silver93

The opaque colored plastic key hole cover has broken on the driver's side door. I have removed the pieces, and now have just an exposed key hole.

Can i replace just the plastic piece? or do i have to get a whole new assembly?
Thanks

rx7twin93

You don't have to replace the whole handle. Go check out robrobinette.com site. I think I remember reading something on fixing it on that site. Basically you pull off the cover on the inside of your door handle, pull out the tumbler and put in a piece of plastic cut out from an old shampoo bottle.

Foz'sRX-7

Same thing happened to me.....just remove all of the broken pieces or you'll end up with some tiny oiece keeping you from using your key.

C-Note

Mine broke and I couldn't get the pieces out until yesterday. I closed the door and one piece hung halfway out the keyhole. There's still a small piece rolling around in there, but my key works now. Is that plastic supposed to keep dirt and such out of the keyhole?

silver93

Thanks!

rtryrktrx7

I had the same problem, but I took it in for warranty work. I was told they wouldn't fix it because it was cosmetic. I told them that was BS, because moisture has gotten in there and now my key works have the time. They said OH!! They ended up replacing the lock (not the entire trianle piece) itself and rekeyed it for my key. Which I was happy with.

potatobbq

Just great... I read this post yesterday to see what it was all about and today the damn plastic piece broke. I guess it's time to install keyless entry with my UK passenger side power doorlock that's been laying on the floor for 3 months.

Graziano

Relaced the door handle and translucent flap!

While I was replacing the broken outer door handle, I fixed the key flap. Rob Robinette's page describes only part of the procedure. First off, you need to remove the door handle: After unscrewing the two bolts, unclip (1)the lock cylinder wire retainer, (2)the small light bulb, (3)the white electrical wired clip, and (4)the small orange rubber clip to free the lock rod. Then slip the lock cylinder out from the back.

Bring your lock cylinder to a clean place, and remove the metal polished cover from the front of the cylinder by sticking a very small screwdriver under the rim where the tiny fasteners are located. Then remove the black metal keyhole slit. Behind that is a small spring and the broken flap. (My broken flap was gone- disintegrated!) Find a piece of translucent hard plastic and shape it(w/ jigsaw/razor blade/ sand paper) to a rectangle with two small nipples on each for hinging/pivoting purposes that fit into the small hinged indents inside the lock. After the plastic is shaped, place the short end of the spring in the tiny hole and place the shapped plastic on top. Hold the black metal keyhole slit over the flap tightly and test the flap with the key. Reshape plastic if necessary.

To replace the whole door handle, one addittional orange clip needs to be removed to free the latch rod and the door panel must be removed to unplug the 2- foot electrical plug which is hard-wired to the handle.

Just reverse order to replace. Now the lock-light finally works properly again!!

Herblenny

iTrader: (13)

How about the bulb for the light?? Is it something that I could replace?? I seen on my friend's 95 that the light actually lids up.. I recently got a new handle and it has all the plastic thing and stuff..

Well, just wondering ..

johnchabin

iTrader: (2)

I fixed mine after looking at Rob's site. I used a plastic cap from a bottle of detergent.

It's easy.

JONSKI

We have keyhole covers?

silver93

umm....wow, this is an old thread to resurface!

Graziano

Herblenny,

I didn't focus on how the bulb could be replaced. But the small light plugs directly into the back of the plastic area of the handle directly above where the lock cylinder is snapped in. To see the bulb, just tug gently on the small white wires sitting directly above the lock. It seems the bulb can be found at Radio Shack....It's tiny like the Security lamp(about 1/8" dia) with long tiny hair-like wires from the bottom which wraps into some sort of base. That's what it looks like. If anyone else knows more about replacing this bulb, please correct me if I'm wrong. But I'm pretty sure it can replaced.

Your best bet is to loosen the door handle, tug on the two white wires going in above of the lock and see how the bulb can be replaced. First you may have to simply unclip that that white plastic electrical wired clip which caps the back of the lock.

Wargasm

I replaced mine with part of a Scotch tape plastic holder thing... easy.

Brian

Graziano

Another idea, maybe get a plastic ALL container or some other colored translucent container. Have yourselve a blue or green flap like the 1985 rx7 which lit-up light green.

Graziano

Stupid question.....Are the driver's door buttons(side view mirrors & windows) supposed to light up or be illuminated in any way? Just making sure I didn't break any other electrical connections while behind the door panel.

ArchangelX

No..I don't believe so.

I know this because when I first picked up my car..I did it at 6pm at night..and couldn't find the damn switches.

Graziano

Cool, Thanks I was about to tear the door pannel off again to reconnect some busted wire(s)