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"dreaded 9000 door handle syndrome" my fix (LONG)
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Posted by matt 94 aero [Email] (more from matt 94 aero) on Thu, 16 Sep 2004 10:16:56 Share Post by Email
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I just finished "fixing" my pass front door, it wouldn't open at all from the outside and the inside was very hard to open as well.
Here's my writeup, I have pics but they're not cropped, sized or hosted.
I'm going to see if Quasi wants to add this to his page as he has the running encyclopedia of 9000 repairs. so withough further delay here it is. Please keep in mind it's basically still a rough draft. If you have comments or insights, feel free to shoot me an email by clickin my name.

Door handle maintenance.
The first problem is obviously how do I get to the mechanism, it’s inside the door?
The answer is easy, though make sure you get the execution right or you’ll be tearing your door up. Keep in mind, so far I’ve only done front doors, but I’m pretty sure it’s the same steps for the rear doors.

First you gotta remove some torx screws, they are various sizes (T-10, T15 and T-25). There’s two (T-25 in ~3” deep holes) in the pull handle (top and bottom) I got to these with a screwdriver fitted with a torx bit (T-25) I tried my torx ratchet bits but they weren’t narrow enough. Next, there’s one (T-15) behind the window switch (rear doors) or mirror switch (driver’s door) or trim piece by the handle (front pass. Door) Next, remove the two plastic covers from the screws on the front and rear of the storage bin on the door (I popped mine off with a flat head screwdriver though I did scratch them up a bit.) Take those torx (T-25) screws out. After that, remove the small light on the end of the door (puddle lamp) with one small torx (T-10) screw. (When you reinstall this one be careful or you’ll crack the plastic of the light)

NOW before you go tearing the door panel off, remove the light completely by unplugging it, now look into the hole and find the other end of the bracket the light was attached to, remove the screw (T-25) holding that to the door or you’ll tear the door panel on removal. Now, along the bottom of the door panel are plastic pop pins, so I slid my hand along the bottom edge until I got to one and then I popped it loose.
The door panel should slide out of the window molding and voila, now you can see the inside of the door.

Slide the little clip holding the insulation (careful it’ll scratch the paint and tear the insulation from the latch end of the door and tuck it outta the way. Now you can get a look at the latching mechanism and the inside of the door handle. PIC??

Basically, as you pull out on the door handle, it pulls outward on the latch mechanism. Mine required a lot of umph in the very end range of movement. I hope that lubing it up well with some 3 in 1 oil will do that trick as I didn’t find any broken bits or major deformation of the metal components. I do have a nearly complete set of door handles standing by should the 3 in 1 fail to do the trick.

After dousing the mechanism with 3in1 oil (inside and outside) I opened and shut the door a bunch of times. 1000% inprovement, I could even open the door without the thumb trick without pulling hard and fast. I conclusion is that the mechanism was just rubbing on itself so much that it was keeping the latch from completely unlatching.
So at this time, I haven’t replaced the door handles at all. If you get here and it still doesn’t work or you can see something is broken then I have included how to remove the handle itself inorder to replace it.

Once you have the door panel off, to get at the latch mechanism you’ll need to move the window guide track, it’s attached to the door by two 10mm bolts that you can get to from the outside of the door along the strike-plate edge. My guide plate also acted as a clip to keep the wire from the key cylinder from getting caught in the window (older models have this on the driver’s door only I think, newer ones have it on both sides) I’m assuming it’s the “alarm shock sensor disable wire” (you know hold the key in the lock position, alarm chirps and then the shock sensor is deactivated).
Once the guide is off, unclip the small bent metal piece connecting the lock cylinder to the actuator it has ball/socket type joints you can “open up” first with little clips (PIC)
Then with a box-end wrench loosen the 10mm nut inside the door at the front of the handle, then the 10mm bolt at the back side of the door above the window guide track bolts.

It takes some finagaling to get the handle outta the door, take it easy as this thing could gouge your paint up pretty bad if you go he-man on it. Removing the lock cylinder is easy, two torx screws and it'll slide out for you (if your using a junkyard handle)


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