Door Handles Broken inside and out

T

T03Y

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Fellow Frogger
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Nov 25, 2014
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Byron Shire
Hi,
I've managed to put myself in the situation where both the inner and outer door handles (passenger front) are broken on my Citroen C5 2003. Anyone got an idea how I'm going to open the door?
Pretty sure it needs to be open to get the door skin off and make any repairs. Cheers!
 
Anger management course booked yet????

Jo:joker:
 
T03Y said:
Hi,
I've managed to put myself in the situation where both the inner and outer door handles (passenger front) are broken on my Citroen C5 2003. Anyone got an idea how I'm going to open the door?
Pretty sure it needs to be open to get the door skin off and make any repairs. Cheers!
Click to expand...

Are you able at least lever the door handle as you do when opening the door? If yes, do that and give the panel near the key lock below a sharp blow with your other hand at the same time.
Works everytime , just needs to find the EXACT spot. Reminds me.......
 
I'll have a look in the light tomorrow but there's no stump left to grab, unless I can get to the mechanism beyond it.
 
T03Y said:
I'll have a look in the light tomorrow but there's no stump left to grab, unless I can get to the mechanism beyond it.
Click to expand...

It will take you a few tries, but persevere, it is a combination of the right location and the right sharpness of the blow. Once you got it....you got it, and you'll do it everytime.
 
There's a guy selling a set of doors on Gumtree in Toowoomba, worst case if the door is how shall I say 'damaged by force-able methods':mad:
 
T03Y said:
Hi,
I've managed to put myself in the situation where both the inner and outer door handles (passenger front) are broken on my Citroen C5 2003. Anyone got an idea how I'm going to open the door?
Pretty sure it needs to be open to get the door skin off and make any repairs. Cheers!
Click to expand...

Remove the trim from the RHF door and it will be almost a mirror image of the left. You should then be able to see where to drill or cut either handle housing to get something inside to open it. You can probably snag a link rod with some plastic packaging tape.
Try not to damage the door as another door will probably not match the paint exactly even if it's the same colour.
 
Further to David's response. The window still functions I assume. Put the window down, get a bright torch and have a look inside the door. Maybe you will see a rod that can be snagged with packaging tape. Maybe even a visit to a friendly panel beater might elicit a solution that does not require damaging the door?
 
David S said:
Remove the trim from the RHF door and it will be almost a mirror image of the left. You should then be able to see where to drill or cut either handle housing to get something inside to open it. You can probably snag a link rod with some plastic packaging tape.
Try not to damage the door as another door will probably not match the paint exactly even if it's the same colour.
Click to expand...
Hi T03Y :)
The pull rod is a wire with a bend at the handle. Remove the trim around the inner handle, I seem to remember a screw under a plastic button that pries out, and you should be able to get at the stump or fish around for the wire rod end.
Good luck Jaahn
 
You might be right Jaahn. I can't recall how much of the opener mechanism you can access without the internal handle trim. The baseplate of the handle mechanism is certainly larger than the hole in the door trim. Certainly worth a try. The little plastic plug you need to remove might be removed using some BluTak instead of using a pick.
 
After this problem is resolved I'm looking forward to hearing how you managed to get into this situation !

Cheers

Justin
 
David S said:
Remove the trim from the RHF door and it will be almost a mirror image of the left. You should then be able to see where to drill or cut either handle housing to get something inside to open it. You can probably snag a link rod with some plastic packaging tape.
Try not to damage the door as another door will probably not match the paint exactly even if it's the same colour.
Click to expand...

This image gives a good idea of what lives behind the door card - looks like you could bend a length of welding wire, a hook on one end and a right angle at the other, slip the hook end down from the glass and use the right angle to try and hook the actuator rod (red).

attachment.php


Cheers
Chris
 

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^^ hmmm, or not! Looks like the drawing above is misleading. . .

This video appears to show the solution to an unresponsive door lock, but not how the door was opened to apply the fix. The actuator rod is not accessible via the window channel as far as I can see. . .'

attachment.php


Full video here https://youtu.be/rF6B03LXWKk

Cheers
Chris
 

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Two thoughts after seeing the pictures Chris posted and with the inside door handle surround trim removed but the door trim still fitted, try:

1) See the L-shaped arm below the handle. Can you slip something in through the opening in the door trim to push on that. When you pull the inside door handle, than moved in. So a flexible flat blade or even and an L-shaped tool might be able to get at that. The lower down on that arm you can push will mean the least effort. .... OR .....

2) drill into the remains of the handle and install a long self tapper or bolt for leverage.

It only needs to work once.
 
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Guys I haven't checked in for a while and I see all this great info. Thanks!
I did find a solution though it involved buying another (non Citroen, still European) car and driving that.
I'll have to check my post re: air-con but I was also had a dead end there, and it's been hot here.
My next post, sadly, will be in the for sale section!
 
T03Y said:
Guys I haven't checked in for a while and I see all this great info. Thanks!
I did find a solution though it involved buying another (non Citroen, still European) car a....snip.....
Click to expand...

I didn't realise that doors were interchangeable !! ....:roflmao:

So - ready to tell us yet how all this started ?

Cheers

Justin
 
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