JEMatthews

This has been frustrating. Really frustrating. I'll try to explain as well as possible, as I don't have a working camera for photos.

Two days ago, I get the day off to go look at a 912 roller. I go to my car (87 944S), pull the handle, and SNAP! Something broke; door won't open. A cold rain began to fall in my driveway. To make matters worse, my passenger door only opens from the inside. After twenty minutes with two coat hangers through my sunroof, I manage to get the passenger door open. I've got a spare handle, I call the guy with the 912 tell him I need an extra hour. I pull the old one out, put its tumbler cylinder in my spare, reconnect the g** d**n plastic connector and pop it back in.

(My door has never locked as I haven't ever had the little white plastic lock connector piece.)

I start bolting down (ahem, this should be a screw, not a 10mm bolt as I now know!) the handle from the inside sill part of the door, and guess what? The same SNAP! Yes, I broke my spare. The bolt I was using, which doesn't belong there, was too long and pressing against the very fragile metal frame piece of the handle. When it breaks, as mine did twice, the handle is useless. I called around, and EASY in sf east bay had a handle for me. I pay the $109 for the used one, put the cylinder in and go home.

After work the following day, I replace the handle with the one I bought, this time with the white plastic locking piece and the proper short screw. Finally I'll be able to lock my driver side door I'm thinking! Assembly complete, I close the door (BIG mistake), try the key. It locks! But it doesn't unlock. From the inside or outside. I try everything I can with the door card off (luckily already off), but it won't budge. I drive home, by climbing in from the passenger side of course.

Today, I try everything with the assembly inside the door. I take apart the passenger door card to see how the mechanism functions. I disconnect the white plastic piece hoping that it isn't allowing enough travel to unlock the door. That's not it either. Noting works on the driver side. I see the small **** in the door lock in the door sill that keeps the lock from dropping down onto the rod bolted to the other side of the sill. I see that it needs to be pulled down for the lock to open. Nothing in my interior mechanism will do this, so I pry back the interior metal piece next to the driver seat so that I can get at it with a coat hanger. I get to the point where I can get behind the piece and pull on it, but something is keeping it from going all the way down and releasing the lock. I have no idea what.

Which leads me to the Sawzall .

I cut through the lock in the door sill, particularly the part where the **** goes through to the mechanism inside the door. I manage to spare the bolts (I have a spare lock but not bolts), and BAM the door pops open! I reassemble everything with my spare lock and the new handle and white plastic connector piece. Still doesn't work. I can't get it to unlock, but I leave the door open this time.

So now I've pulled everything out from handle to handle and the lock in the door sill. I've given it a good cleaning and going to try to figure it out in my living room. I'd like to have a door that works. Looking back, having a door that just didn't lock wasn't so bad. I'm not buying the project 912. If there ever was a bad omen, this is it. I've spent more time on this now than it took for me to swap an S2 intake manifold and TB and all the linkage and wiring into my S.

Sorry for the really long post and lack of photos which would probably help. My phone doesn't have a camera.

Ideas anyone?

Many thanks in advance.

James

s14kev

WTF mate..

Ever tried calling a locksmith?

F18Rep

OK, so no 912. Every silver lining has a cloud.....;] Bruce

JEMatthews

F the locksmith. Normally working on the car is enjoyable. Locksmith is last resort, and it may get to that point, but I've got the weekend to try to do it myself.

JEMatthews

SWB 912 with a 2.7 available for it. Clearly, I am not ready for another project.


GF just called and told me the inside door handle broke on her Chevy Prism when she got to work. WTF!!! I've got a feeling that I can fix that one at least.

Arominus

Clean the rest of the door mech, it'll reduce the stress level on the handle once you get it worked out.

F18Rep

Its been awhile but I think the way I did it was to simulate the door being closed by using a screwdriver to flip the latch mechanism to the closed position (then kept the door open), then I could test the lock and the handle trigger. Otherwise, I think maybe you can't actually lock it with the door open....Bruce

JEMatthews

Yea, that's what I did today after the last install. Still not able to unlock it, however, with the door open, and I'm not gonna close it to find out either. I flip the mechanism with the door open (locked) and nothing will unlock it, short of unbolting the two allen head bolts that attach the lock to the door, which I of course can't do with it closed. Frustration has given in to beer, so I'm not tackling anything hands on until tomorrow.

pops 83 944

This happiness all the Time in my corolla should be the same as your Prism not a bad fix 2-5 min. Job on the Prism, I try and keep 4 of both inner and Luther handles on hand for the commuter corolla! E-bays your friend for those

JEMatthews

Well, my door is at least functioning now. It turned out the black plastic piece on the linkage from the exterior handle was screwed down to much, not allowing enough travel on that arm, and thus keeping the door from unlatching, even when using the interior handle. I still could not get the lock to unlock with everything assembled, so for the time being the white plastic piece is removed. At least the door works now, and I can drive the car.

Alex Sol

sorry to hijack. i have similar problem with my 951. it does not open from outside but does from the inside. is there something simple to reconnect the outer door handle / trigger to the mechanism?
how much do i have to remove to get to this part? door skin ?

F40LM

I feel your pain
JEMathews. I have had similar adventures. This too shall pass.

Michael

Cole

Sounds like the English translation of a Japanese car ad