Door handle pulls up but doesnt open (felt a pop)...what is the solution?

5spd GT · May 31, 2005

Well my door handle doesn't open up on the driver side no more

Last night I went to open up the door and I felt/heard a pop like something gave 'way or broke. The door handle pulls up (spring action like it is supposed to) but it doesn't open up the door

What is the problem or solution?

Thanks

ss93cobra · May 31, 2005

Either the handle did break, the rod came off of the clip that attaches the handle to the latch, or the rod has come loose from the latch. Simple fix.

ALMOSTFINISHED · May 31, 2005

Sounds like the handle broke, try putting your thumb on the left side of the handle and applying pressure while you lift it and see if the door opens. It does sound like the handle went out. Easy fix, and while your at it, upgrade to the steel ones, F the plastic crap.

Nick

5spd GT · May 31, 2005

Well the locks had been giving me trouble.

Here is what it did for a few months before last nights non-working.

It was a bit harder to pull up on the handle...you could pull it up all the way but you had to give it an extra tug to get it off.

Also the interior locks (the knob) doesn't push down manually. I had to lock the doors with the keys. The power locks wouldn't work them...

The door handle pulls up like it should but it doesn't open up...

HISSIN50 · May 31, 2005

David, I would pop the inner door panel off and see what gives. you should be able to put your head in the hole in the middle of the door and see you to the handle. I have an old door in the garage if you need any pics of the inside of it.

some of it *might* be adjustment related. When i start to have to lift harder on door handles, I pop the inner panel and look at the runs of linkage. Usually a little tweak (bend or straighten the rods; usually the former) will get the de-latching back to where it should be. As said, check for the plastic retainers on the linkage (holds the linkage to door handles, etc). they are usually a real pain (for me) to remove, but one could have broken. you would likely see the rod that goes to the handle dangling.

If you do new actuators, I highly recommend Joe's method of retrofitting generic units. cost me 5 bucks for a new actuator.

good luck bud.

5spd GT · Jun 1, 2005

Alright I'm going to take a look (I have been VERY busy lately)...I'll just pop the door panels off (I've did that quite a bit for cleaning them and stuff)...

I'll post back...

Thanks for the help guys

Edit: Oh just two things to keep in mind if this will help with any ideas. I can open the car from inside and now when I shut the door I hear something rattle real quick (so somthing is loose I'm assuming)...

cjman15 · Jun 1, 2005

Can you post those pics?? I need to change my door handles and just want to get an idea what I'm working with inside that door.

DMAN302 · Jun 1, 2005

I did replace the passenger door handle last yr for the exact same reason..the hardest part is drilling out the rivets on the outside under part of the handle. After that your looking at just attaching the rod to the new handle and screwing it (rather than rivits) back in place. 1/2 tops..very easy job and the doors will work better than ever. Should note your also going to want to replace the lock actuators while you have the door panels off..

5spd GT · Jun 9, 2005

Alright guys I finally got around to removing my door panel (in the rain)...and seen that the plastic retainers (as mentioned) had come off of the rod the connects to the locking mechanism.

Right now there is one of the plastic retainers (the one closest to the back side of the car on the handle) on the rod so my door opens like it did before

It appears the rattle was the rod (that had slipped underneath the retainers connected to the handle) and the "other" retainer that looked like it snapped (plastic).

It seems like why I have to lift the handle up more is because of that "other" broken retainer because it acted like a "spacer" on the top bent part of the rod so the door would open sooner. I could not get it back in or see how it originally went so I removed it for now.

Either way my door opens now instead of me (for the last two weeks) having to go thru my passenger door and open it from the inside and then go all the way around to get in

My door will not lock manually or by the power locks though???? So someone could steal the car potentially

HISSIN50 · Jun 9, 2005

David, refresh us. Is the lock completely and always frozen? If so, you can disconnect the actuator from the lock and it should work manually.

