92 SL Inside door handle

Robbie · 06-19-2000, 10:24 AM

I have a 92 SL. The driver's door will not open from the inside. I have taken the door panel off and see that the bar that connects from the inside door hanle to the part of the door that opens the door is no longer connected together. My problem is that I can't reach the 2 unconnected pieces that far in the door. Does anyone know the trick to get to this? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated because rolling the window down to open it from the outside is no fun.

Diggs · 06-19-2000, 04:30 PM

Robbie,

I have good news and bad news. The good news is that you can fix it. The bad news is you need a healthy dose of patience and someone with small hands. An understanding wife/girlfriend or a small, coordinated child would help.

My experience was on a 93 SW2, but I think it should be similar. One of the neighborhood kids took some of those cute little plastic toothpicks and stuck a few in the key hole and then broke them off. Then the thoughtful little $&#^*#@ pushed them in so a pair of tweezers couldn't reach them. I got most of them out with another toothpick and careful application of superglue, but I had to take the door apart and the lock cylinder apart to get the last one. I didn't have the small hands I mentioned above. I used a long handle screwdriver to separate the pieces and then a long handle needle nose pliers and the same long handle screwdriver to put them back together. It was hit or miss for a while, because of the lack of a good sightline and the cramped quarters.

Good Luck.

Diggs

sattech · 06-19-2000, 08:57 PM

Good news, you can have everything at your fingertips, You'll be able to reattach everything, no problem.Bad news (this is much easier than it sounds) Remove the outer door panel. Take off the mirror- three nuts under the cover. Take off the outer door handle- two retainers at the bottom, push in the centers remove the retainers. Pull off the horizontal lower outside window molding. Remove the torx bolts holding the outer panel to the door assy. Remove the panel. Piece of cake. Seriously it's not that bad of a job. Saves a lot of knuckle skin and bandages

BobL · 06-20-2000, 06:31 AM

I watched my dealer tech do this to change a lock cylinder and it sure made the job easy.

Told my buds that my car was just circumcised at Saturn.

When they looked funny I told them how the tech had to take off my doorskin <grin>.

Sure easier than on metal doors.

06-19-2000, 10:24 AM	#1
Robbie New Member Join Date: Apr 2000 Posts: 1	92 SL Inside door handle I have a 92 SL. The driver's door will not open from the inside. I have taken the door panel off and see that the bar that connects from the inside door hanle to the part of the door that opens the door is no longer connected together. My problem is that I can't reach the 2 unconnected pieces that far in the door. Does anyone know the trick to get to this? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated because rolling the window down to open it from the outside is no fun.

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06-19-2000, 04:30 PM	#2
Diggs Member Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 481 Diggs's Photos	Robbie, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that you can fix it. The bad news is you need a healthy dose of patience and someone with small hands. An understanding wife/girlfriend or a small, coordinated child would help. My experience was on a 93 SW2, but I think it should be similar. One of the neighborhood kids took some of those cute little plastic toothpicks and stuck a few in the key hole and then broke them off. Then the thoughtful little $&#^*#@ pushed them in so a pair of tweezers couldn't reach them. I got most of them out with another toothpick and careful application of superglue, but I had to take the door apart and the lock cylinder apart to get the last one. I didn't have the small hands I mentioned above. I used a long handle screwdriver to separate the pieces and then a long handle needle nose pliers and the same long handle screwdriver to put them back together. It was hit or miss for a while, because of the lack of a good sightline and the cramped quarters. Good Luck. Diggs

06-19-2000, 08:57 PM	#3
sattech Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Saturn of Norwood, Ma Posts: 1,466	Good news, you can have everything at your fingertips, You'll be able to reattach everything, no problem.Bad news (this is much easier than it sounds) Remove the outer door panel. Take off the mirror- three nuts under the cover. Take off the outer door handle- two retainers at the bottom, push in the centers remove the retainers. Pull off the horizontal lower outside window molding. Remove the torx bolts holding the outer panel to the door assy. Remove the panel. Piece of cake. Seriously it's not that bad of a job. Saves a lot of knuckle skin and bandages

06-20-2000, 06:31 AM	#4
BobL Master Member Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 4,559	I watched my dealer tech do this to change a lock cylinder and it sure made the job easy. Told my buds that my car was just circumcised at Saturn. When they looked funny I told them how the tech had to take off my doorskin <grin>. Sure easier than on metal doors.

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