Drivers door uotside handle sticks, intermittently won't work.

[540EyeHer]

So off and on for the last 3-4 months, the outside drivers door handle sticks in place. You cant pull it up. Sometimes if you pull hard, a little popping sound is heard, and the the handle comes loose, and then it works fine for awhile. The inside handle is fine. I tried taking off the inside door panel, but I couldn't see much behind the handle, like I had thought I would be able to. Anyone have an issue like this? Also anyone have experience removing the outside door handle?

[jicaino]

I own the tools from BMW and they're less intuitive to use than a narrow blade flat screwdriver and a pick. Lever out the cap on the side of the door (plastic cap, black, like a rectangular shape with rounded corners, long side parallel to the door skin) you need to insert a long, thin electricians screwdriver (4mm blade, no shoulders sticking to the sides of the main shaft) and then push the locking tab inwards with a pick. You can see the part riding on the whiteish plastic of the carrier, it's a yellow zinc coated spring looking piece of sheet metal, like a brake pads retaining clip, sort of. Then lubricate the internal mechanism (there's a cog and pinion pivoting piece that engages with the outside handle, that has a bowden cable that engages with the actual lock) use graphite on everything but the bowden cable, use a dry Teflon lube for the bowden cable (redline makes a dry bike chain lube that works a charm for these applications where you need good lubrication but no dust accumulation or attraction)

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If you have time I can post a picture of the internal handle and lock carrier in a couple of hours)

[jicaino]

Well, my carrier has a bent and broken lock tab, but it actually shows better how this should be done
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[jicaino]

Continued
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[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Ahh crap, I gotta do four of those stupid door handles on my green wagon…. Longest rebuild ever, got that car repainted a couple years ago, just starting to get the itch of putting it back together now. One thing I can’t stand putting back together are those door handles. Any body got some spare trim pieces laying around for the cargo area section of the wagons? I stupidly crushed a few things in storage.

[jicaino]

Ahh crap, I gotta do four of those stupid door handles on my green wagon…. Longest rebuild ever, got that car repainted a couple years ago, just starting to get the itch of putting it back together now. One thing I can’t stand putting back together are those door handles. Any body got some spare trim pieces laying around for the cargo area section of the wagons? I stupidly crushed a few things in storage.

Get to it, man! :D

[540EyeHer]

Wow, thanks for the detailed response.

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Get to it, man! :D
Yeah, yeah, too many cars, too many projects! What’s cool though, me knowing myself and my procrastinating ways, I filled the tank up with zero ethanol 93 octane, treated with some of that good green stuff to preserve the gas, not Stabil, but can’t remember what the heck the brand was, had mothballs placed in some choice wired locations, and disconnected the fully charged battery, damn thing started right up, zero issues, now, if I could only get up on my storing of loose hard to find parts, I’d be a rock star.