping the clip shut when the rod has found its own position. All will be well then.

That is a good tip, I have been counting threads and using trial and error.

For the OP, the white clip looks like this:

[GordyB]

Had an hour spare today, too windy really to be sat outside with the door open but managed to get the door card off and peel back the foam covering the opening into the door. It wasn't clear how the plastic bit unclips from the metal threaded rod to let it find it's position - looked more like a solid piece threaded onto the rod to me?? Also I'm assuming this can all be done whilst in place one handed in the door opening? Looks like the plastic clip is too high up the threaded rod so it's not providing enough movement on the latch mech. Hopefully get it working tomorrow.......

Thanks for the help

Gordon

[GordyB]

Nevermind, sorted it. Once I realised the plastic block could be prised apart to reveal the threaded metal rod it was just a case of adjusting it until it worked the lock - had to move the block about 5mm further down which seemed a lot of adjustment to me when it had worked OK to that point.

Thanks again for the help

Gordon

[deltic08]

Originally Posted by Dorset Bob

That is a good tip, I have been counting threads and using trial and error.

For the OP, the white clip looks like this:

There is no resistance to my external door handle when pulled. Is this still likely to be the nylon block slippage or is the external handle seized when the nylon block problem occurs please?

I cannot check as the car is still at the garage where it failed its MOT but I will go today or tomorrow to discuss the problem.

Many thanks for help so far.

[hogweed]

Originally Posted by deltic08

There is no resistance to my external door handle when pulled. Is this still likely to be the nylon block slippage or is the external handle seized when the nylon block problem occurs please?

Same here - and no resistance to the internal handle either

[GordyB]

Cancel that it doesn't work! Had it apart before my last post, adjusted it until it worked, tried it 3 times, put the door back together then tried it once more, all working so locked it. Now a couple of hours later after using the car it won't open again, and not only that it won't open from the internal catch either!!! Still locks and unlocks but got me baffled and obviously not easy to access with trim in place and a shut door!!!