ok guys, I just came in from trying to get my driver's side door handle to work. during the winter I attempted to open the door while it was frozen and it broke. well what i saw is the little bar coming from the outside door handle came out of it's little hole. the hole is part of a little assembly with a hook. then i saw the little rod that came from the inside door handle and the little assembly that it connects to looks like it's supposed to be above the outside door handle assembly. I put the outside door handle in it's little hole and pulled the outside door handle, but it just moves up and down, not affecting the inside door handle assembly. so does the outside door assembly's hook go on top or below the inside door handle hook or is there something I'm missing? I hope I explained so someone understands it.

 

I'm trying hard, but can't quite figure out what you've got going on....

"little bar coming from the outside door handle" Is that the curved part of the door handle that goes through the hole in the door skin into the door itself?

If so, I thought that that part had a hole in it where a rod goes on the inside of the door.

Hopefully I'll figure out what is what and can help.

 

ok, I just got up and it's 5:30 in the morning but here is the best picture I could draw up of what I saw.

 

There's a diagram on the following link that may be of assistance:
https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=124084

JamesC

 

thanks for the link, but i need a better view of this:

 

ttt

 

Ah, ok I've got a little better idea now. I thought you were talking about up on the back of the actual door handle. I see now though that it is at the latch instead. If I remember right, the part that the bottom of the outside door handle rod mates to is a sort of lever. Pulling the exterior door handle pushes the rod down, which in turn pushes down on the lever to unlatch the latch. Sorry I took a while to get back to you on this. I've been out of town for a day or two. I'll check my car tomorrow to find out the relationship with the interior door handle rod.

 

Well I just spent an aggravating afternoon trying to fix the damn thing and no luck. I looked at the passenger side and noticed this metal plate that moves when you pull the outside door handle. It moves very slightly. So I looked at the driver's side and I couldn't figure out how it's supposed to move that little plate. Then I took the passenger side apart and as my luck would have it, the passenger side doesn't work now. If anyone with any knowledge about this please leave any ideas please. I'm pretty close to giving up.

 

This should be a pretty basic thing unless something is terribly broken or bent... The rod goes from the arm on the door handle to the lever as seen in the above pic. As the door handle is pulled up the arm causes the rod to push downward. This downward force then push the plate down and the door latch releases. Its really that simple.

Did the rod perhaps bend slightly when you tried to force it in the cold? That would alter its length (curve in rod). This would cause the angles to be wrong and the way it apply force to the lever, may not be enough to push the lever far enough. You may need a new rod from a junkyard! There are also these plastic clips that the rod snaps into on the door handle and door lock. The door handle rod does not ahve a clip on the lower part. The bend in the rod takes care of keeping it in place! Are the plastic clips still there on both doors? The plastic clips onto the rod and holds it in place at the door handle.

What specifically is the problem with each door. I need very detailed details. I installed door poppers on mine and I'm pretty good with the inner workings of the doors. Worst case I have a spare door i can look at at the house if need be!

 

I'm with redraif on this one: This should be pretty straightforward. If the rod is connected at both ends and if there's no bend/damage in the rod itself, the door should open. A thought does occur: If the outer door handle (and I'm not sure this is even possible) is positioned too high, then the rod wouldn't/couldn't exert enough pressure on the 'plate' to open the latch. The rod's dog leg (as seen in the pic) must sit on the 'plate' to be properly positioned.

JamesC

 

Sorry I didn't come back with any details after looking at my door. I couldn't see much. Do you see how the bottom of the rod has that shape bent in it? That gives it a horizontal part with which to push down on the lever. It goes into the hole in the lever such that the horizontal part sits on top of the lever. Maybe yours has gotten pushed too far through so it only slides through the lever instead of pushing down on it?

 

The rod seems fine. The passenger still works, it just didn't work when I disconnected the assembly from the door. But the rod seems fine, but I don't see how it's supposed to push that plate. I know it's supposed to because you guys/gal say it should and I see it on the passenger door. Maybe somethings broken, but I don't see it.

 

Red is right on the operation. Unless the latch mechanics itself is broken, just pushing down on the tab with your finger will release the latch from the strike.

Yes they are crappy pics taken with a crappy camera but, this is the inside, looking down into the door if you didn't have any weatherstripping around your window glass...

 

Here is one from the interior side of the door (as if you could poke your head in to look at it)....

 

Well I finally fixed it today. I thought long and hard before I went out about what could be wrong and so I went out and noticed the rod coming from the outer door handle was shaped different than in the pics you guys posted. So thank you guys very much for trying to help me out. It's always the stupid little things.