Hi All, I have just replaced both exterior rear door handles on my Mark 1 Fabia Vrs. However, both now feel as though they have lost some tension and they seem to sit outward slightly leaving the rear of the door handle protruding a little. Does anyone have any idea what might cause this? I'm wondering if I have missed a trick whilst locating the new handle? 

Did you adjust the little bowden cables properly? The handle ends of the cables have teeth on them to enable adjustment so that only a tiny bit of slack is present. Here is a pic of a front door cable but pretty much the same as the rear....

 

 

Edited 29 July, 20214 yr by TMB

Hi TMB, thanks for reply and pics. 

Yes I have adjusted the cable end with the teeth and there is a slight improvement in handle tension but it still appears slightly loose and the handle sticks outward slightly. Just doesn't feel right for some reason?

I'm just wondering if I have located the handle correctly at the rear (Cable) end? When the front end of the handle is hooked in how is the rear end supposed to be fitted? Should it slot into place or be pulled backwards and then pushed into place? I have a feeling it is something to do with this. Also, is the lock unit end (As per your picture) supposed to float inside the door or should it be fixed? Thanks. 

I had this a little while ago, with a front door handle on our Fabia.  I can't remember exactly what the issue was, but it was something not going back in quite correctly. I'll search my phone just in case I took any photos, as they usually remind me of details, but not sure I took any. 

Vague recollection of it being something bendy that was the wrong side of something else, doubt that helps much though!

 

Hi Wino, thanks for quick reply. That would be great if you find it / remember what it was that was causing it? I'm tearing my hair our trying to work out what it is? 

I vaguely recollect something 'springy' releasing what I removed the original handle? 

Nothing found, sorry.

 

Okay. Thank you for trying. 

..........

Edited 30 July, 20214 yr by TMB

3 hours ago, johnthomas99 said:

Also, is the lock unit end (As per your picture) supposed to float inside the door or should it be fixed? Thanks. 

 

Check out this video at 20:40. You will see what the lock end of the cable is supposed to look like in situ.....

 

 

Edited 30 July, 20214 yr by TMB

This is a front handle, but shows in great detail how it's all meant to go. I think the bendy/flap bit at the front (see at 3:59) was getting in the wrong place on ours, which somehow stopped the whole lot from sitting right.

SKODA FABIA Exterior Door Handle (MK1 99-07) - YouTube

 

Hopefully the rears are sufficiently similar. 

Edited 30 July, 20214 yr by Wino

Also have a look at this one and see how the guy locates the handle at about 1:20....

 

 

Edited 30 July, 20214 yr by TMB

Thank you very much for the replies fellas. Looking at the vids you have kindly sent me I think I have not located it correctly in the mechanism at the rear of the handle? My wife couldn't get into either rear door from the outside (okay from the inside) this morning when she used the car. 😬 (I'm in trouble no doubt!)

I will try and Remove both handles today again and follow your advice to try and relocate these.

I appreciate your help so far. I'll let you know what I find. Thanks

 

Okay... Sorted. Basically the rear fork of the exterior door handle was the wrong side of the door catch fork so when operating the handle it was pulling the cable to open the door but not fully pulling the catch. I fashioned a U' bend in a piece of wire (difficult to pull the catch fork forward with a screwdriver) to enable the door catch fork to be held outward whilst locating the handle fork correctly to sit behind it. It's a bit of a fiddle but the handle now sits tight against the door and feels nice and tight to pull. 

Thanks for the Vids above, this enabled me to view the operation inside the door to see that I had located the rear of the handle incorrectly. 

I've added some pics. The lower two show the difference between the two handles. (First pic of the handle is showing it incorrectly fitted and protruding slightly, the second is showing it correctly fitted)

Hope this helps anyone with a similar issue. 

Thanks to TMB and Wino for the great advice. 👍 Still love driving the Vrs even though she's getting on a bit. 

Well done