Coupe exterior door handle. How does it connect to the door latch?

412 Views 7 Replies 3 Participants Last post by Psimitar, 2 mo ago

Psimitar

Discussion Starter · 3 mo ago

Hello all,

I have looked at the exploded diagram on RealOEM and done a bit of searching but before I have to remove the interior door trim to find this out I wondered if anyone knows exactly how the exterior door handle attaches to the latch mechanism?

Wifey used the Beemer last weekend and came home with the news that the drivers door won't open via the exterior handle. Interior handle works just fine and it locks and unlocks in all the ways possible.

I took the barrel out to poke me finger in there and I get the feeling there's a cable that runs over to the interior handle? Or is there something that snakes around the door glass directly to the latch that's broken?

I'm time poor so trying to figure it out without having to remove the doorcard.

Cheers,
Mike

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4aceman

· #2 · 3 mo ago

I had this same situation doing my window regulator. Could be two things, there's a small allen bolt you can access through a rubber cap on the side of the door. You can look up door handle adjustment to find a video on it, if the bolt loosens itself that will cause the handle not to work.

The problem I had was that the outer sheath of the door handle cable clips onto a ledge near the actuator. Door panel needs to be off to reach it. Green clip here. Sits by the window regulator rail.

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fumigator

· #3 · 3 mo ago

my 2001 passenger side outer door handle quit working to open the door yet the inner handle worked fine. i finally got a chance this weekend and pulled the door panel. i have the situation like 4aceman notes. the sheath clip has come out. trying to figure if there is a way to get the zip tie around it without removing the window...so far no luck and beat up old hands.

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Psimitar

Discussion Starter · #4 · 3 mo ago

Thanks guys. 4aceman, the green cable is the one that goes to the exterior door handle and the one with the larger white clip goes to the interior door handle?

With the lock barrel removed and sticking my finger in the hole I can feel nothing attached to the exterior handle where the small allen screw is that is meant to hold the cable to the handle. So I'm thinking my cable has snapped but can't find it listed on RealOEM.

I'm kinda trying to see if I can just buy what's needed without having to remove the doorcard just cos I have very little free time these days with my 14month old daughter and full time work.

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fumigator

· #5 · 3 mo ago

Psimitar said:
Thanks guys. 4aceman, the green cable is the one that goes to the exterior door handle and the one with the larger white clip goes to the interior door handle?

With the lock barrel removed and sticking my finger in the hole I can feel nothing attached to the exterior handle where the small allen screw is that is meant to hold the cable to the handle. So I'm thinking my cable has snapped but can't find it listed on RealOEM.

I'm kinda trying to see if I can just buy what's needed without having to remove the doorcard just cos I have very little free time these days with my 14month old daughter and full time work.

try ebay or bimmermerchant. you can get the door handle and cable what i've seen.

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4aceman

· #6 · 3 mo ago

Psimitar said:
Thanks guys. 4aceman, the green cable is the one that goes to the exterior door handle and the one with the larger white clip goes to the interior door handle?

With the lock barrel removed and sticking my finger in the hole I can feel nothing attached to the exterior handle where the small allen screw is that is meant to hold the cable to the handle. So I'm thinking my cable has snapped but can't find it listed on RealOEM.

I'm kinda trying to see if I can just buy what's needed without having to remove the doorcard just cos I have very little free time these days with my 14month old daughter and full time work.

The allen doesn’t hold the cable to the handle.

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Top is the allen adjustment, middle is where the end of the cable clips in and bottom is where the outer sheath of the cable clips (the green bit).

Did you try loosening and retightening the allen? I remember it is reverse threaded on the drivers side (driver on RHD cars)

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Psimitar

Discussion Starter · #7 · 3 mo ago

Hmm, me thinks I'll have to remove the doorcard to figure out what's gone wrong. I still think the green cable has snapped as with my finger shoved through the lock barrel hole, after removing the lock barrel, I couldn't feel anything attached to the lug that the grub screw sits in. Couldn't feel anything on the top side, rear face or bottom side.

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Psimitar

Discussion Starter · #8 · 2 mo ago

So just if anyone is interested I found the problem the other day after disassembling the door to access the innards of the exterior handle mechanism. Turns out the cable had removed itself from the mechanism and there was no damage to either the cable or the mechanism.

Now the handle did hitch or catch every so often and I think what had happened is the part circled in the photo had got stuck and allowed the cables barrel end to pop out of the mechanism and the sprung tension of the cable was enough force to make it unclip the outer sheath from the mechanism. The circled part of the mechanism seems to have the only purpose of stopping the cable barrel from dislodging itself but this part would quite easily get stuck open and also make the exterior handle catch/hitch in it's movement.

So problem solved and glad the cable hadn't snapped as that particular cable is only available as part of the entire door handle mechanism but is only AU$256 so not the most expensive of items but not cheap either just for a cable!!!!

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