Getting out of the car yesterday, dang, the drivers inside door latch doesn’t work! Roll down the window and fortunately the outside latch works.
Gotta get it fixed!
Clearly I need to take off the inside door panel, something I’ve not been able to do before. Well now I need to.
How to get that panel off to check the opener mechanism?
I undo the door handle by releasing two Phillips screws.
I undo the plastic piece that fits behind the inside door latch, that’s one more Phillips screw.
Now I need to get the window roller arm loose! Shoot! There’s no Phillips there to undo. I gently pry at it with some flathead screwdrivers. It seems like its stuck!
I check my factory manuals, but I don’t have anything covering the interior. Dang!
Search the internet!
- One guys says to crush the window opener handle with vise grips and buy a new one.
NO!
- Several folks say to use the special Toyota tool (which looks like a pry bar.)
Hmm. Well.. there needs to be a better way.
- One generic internet help site suggests:
“If you don’t have the special Toyota tool then gently thread a clean shop towel between the handle and the plastic washer. Move it all around and eventually the handle will pop loose.”
Hmm, the description is for a 2005 Toyota but maybe it works here too. I’ll try that.
I find an old T-Shirt in the rag box, gently thread the edge through, wrap it around and start flossing. After about 4 seconds I hear a click and the handle pops loose! Wow! Magic!
Who would have thought this? I bet a lot of people destroyed a lot of stuff before the internet. I take it out along with a little gold colored clip in the shape of an Omega. By flossing this clip was pulled free of the groove in the arm, and of the groove in the splined metal window opener post inside the door. Cool!
Window Opener Handle with the magic “Omega Clip”
I gently pry the clips free from round the panel, then unhook the panel from the door (It hangs from the top of the door).
Revealed is a pretty decent job sealing the car from the door. This is a good thing as it keeps the door panel from disintegrating due to moisture.
Door is sealed with cloth tape, silicone and plastic. Good job PO!
Close up of wire going into door. Since the wire moves I know the problem is where the wire meets the mechanism.
I gently peel back the plastic and tape until I can access the mechanism.
And there I can see the wire has popped out of the mechanism.
Wire loose from the mechanism.
- I click the wire back into place with my fingers
- hose down the inside of the door with Fluidfilm (because I couldn’t reach well inside the doors when I used the sprayer)
- Gently replace the tape and plastic
- rehang the panel
- bang in each clip with the heel of my hand
- Now, to replace the window roller handle I slide the omega clip over the handle’s slot, then press the handle onto the splined post. Click, the handle is locked in place again.
- Screw on the handle and that piece of plastic that goes behind the latch.
- Climb into drivers seat, close the door and…
- I can open it again!
Hooray for the internet, couldn’t have done it without you.
CanadianBJ 