Door Handle Broken?
Passenger
Posts: n/a
Door Handle Broken?
So I have a questions for you all...
I have an 88, and one day I got out of my car, closed the door like always, and all of the sudden, the driver's handle no longer works. I can feel resistance in the handle, but then it pops up and nothing happens.
Anyone had anything similar happen to them? Insight please!
I have an 88, and one day I got out of my car, closed the door like always, and all of the sudden, the driver's handle no longer works. I can feel resistance in the handle, but then it pops up and nothing happens.
Anyone had anything similar happen to them? Insight please!
Full Member
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
From: Valencia, CA
I think you are gonna need to pull off the interior door panel and pull back the plastic to check it out.Make sure all the linkage is still hooked up.One day I came out to my car and stuck the key in.The little plastic guard that slides over the lock to protect it from water and stuff broke off.It ended up getting jammed in the lock.I tried everything to get the damn thing out with no luck.I ended up having to buy a new lock for it.Now I have one key for the drivers side door, and another for everything else.What a bitch it was to replace.Anyways, I'm done rambling.Good luck
Rotorhead
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 9,136
Likes: 39
From: Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
Originally posted by rx7passion
eww psyhco hoe go away!!!
eww psyhco hoe go away!!!
Full Member
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio
On my car, the cast metal broke in the handle mechanism that moves the latch. Only option I guess for me is to get a new handle. Actually, I haven't tried JBWeld yet... does anyone think it would work?
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 314
Likes: 0
From: Mount Vernon, WA
I just had the same thing happen to my car.
It's hard to describe, but when you pull up on the handle, you're rotating a bar on spring-loaded pins. (ie. when you pull up, it pushes down).
There are two strips of metal that push down on the bar, which in turn, operates another vertical bar which actuates the door latch. One of these two strips has broken, which won't allow the bar to depress all the way.
You'll still feel resistance in the door handle because the other metal strip is still intact and both are spring-loaded.
Basically, it's time for a new door handle. You CAN fix the original, but I wouldn't bother with JBWeld. There's too much force put on the latch to open the door for it to hold.
Here's what I did:
I drilled two holes. One in the bar itself, and the other in the bottom part of the metal strip. (Underneath the break). Then I used a metal spring from a ball-point pen, straightened out, and wired the two holes together.
And no, my name isn't McGyver.. :-)
What this does, is when you pull on the door, the bar is pulled down, versus pushed down as is the original design. To complete the fix, I adjusted the vertical bar (the plastic part that attaches to the horizontal bar itself), so that very little downforce is necessary to activate the door latch.
It's been two weeks, and it still works. Eventually I'll get around to actually replacing the handle. At the time, I didn't have the $85 for a new one and the one I did find here in WA got busted when the junkyard mech was taking it outta the parts car.
Hey, ya do what you have to.
It's hard to describe, but when you pull up on the handle, you're rotating a bar on spring-loaded pins. (ie. when you pull up, it pushes down).
There are two strips of metal that push down on the bar, which in turn, operates another vertical bar which actuates the door latch. One of these two strips has broken, which won't allow the bar to depress all the way.
You'll still feel resistance in the door handle because the other metal strip is still intact and both are spring-loaded.
Basically, it's time for a new door handle. You CAN fix the original, but I wouldn't bother with JBWeld. There's too much force put on the latch to open the door for it to hold.
Here's what I did:
I drilled two holes. One in the bar itself, and the other in the bottom part of the metal strip. (Underneath the break). Then I used a metal spring from a ball-point pen, straightened out, and wired the two holes together.
And no, my name isn't McGyver.. :-)
What this does, is when you pull on the door, the bar is pulled down, versus pushed down as is the original design. To complete the fix, I adjusted the vertical bar (the plastic part that attaches to the horizontal bar itself), so that very little downforce is necessary to activate the door latch.
It's been two weeks, and it still works. Eventually I'll get around to actually replacing the handle. At the time, I didn't have the $85 for a new one and the one I did find here in WA got busted when the junkyard mech was taking it outta the parts car.
Hey, ya do what you have to.
Passenger
Posts: n/a
Taranis,
WHERE WERE YOU A MONTH AGO? I had this same problem, and I took my door apart to find the same piece of stupid pot-metal broken, and I was told by several autobody specialists that JB weld should work, and I glued it 3 times, and it didn't work at all. Broke on the first pull under load every time.
I was going to try the method you mentioned, but does the handle feel the same, or does it still have a hard time opening the door? Also, did the pot metal drill through easily? I wish you had posted this earlier....
