I'm in a ridiculous pickle. Any help will be gratefully received.

 

The electric window regulator broke and I got and fitted a repair kit. Not a fun job but I've done worse. Window goes up and down smoothly once again.

 

On final reassembly I fitted the door card and checked the inner door opener was connected/attached and then connected the pull cable for the external handle and fitted the blocking piece for the handle and closed the door... and now neither the inner nor outer handle will open the door! The door locks and unlocks and the indicator pin jumps up and down as normal but the door won't open. It's the central locking version with no key hole on the passenger door - only on the drivers door.

 

I tried to remove the door card with the door closed but the dashboard/glovebox won't let it pull inwards far enough to then slide up. I'm looking at removing the glovebox to see if that will give enough wiggle room but I've no idea if the glovebox can be removed without opening the door.

 

I think I'll need to drill out/destroy the plastic blocking piece for the external handle and see if I can get to the pull cable that way.

 

Any other ideas please?

 

You don't need to remove the outer handle or the lock to repair the window regulator.

 

Can you remove the inner handle and pull the cable manually?

Sounds like you did not set the bowden cable correctly sometimes if you unlock and give the losk/door a gentle thud with your hand it jolts it so you can open the door then reset it.

8 hours ago, sepulchrave said:

You don't need to remove the outer handle or the lock to repair the window regulator.

 

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, unfortunately I took the lock out attached to the regulator. Wish I hadn't, but that's what I did. To do that I had to disconnect the outer handle (and inner, of course).

 

Both the inner and outer handles feel like they're attached (pulling against sprung cables) but my guess is the lock is in a half way state not fully closed and needing to finish closing before it can be opened again - probably due to me misaligning it during reassembly. My hope is to get to the lock mechanism and physically 'wiggle' it to see if that can free it.

 

I've thumped the door around the lock from the outside but so far without success - perhaps today with a bit more time...

 

 

1 hour ago, Stewartasb said:

Sounds like you did not set the bowden cable correctly sometimes if you unlock and give the losk/door a gentle thud with your hand it jolts it so you can open the door then reset it.

 

Thanks for your reply. Yes, gentle thuds of increasing desperation... I'll continue to try today.

7 hours ago, Stewartasb said:

...gentle thud with your hand...

 

OK. Maybe not so gentle - but it worked without denting the door. The outer skin of the door was actually dented when I bought it and I took the opportunity when I dismantled it to press the biggest dent out from the inside. If I get the rest of the car working OK I may bother to get a proper door repair.

 

The lesson to be learned is that when reconnecting the outer door handle (for whatever reason you disconnected it) don't pull the lock cable head too tight before sliding it into the handle. If you do it will stop the door catch fully latching. When you lock and then unlock the car in that state the inner and outer handles will remain unable to activate the catch. Thumping the outer handle in with your hand may resolve the problem.

 

Hope this helps someone.