QuestionQUESTION: I have a 1992 volkswagen passat, and I had to remove a door handle because it was broken. How do I put the new one on(I didn't take the door handle out myself)
ANSWER: Hi Duncan;
No matter which door it is, the door literally has to come apart form the inside out. Even if it is an exterior door handle. The inner door panel comes off after you remove the interior door handle trim, and the screws underneath. There are other fasteners along the bottom of the door, and there may be one small screw at the upper corner facing toward the front, when the door is closed. There are also several snap in nylon style fasteners that hold the door and door panel together around the outer edges. Once those are all removed, you now have to remove the metal inner panel that holds the window motor, regulator, and the wiring harness, and vacuum lines for the door locks. Oh yeah, you'll want to remove the little knobs on the door lock rods too. After you get to this point, you'll need to get the window to a point where you can release the "clips" for the front windows, or the nylon lock, for the back window. Once all of this is out of your way, you can then access the door latch, and remove it, so you can install your new door handle. Good luck, Duncan. If nothing else, you will get a good education, and be an expert in no time! I would highly recommend spending some time in the local library with the "Bentley" repair manual for your car. Honestly good luck, man. Take your time, and try your best not to break anything. Remember, this is a car that is now 15 years old, and a lot of the stuff you will encounter is dry, and brittle.
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QUESTION: it turns out I asked the wrong question, I got that part done, just I am confused about how to put the locking mechanism, and all the corresponding pieces into the handle itself
ANSWER: Sorry Duncan, I thought I was answering the question you asked, you are quite a detective. The latch has to removed from the door so you can get it into (for lack of a better term) "starting position." There is a spring on the outside of the latch, and it engages a metal piece that the short cable goes into. You'll want to get the cable in first, and then "set the latch." Next there is a longer cable that goes on the back side of the latch for the interior door handle, and then there are the fitting for the lock. The vacuum line attaches at the front of the latch, and the lock rod goes into a slot on the back side of the latch...there is a groove that it fits into, and sort of slides a little bit back, and forth. After all of this installed onto the latch, it can go back into the door, and this is where the outer door handle comes in. Secure the latch first, and try to guide the short cable toward the outer door opening, where the door handle will ultimately go. Get the serration in the cable end into the slot on the handle, and then hold that part out a little bit while you then slide the lock into the slot on the latch. It helps to push toward the front of the car with the handle, it's got that spring thing on the front end. Once all of this is situated, start to slide the handle back to engage the lock assembly, but be careful, because sometimes it does want to engage right off the bat. This process may take several tries before you have them both where they will easily slide into the door panel. Once they are both inside the door panel, and appear engaged at the seam between them, tighten the screw inside the little hole at the back of the door. Make it tight, but not too tight. This is an older design, and the "ring" that is being moved to hold the lock assembly in place is made from folded sheet metal, and can deform, and pass by the stopping point, and bind everything so it never works. That's when you have to go get more new stuff. At this point, tighten the latch bolts REAL tight to hold the latch firmly, and test the outer door latch/handle assembly. If it doesn't work, take it apart back to the point where you are just trying to get the 2 pieces to slide into the door opening together, and it sometimes helps to loosen the latch assembly in the door a little bit to move it around slightly to help. The slot in the circle should be straight up, and down, for the "paddle" on the back of the lock to engage with. Keep trying. If it refuses to go together, take the whole thing out again, and check that circle made of sheet metal folded to hold the lock in place, it may be too tight already, and be in your way. So, loosen it a little at a time to give you the room you need, and keep trying. You WILL find a happy little spot where everything just slides right together. Every single car is different, and it will take a little patience, and adjustment to get all of these parts to work in concert together, but you've gotten this far, and I'm certain you'll be able to get it all finished up. Good luck, hope this helps.
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QUESTION: I did it wrong again, let me explain the pieces that I have: Dorr handle(exterior), detatched from the car, tumbler(where the key goes in), and 4 other pieces, a spring, a round piece of metal, and a small washer(missing a quarter of the circle shape) and a gold colored piece with a hole in the middle.
H ow do I put the other four pieces onto the tumbler in order to put it back into the door?
AnswerOk, Duncan, sorry about the delay. My computer at home broke so I have to answer these questions from work, so I came in today, Sunday, just so I could see if there were any questions. I'm glad I did. You probably have it figured out by now, but I'll see if I can remember any details that could help you. From reading your question/follow up over again, I wonder if you have everything you need? The tumbler, where the key goes in needs the key in it during this entire process or the spring loaded little brass pieces will fly out, and they are what the key goes up against inside the tumbler. The round piece of metal should have 2 different looking side to it. One is longer than the other, and the short one turns at 90 degrees. The spring goes over the round piece with 2 ends, and the open ends of the spring each are stopped on the 90 degree angle. The spring has to overlap here so it doesn't get too loose, or come off in the door. So just wrap it around the round piece, and then when you look at it the ends of the spring that are bent...they should basically stick straight out from the coiled up spring. Once the spring is on, the tumbler goes through the hole in the middle of the round thing. there should be a small hole sticking through now, and that is where another spring goes on the end of the paddle thing. The small round washer should be solid, and it should go toward the door, not the lock, so put the small washer on the paddle thing first, then the long spring. Now the tricky part, begin to compress the long spring and start to push the hook through the spring, and then the hook will engage the small circle that shows through the round thing with 2 sides. Get them together, and you are done. ready to put them into the door. I hope this makes sense, it's really hard to describe, without being able to demonstarte too. I think the gold colored piece is the thing the spring with 2 tabs goes on. Put it on the tumbler without the spring, and hold it up to the door handle, and you will see then which way it is supposed to be "aimed." If you feel something is broken, or missing when you get it all together, take it to your local Volkswaen dealer, and there are probably some techs. in the shop that have a piece you need. Offer them a few bucks for it, and for their time, and you'll probably be able to get one of them to show you exatly what I'm trying to describe on this forum. I'm sorry I didn't get what you wanted from me right off the bat.
