1995 Rx7 door handle - Need help please
05-20-14, 03:53 AM
#1
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1995 Rx7 door handle - Need help please
I own a 1995 FD Rx-7 and last Saturday while trying to open the passenger door, the handle moved but the door did not open. From that time the handle does not open the door (it has to be opened from the inside, since the inside handle works fine) and there is no tension on the handle (like there is on the driver’s side handle, that works).
I was able to remove the mechanism from the door by taking the 2 connecting bolts but as I did not disconnect the rods I could not find any visible damage or signs of anything being broken. I also removed the mechanism from the driver’s side in order to understand how it works and try to see if a repair was possible but I could not figure it out (I did now figure out how the handle creates tension on the spring that operates the rod connected to the door lock).
I am writing in order to seek for help as I would like to make sure the handle is not repairable as I am quite afraid of performing the replacement for a new handle myself. I am living in Portugal where there are only 12 FD Rx-7’s (in the whole country) so as you can imagine finding help outside a Mazda workshop is nearly impossible here (even they are not specialists in the car...).
Could you please help me by sending me any detailed information on how the handle works (how it build tension on the spring that operates the rod) so I can check it again?
I saw on some forums that there is a lever locking the mechanism to the door handle but in my case the mechanism moves independently from the handle. What I mean is that when I move the handle like I was going to open the door is comes forward but the lever stays in the same place and the tension you feel on the driver's side handle (in order to open the door) does not exist in this case.
Could the lever just be disengaged from the handle? Is there any way to reattach them? I would like to be sure before taking anything apart as I am no mechanic and chances are I might damage something and end up with a bad repair bill.
Thank you very much for all the help you can provide. Any advice you could provide will be of fundamental importance.
I was able to remove the mechanism from the door by taking the 2 connecting bolts but as I did not disconnect the rods I could not find any visible damage or signs of anything being broken. I also removed the mechanism from the driver’s side in order to understand how it works and try to see if a repair was possible but I could not figure it out (I did now figure out how the handle creates tension on the spring that operates the rod connected to the door lock).
I am writing in order to seek for help as I would like to make sure the handle is not repairable as I am quite afraid of performing the replacement for a new handle myself. I am living in Portugal where there are only 12 FD Rx-7’s (in the whole country) so as you can imagine finding help outside a Mazda workshop is nearly impossible here (even they are not specialists in the car...).
Could you please help me by sending me any detailed information on how the handle works (how it build tension on the spring that operates the rod) so I can check it again?
I saw on some forums that there is a lever locking the mechanism to the door handle but in my case the mechanism moves independently from the handle. What I mean is that when I move the handle like I was going to open the door is comes forward but the lever stays in the same place and the tension you feel on the driver's side handle (in order to open the door) does not exist in this case.
Could the lever just be disengaged from the handle? Is there any way to reattach them? I would like to be sure before taking anything apart as I am no mechanic and chances are I might damage something and end up with a bad repair bill.
Thank you very much for all the help you can provide. Any advice you could provide will be of fundamental importance.
05-20-14, 08:23 PM
#2
Removing and replacing the outer latch is pretty intuitive....though a little like building a ship in a bottle if you have big hands. Disconnecting and re-connecting the rods can be fiddly and you want to be careful not to distort or bend them. Haven't checked the Body/chassis service manual, but I've never seen any detailed diagram.
The latch itself is plastic, and they have been known to fatigue over time and break. If you're not comfortable replacing it yourself, take it to a trusted collision repair shop. There is nothing particularly unique about it over any other car. Any shop has likely dealt with a lot harder latches.
The latch itself is plastic, and they have been known to fatigue over time and break. If you're not comfortable replacing it yourself, take it to a trusted collision repair shop. There is nothing particularly unique about it over any other car. Any shop has likely dealt with a lot harder latches.