Oh yeah, and one more thing:
you mentioned that there are TWO bars that push the metal lever down, but on my handle, the one on the right side [if you're looking at the back of the handle] is spring loaded, but it doesn't push the metal down that opens the door. In fact, it does nothing and I don't know why it's there. I was trying to think of way that I could use that side so that it alone would open the door, but the way it's set up, I can't join the two pieces of metal in a way that it would push the metal down. On your handle both of them actuate that metal lever? What year is your car???
WHERE WERE YOU A MONTH AGO? I had this same problem, and I took my door apart to find the same piece of stupid pot-metal broken, and I was told by several autobody specialists that JB weld should work, and I glued it 3 times, and it didn't work at all. Broke on the first pull under load every time.
I was going to try the method you mentioned, but does the handle feel the same, or does it still have a hard time opening the door? Also, did the pot metal drill through easily? I wish you had posted this earlier....
Oh yeah, and one more thing:
you mentioned that there are TWO bars that push the metal lever down, but on my handle, the one on the right side [if you're looking at the back of the handle] is spring loaded, but it doesn't push the metal down that opens the door. In fact, it does nothing and I don't know why it's there. I was trying to think of way that I could use that side so that it alone would open the door, but the way it's set up, I can't join the two pieces of metal in a way that it would push the metal down. On your handle both of them actuate that metal lever? What year is your car???
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Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 6,096
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From: So Cal where the OC/LA/SB counties meet
The only reliable way of fixing this problem is to simply replace it. Call one of the 1-800 Mazda specialty wrecking yards and ask for one off of a car the same color as yours. Just take it to a locksmith and have it keyed to your current ignition key before installing (about $20).
Then its just pull the door panel, unsnap the push bar, remove two 10mm nuts, out it comes. Read what I said backward to put it back in. :-) Alternatively, any auto body place can do this for about a 30 to 45 minute labor charge.
If you can't find one the right color, let me know. I was just at a couple pull your own parts places and saw about six 2nd Gens of different colors. I can go pull one and send it to you next weekend for compensating $. :-)
Then its just pull the door panel, unsnap the push bar, remove two 10mm nuts, out it comes. Read what I said backward to put it back in. :-) Alternatively, any auto body place can do this for about a 30 to 45 minute labor charge.
If you can't find one the right color, let me know. I was just at a couple pull your own parts places and saw about six 2nd Gens of different colors. I can go pull one and send it to you next weekend for compensating $. :-)
Passenger
Posts: n/a
Thank you to those offering actual help. You remind me that this forum may not have gone to **** after all! I appreciate it.
And Blair, if you were actually "pimping" in Sea-Town, then maybe you would be with real girls instead of the plastic ho's you obviously found at HIN. I'm not surprised that you are still caught up on 6 month old drama.
:p
And Blair, if you were actually "pimping" in Sea-Town, then maybe you would be with real girls instead of the plastic ho's you obviously found at HIN. I'm not surprised that you are still caught up on 6 month old drama.
:p
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 314
Likes: 0
From: Mount Vernon, WA
Actually, you won't even have to have it rekeyed. Just take the lock mechanism off your old handle. When you take it out, you'll see it's held in by a simple lock spring.
Mazdatrix sells them on their website. You just need to specify the color code of your car. It's on the firewall on the passenger side.
Left (w/o options) P/N: 59-410C-FB01-XX
Left (with options) P/N: 59-410D-FB06-XX
(Replace the XX with the color code for your car.)
Jim
Mazdatrix sells them on their website. You just need to specify the color code of your car. It's on the firewall on the passenger side.
Left (w/o options) P/N: 59-410C-FB01-XX
Left (with options) P/N: 59-410D-FB06-XX
(Replace the XX with the color code for your car.)
Jim
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 314
Likes: 0
From: Mount Vernon, WA
you mentioned that there are TWO bars that push the metal lever down, but on my handle, the one on the right side [if you're looking at the back of the handle] is spring loaded, but it doesn't push the metal down that opens the door. In fact, it does nothing and I don't know why it's there. I was trying to think of way that I could use that side so that it alone would open the door, but the way it's set up, I can't join the two pieces of metal in a way that it would push the metal down. On your handle both of them actuate that metal lever? What year is your car???
When you pull on the handle, there's an elbow underneath the break that move toward the outside of the handle. That's where I drilled the first hole. The second one I drilled in the lever above, then wired 'em together.
It feels o.k., but since I adjusted the latch bar plastic thingy, it's a little stiffer. I did that to minimize wear on the wire I used so it won't break as soon.
This thread reminds me I really need to get that fixed.
