[s-cars] driver door handle FIXED!!!

[Vincent Frégeac]

Darren,

I don't want to discourage you but there's a good chance the door panel will
come off again, and may be soon. On each front door of the S-Bitch, when the
cable popped out, the problem was not the cable but a gummed lock mechanism.
Both time, the cable was still well lubed and smooth, which is kind of
expected as they are not exposed to the outside sun, air, humidity, sand,
salt etc the lock mechanism is exposed to. On the other hand, both lock
mechanism were gummed with rusty colour, sand dopped, dry grease.

When the cable pop out, it is usually because the spring in the lock
mechanism is not able to pull back the lever the cable attach faster than
the handle. So, instead of the lever pulling on the cable end, the cable end
push on the lever, and this side of the lever does not have a recesment to
keep the cable end in position so the cable end pop out.

There is only three solutions to this problem:
 - Mid-term: Put a small tie rap around the cable end and the lever so in
case the cable end push on the slow lever, it doesn't pop out. This will
last until the lock mechanism is completly jammed. The main drawback is you
know when this solution is not good anymore when the door doesn't close
anymore. Not something you want to happen in a freezing morning when
you're already late, and this is when it will happen because dry grease jam
especially well when it's freezing.
- Long-term: Remove everything, take the lock mechanism out, clean, relube,
reinstall.
- Anal: Remove, clean, relube, reinstall _with_ a tie-rap.

Reinstalling the cable end on the lever is only a short term solution that
will last until someone push the handle a bit to fast so the cable retract
faster than the lever on the lock mechanism and here you are again.



Vincent


2007/3/29, Darren Smith <DS288925 at mycia.net>:
>
> Yes i was able to fix it.  Thanks for eveyones advice and guidance.  My
> mechanic thought that the cable might have broken or something, and gave me
> access to one of his parts cars.  Luckily for me i live a mile away, and it
> was sunny out so i decided to check my car first to see what the problem
> was.  I could walk, bike, or get a ride to the shop if needed.  I found out
> that the cable had just been disconected and was still in fine operating
> order.  It is now re-assembled and working great, and importantly,
> INSPECTED.  again, thanks all for the advice and help.  Hopefully the door
> panels wont come off again...until i find a carbon fiber kit!!!
>
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