door handles and mirrors

[digglesworth]

So I need to take my handles and mirrors off to strip off all the bedliner that's bubbling up. The mirrors seem pretty self explanatory. Pull the door panel and find the bolts that hold the mirror on. The door handles look more challenging... I just watched a video on YouTube about changing them. All the guy did was take the end cap off and bump the other side with his hand while pulling it like you're opening the door. I didn't see any rods or anything to disconnect or anything like that. I've always thought it was a pain. Is it really that easy?

 

[cgalpha08]

If you open the door, at the height of the door handle you will find a plastic plug on the door. pull this and there is a small screw, 10mm i think, take that out and the end cap comes off. then you kinda just bump the handle toward the rear. I use the palm of my hand. Not sure if the video shows that or not. Hope that helps

 

[digglesworth]

I've had to replace one of those end caps last winter. I'm familiar with that. I've just heard horror stories about having to get the rod back on.... But from what I saw, I don't even see a rod or where it could pop off.

 

[derian06]

Its a pain in the arse putting them back on, atleast with my little outlines.

hence why one of my doors still look like this. A friend pulled on it hard while the little end cap wasn't on it, and the hinge or bar that opens the door broke or fell into the door panel.

One of the worst experiences i've ever had while working on my H3

 

[cgalpha08]

Is this the video you watched?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWWMSij1X5A

 

[digglesworth]

Yeah. That's the one.

 

[Robbie_]

I was painting my handles, so I needed to remove them. I saw this video on how to remove them, and thought why not give it a try? I got the handle off no problem. But as soon as I put it back on, I popped the rod out of place and it was just loose in my door. The handle was on, but didn't work. I had to get in on my passenger side, then crawl over to the drivers seat for a couple of day. I took it to a body shop that a friend of mine owns, and he fixed it for me for free. A few weeks ago, though, I was re-painting my handles and the rear drivers side handle came off on accident. Scared the sh*t out of me because I could just imagine it popped the rod out if place when I put it back on. Surprisingly, it went back on with and trouble! All is good now.

 

[derian06]

I was painting my handles, so I needed to remove them. I saw this video on how to remove them, and thought why not give it a try? I got the handle off no problem. But as soon as I put it back on, I popped the rod out of place and it was just loose in my door. The handle was on, but didn't work. I had to get in on my passenger side, then crawl over to the drivers seat for a couple of day. I took it to a body shop that a friend of mine owns, and he fixed it for me for free. A few weeks ago, though, I was re-painting my handles and the rear drivers side handle came off on accident. Scared the sh*t out of me because I could just imagine it popped the rod out if place when I put it back on. Surprisingly, it went back on with and trouble! All is good now.

I popped the rod out of mine and I actually tried today to figure it out and I couldn't for the life of me. Do you know how he fixed it?

 

[High Five H2]

i never had a rod pop off when I did it. You just don't want to bump it so hard that the handle breaks. It's kind of hard to bump it just hard enough to get the handle off without breaking it. Also, the bolt has a tendency to drop to the bottom of the door, so a magnetic socket would be handy, especially when putting it back on. It's pretty easy overall.

 

[Robbie_]

I know that he had to take out the window to have more space to work. Circled in blue is the rod that has come loose. To fix it, he hade put the handle in the door and open the handle as far as it would go. But you have to be careful not to open the handle so far that it pops out of the door. He then reattached the into place and I closed the handle after I put the end piece back on, it worked like new. Hope that helped!

 

[digglesworth]

Do you have to pull the door panel off to reattach the rod? I pulled all my door panels when I put the speakers in. It's really not hard to do that. But I've never seen anything on that rod and what to do if it pops off. Someone should take some pics. Eh hem... Derian....

 

[derian06]

Do you have to pull the door panel off to reattach the rod? I pulled all my door panels when I put the speakers in. It's really not hard to do that. But I've never seen anything on that rod and what to do if it pops off. Someone should take some pics. Eh hem... Derian....

I took me less than 2 minutes to pop off my door panel today, i'll take some pics. I don't see a spring on yours though? Mine has a rusted spring on the side of the rod.

I just left the window up and I had just enough space to squeeze my hand in there.

 

[derian06]

Went to a trusted body shop, they showed me that what the rod is actually attached to was broken and they showed me the part and how to replace it. It's 32.33$ at the dealer

 

[bpercy]

I tried for 3 hours trying to get the rod back in place...no luck...such a pain in the ass!!!

 

[derian06]

I tried for 3 hours trying to get the rod back in place...no luck...such a pain in the ass!!!

I ended up getting the shop to do it, it was 75$ including the part and labor

 

[rsc]

That right there is the best answer, let the shop curse and fiddle with it. Definitely worth the $75 imo.