Door handle question.

[John Adkins]

To open my drivers side door from the inside I have to reach over with my right hand to raise the handle while pushing the door with my left shoulder. No doubt mechanisms in the door are worn. Is anyone aware of any mechanical adjustments that can be made to address the problem? I was thinking that slightly shortening the connecting rods might help the problem. Thanks, John

[cgifool]

I thought of six possible things to try

- remove and reposition the door release handle slightly more downwardly angled, so it goes farther when you squeeze it.
- adjust the position of the door catch in the B-pillar.
- clean out old sticky grease in the latch mechanism and replace with slippery new grease.
- grease the door hinges
- replace all the missing and broken plastic grommets where rods go through holes (fixes lots of rattles)
- replace the plastic button on the latch https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...oor-adjustment

[sonomaGTLN2]

Do your doors sag at all? I’m wondering if the latch & centering mechanism is worn out and it needs an extra push from your shoulder to do what the ramp & bumper does there. Can you take a pic of the latch on the B pillar as well as how the door latch looks?

Unless you see something broken or worn out I wouldn’t recommend shortening anything. I haven’t played with the internals of my E21 latch before, but my E36 is for sure a finicky beast if the grommets or bushings are missing or worn.

[320iAman]

Take it all a part, remove the arm rest and inside handles then the door card and inspect the mechanism then repair..

Randy

[John Adkins]

Thanks for all the good advice above. I'm going to wait for warmer weather before I tear into it. John

[okieflats]

Lots of lubrication of all the friction parts will help. And use the spray Tri-flow. It is good to use the small red tube and spray it right into lock cylinders, Actually put the red tube in like you would insert a key, and spray. Locksmiths recommend this. And it is just a good general lubricant for things like the mechanism and hinge pins.