DS Door Handle Problem

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ARCHINSTL
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DS Door Handle Problem

Post by ARCHINSTL »

Has anyone else encountered this?
For the last year plus, my driver's side handle only works when pressed in the "forward" portion of the lever. I "fixed" it temporarily by spraying silicon lube all over the part of the lever inside the door. Well, that only worked for a few days and it was back to only unlatching with the front part of the lever.
Obviously, the DS handle gets the most use, and I would not want to switch the DS rear handle with the front, because I use that rear door frequently.
It is very rare nowadays for someone to ride as a front passenger and I don't think anyone has ridden in the back seat in about 7 years.
Are the DS and PS handles interchangeable - or are they just mirror images of each other?
Any other thoughts on a resolution?
Thanks,
Tom M.
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"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
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rer233
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Re: DS Door Handle Problem

Post by rer233 »

Pretty sure all 4 handles are different.
if it aint there, there's a good chance it won't break!
83 SR5 Silver/Blue (Snowmobile/work beater)-totaled but drivable
85 SR5 Blue
88 SR5 White (the 'good' one)-not anymore-totaled
87 fwd silver wagon a/t
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Ridlbox
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Re: DS Door Handle Problem

Post by Ridlbox »

You probably have to go into the door and adjust the linkage from handle to the latch . My Passenger door does this as well . But I'm the driver so my wife and kids have to deal with it
i will find a tercel in a music video
That's my new goal 8)
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ARCHINSTL
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Re: DS Door Handle Problem

Post by ARCHINSTL »

@ Ridlbox - when I did the aforementioned spraying, I did not see a way to make an adjustment (but maybe there is and I just missed it). It just seemed odd that spraying would fix it, regardless of how temporary.
Tom M.
T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
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splatterdog
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Re: DS Door Handle Problem

Post by splatterdog »

The front outer handles are always problematic. There's a lever dead center on the inside of the handle that has a pivot molded into the plastic portion. They get sticky, then freeze up, then eventually break the pivot out of the plastic. It can be seen/lubed with the window down. If it's sticky enough, it will have to be removed. Then carefully work the lube into the pivots until it's nice and free. If you see cracking around the center pivot, better hunt up a new handle. That cracking is usually caused by rust expansion of the steel pivot.

I've also had expansion of the part you actually lift up on. The metal inside of the molding rusts/swells and causes interference against the outer portion of the handle. If you open the door and the handle stays up, this is usually the cause. Some careful work with a knife can get those moving again by trimming away the swollen area.

The handles are unique to each door.
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ARCHINSTL
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Re: DS Door Handle Problem

Post by ARCHINSTL »

Thanks to all, esp. splatterdog!
When things warm up, I will remove the panel and check it out, take pix and add to this thread.

As an inventory control specialist in my life for a Fortune 500 company before the bike shop, I think I would have beat on the engineers to come up with handles that would interchange on at least the same side. Are 4 different handles not uncommon in the automotive world?

SAY! Maybe that eBay fellow in Orem UT who sells the $100 ashtrays might have a DS front handle! I'll have to first sit down with the loan officer at my bank...
Tom M.
T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
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Re: DS Door Handle Problem

Post by Ridlbox »

It is not an actual adjustment the link between handle and latch might be bent
i will find a tercel in a music video
That's my new goal 8)
lurvemytercel
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Re: DS Door Handle Problem

Post by lurvemytercel »

The driver's side door handle as also become become a huge issue for me -- the black plastic piece that covers the metal part that you lift up on the outside driver's side door handle came off -- I found it and managed to stick it back on but the problem is that the door handle is no longer working - opening the door. it's extremely difficult to push up -- I was able to get it open one more time so I could park the car on the street by where i live, which is another issue, since where I have to park the car there is no room to get in from the passenger side.

I called a local mechanic who quoted me 150 for labor to dis-assemble and reassemble the door panel and try to fix it. I sent him a link to this thread as well as the forum and then called him again to ask him if there my be another way to fix this without taking everything apart and he said no. My window is also difficult to roll up and down so I thought if I'm going to fork out that much for labor to take the door apart, I might as well have that looked at and repaired or replaced. There do seem to be window regulator parts still available but not entirely sure which one would work on my car.

About four years ago, I had another mechanic -- who was my reg mechanic and had worked on my car for years and I took my car in for some minor engine work -- like a tune up -- and mentioned to one of the guys at the shop that my door handle was becoming difficult to use. What he did was open the door and put jack under the door and gently lifted it a tiny bit -- and left it like that for a few hours and that actually made it easier to open for a few months but it slowly went back to becoming more difficult to open.

So I'm wondering if this could be an alignment issue -- that that door is pulling down on the hinges and making it difficult to open?

Now I'm not sure if I can even get the door open again -- if I do manage to open it, I'll have to keep the back door driver's side unlocked so I can crawl into the back seat and reach around to open the door until I can find a fix. If I can't open it again, the only other way to open it is to crawl though the back-- or rather, get someone else to do this since I have some disability issues that would prevent me from doing this myself.

My concern is if the door handle can't be fixed, where would I find a replacement? Would i have to replace the entire door or buy a door and have the door handle mechanism pulled out? The mechanic here in town said if I had to replace the door, I would have to take it to a body shop since they don't do that kind of work.

My previous mechanic is retired and I no longer have a working number for him, otherwise, I'd contact him -- he knew a lot about my car and getting things fixed for old cars.

It's maddening that something like a door handle can create this much frustration and stress and expense.

Thanks for any help or suggestions anyone can provide.

I bought this car new in 88 and I'm at the point where I may need to find another vehicle but until I can get this fixed, I can't do much since I have no transportation.
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marlinh
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Re: DS Door Handle Problem

Post by marlinh »

You don't need too much mechanical knowledge to fix this yourself. Just a few basic tools.

Check out this thread.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1874&p=14866&hilit= ... val#p14866

Once you find out what you need I am sure there is someone on this site who has parts.
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ARCHINSTL
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Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 1:52 pm
My tercel:: Goldie is a 1986 SR5 attualmente con Weber/also owned the first T4WD in STL in late '82
Location: Kirkwood, a 'burb of St. Louis

Re: DS Door Handle Problem

Post by ARCHINSTL »

I bought two door hinge pins this Summer, which I'm fairly sure will help my DS handle prob - the pins are from an older Tacoma - Dorman #38473.
They will require some modifying - which will now have to wait until warmer weather.
Tom M.
T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
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