As durable and strong as cars are, they are not indestructible. Sooner or later, they all tend to need repairs. One of the most popular needs for repairs is the car handle. The car door handle is arguably the essential part of the exterior of a car. Without it, how would you possibly get in?
If you’re like most people, your car door handle tends to get broken or ripped apart in a public setting, which can get pretty embarrassing.
That said, here are several procedures to fix a car door handle, saving yourself from further embarrassment.
Remove the Door Panel
Many people fail to understand that the door panel can only be accessed when you remove the internal door panel. As a result, many people try to tug at the handle or hit it, which makes matters worse.
Thus, the first thing to do when you want to fix a car door handle is to remove the internal door panel. The panel is most likely fastened by many screws, bolts, and nuts, so you must take your time while dismantling it.
Unhook the Interior Door Handle
After you unhook the interior door handle, there are a lot of mechanisms you would find. There should be at least two rods in many cars that are connecting the door handle to all the mechanisms.
Disconnect them so you would be able to take apart the door handle with ease. You can disconnect them by removing the plastic holsters and then lifting the rod out of its respective hole.
It would then be your choice to either dispose of these door handles or to repair them.
Take Care in Accessing the Door Handle
The door handle is highly fragile, so you should take care not to rush while fixing the door handle.
Also, if you’re using electrical tools, make sure not to disassemble near any water or in the rain to avoid electrocution. Tape up any exposed wires and leave them in their appropriate slots.
Make Necessary Corrections
After disconnecting these rods, you can then go ahead to make several corrections. However, if the problems seem too overwhelming, it would be best if you contact a professional. Doing it alone may be overwhelming and will waste your time and energy.
Piece it back together
Now that you’ve fixed whatever was wrong with it, now comes the issue of putting it back together. However, this is also another part of the procedure many people get wrong. They tend to forget the correct way to put them back. Some of them even forget where the screws are supposed to go!
Hence, it would help if you made a mental map of what you’re dismantling so you would know how to put it back accurately.
The Final Piece
Admittedly, fixing a car door handle may prove difficult. Luckily, these tips above will guide you on the procedure to take when assembling your car door handle. When fixing it, make sure you observe safety protocols and handle it with care.