If you do the retrofit, shoot me a PM and Ill fill ya in on some of the corners you can cut for installing the PE actuators.

5spd GT · Jun 10, 2005

HISSIN50 said:
David, refresh us. Is the lock completely and always frozen? If so, you can disconnect the actuator from the lock and it should work manually.

If you do the retrofit, shoot me a PM and Ill fill ya in on some of the corners you can cut for installing the PE actuators.

I'm going to say it is completely frozen (broken)...because it hasn't worked at all since I put the rod back on the plastic linkage today. I have tried it several times.

Before the rod placement (when the handle worked)...I could get it to lock after a couple tries in the key hole. Now it doesn't seem to.

It almost has a spungy feeling when you try to turn it to lock it. I almost bend the key trying to get it to lock

I don't even think I could afford the "cheap" retrofit right now

ALMOSTFINISHED · Jun 10, 2005

Disconnect the rod from the actuator so it will be like a manual lock car. That is what I had to do with my car, and I did the same thing with the key, it feels like you can snap it right off. Once you pull the rod off the actuator it will work fine for the time being, or forever, whichever you prefer. Lock, unlock. You name it, it will do it.

Nick

Grn92LX · Jun 10, 2005

What exactly do you need to do to make the locks manual? Mine are frozen as well, but the passangers side works with the key. But its still hard. I don't mind manual locks, but I want them to open easy unlike now. Just one of the many little things I need to fix before I get my car running again.

emagdnim · Jun 10, 2005

The exact same thing happened to me , my door handle broke and my power lock jammed up making it almost impossible to lock the door with the key what you have to do is remove that manual lock motor .. i just removed mine and now everything is manual and is smooth... And with the broken door handle go to the junkyard you can get tons of them from there lots have the nuts in the back you just just wrench off .

HISSIN50 · Jun 10, 2005

Grn92LX said:
What exactly do you need to do to make the locks manual?

Disconnect the electrical connector at the actuator. unmount the actuator (if one has plastic mounts, be careful!) - the actuator snaps into the mount on each side of the actuator body. Then with the actuator free, sans it hanging from its rifled arm, lift up and unhook the rifled arm (it has a barbed tip, so the actuator has to be moved up and back to get free). Simpler to do than to describe.

Good luck.

Grn92LX · Jun 10, 2005

What about disconnecting that rod that AlmostFinished mentioned?

HISSIN50 · Jun 10, 2005

Grn92LX said:
What about disconnecting that rod that AlmostFinished mentioned?

The way I read his post is to remove the actuator's rod from the actuator itself. I dont know how to do that - I would have to physically cut the rod to separate it from the actuator itself. That rod (what I referred to as the 'rifled arm' since the arm/rod is spiral cut, a la rifled) gave me no indication it would separate voluntarily from the actuator (I did not play with it much).

The whole point (no matter how done) is to get the frozen actuator disconnected from the lock mechanism. I find it easiest to remove the entire actuator, while others might be able to cut the 'rod' itself or separate it somehow from the actuator. The endpoint is the same - that frozen actuator is not holding up the lock mechanism.

Grn92LX · Jun 12, 2005

Hissin, I went out and removed the actuator today. I think I found the easiest way, a hammer Theres enough room inside the door to get a hammer in their and bang the actuator down. Then once it comes out, just pull out the actuator rod from the mechanism and its all free at last!! I sprayed it all down with WD-40 and tried it with the key a few times and i'm good to go.

Saved 2lbs in the process

5.0 Nostalgia · Jun 12, 2005

It's possible that the hook that the long part that connects the handle and the actuator or the handle and the lock fell off. Best thing to do is take the inside panel off and see what is going on. I don't remember exactly how the mechanism works because it's been a year since I look mine apart.

Car RamRod · Jun 12, 2005

just pull the panel and give everything the once over.

Door handle pulls up but doesnt open (felt a pop)...what is the solution?

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