VFAQ: How to fix your broken door handle on a 2G

Airpoppoff · May 20, 2003

Credits: Airpoppoff
05/19/2003

As man of us 2g guys know, the outside door handles are really flimsy and breaks are common, yes its a pain to fix, and all of us know it, So i took the time to make a VFAQ for you guys maybe it will help make it easier, and less time consuming, plus so you dont break anything else.

Please excuse my Fisher Price arrows i made on the pics, better than nothing eh?

This was done on My car a 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX
so others may vary on parts, that i dont know.

First and Foremost, you need to get a door handle, I could not find one from a junkyard, so i got one for $60 from satan, and it does come in the factory color, so that is a plus. Make sure you get one first cause you can look off of the new door handle to get pointers on how to remove the old one (looking where the bolts go, and the plastic clip, plus the clip for the keylock) Try to leave the white plastic on the painted side, it goes through some abuse later on...

Like with any job, you need tools, All of these are not required but the ones that are will be marked with an (*)
1. Maglight, Its hard looking inside that dark door figureing out what your fingers are gonna come upon
2. *10mm Sockets/open end wrench to get bolts #1,#2 off
3. * Screwdriver, to get the door panel off
4. * Needle Nose to pull off the retaining clip on the keylock
5. Panel Puller, I used it to push down the gooey crap on the panel plastic.

Airpoppoff · May 20, 2003

removing the door panel

Lets get to work, If you know how to uninstall your door panel already, skip to the next post. Take off the screw behind the inside door handle.

Remove the screw inside of the handle

Remove the 2 screws on the inside of the door panel

Now finally pop the door panel out and remove the wiring harness of the power switches

Airpoppoff · May 20, 2003

Removing the Handle

Now lets remove the broken handle, here comes the complicated and tight part.

You need to pull this gooey plastic back, i used the panel puller tool to kind of keep it from getting everywhere, Keep your head away from this when looking inside the door, it gets really disgusting when it gets stuck in your hair.

Loosen The 10mm bolt on the outside of the door, take it completely out.

as you can see the 2nd bolt is behind the window, clean the window so you can see through it with a flashlight to see more of what your doing, the arrow here is pointing at the bolt you need to remove, its the same as the outside bolt so use something that will fit nicely inside the door and loosen it and guide it with your fingers so you dont drop it inside the door, its a pain trying to get to it again.

Here is another view of the bolt, as you can see the window as a blur on the left, and the keylock right below the arrow, this gives a clear view inside the door, that you cant see just looking in there.

Here is a view of the bolt being loosened, as you can see by the white arrow behind the glass, AGAIN make sure you guide it with your fingers, you can get your hand under the metal crossbar to catch the bolt that falls, it has small threads on it so it comes out in about 4 turns.

Airpoppoff · May 20, 2003

Removing the Handle part 2

Now After removing Bolts #1 and #2 the handle should look like this.

This gains you alot of access to visuals from under the door handle, you can see the ring around the keylock that needs to be removed after the pushrod.

Here is the pushrod, as you can see how it is inside the door, it unlocks the main part of the door that lets you open it, so use care when breaking it off the old door handle.

Here is A detailed pic from inside the door, the top arrow points to the plastic peice that holds the pushrod on, As you can tell on your new door handle how the plastic clip works with it. On the old handle all you need to do is basically break it off, and the pushrod falls out.

If you can get to the plastic clip this way, do it. Whatevers easier for you.

OR

you can get to it from the ouside of the door AFTER You remove the Keylock as stated in the next post

Airpoppoff · May 20, 2003

Removing the keylock

This is looking under the outside of the door handle, as you can see the metal retaining clip that is pointed to

Remove the clip with Needle Nose Pliers as shown here, the clip is easy to move, then the keylock just slides out,

If You have not removed the plastic clip yet, You can now

As shown in this picture, this is from under the door handle, on the outside, You can look up and see the clip that needs to be broken off, I took the Panel puller and broke the clip out, then door handle basically comes out by itself after that clip has been removed.

This is what it should look like now, you have the handle out, waiting for the new one to go in, but before you do that, we need to prepare the new handle.

Airpoppoff · May 20, 2003

Putting the new handle in

Here is the new handle, and the old handle, As you can tell the old handle on top, has the clips securely attached, is not what you want, As you can see on the bottom, new handle. The clip is taken out a bit, so your lock can slide in easily

1. Slide in the new lock
2. Secure the clip by pulling it around with the needle nose.

Then set the door handle back into the door.

Set Bolt #1 into the door handle, just to keep it from moving, dont tighten it all the way.

Here comes the trickiest part, You need to clip the pushrod into the new doorhandle, this takes small hands, and paticence, As you can see how my hand is positoned, you need to go AROUND the window, its almost impossible the other way, and you basically need to push the pushrod around, until you can get it set in the clip, What i did to help me was lifted up on the door handle on the outside, so the plastic clip lowers a bit, it was easier to go in.

After you get the pushrod into the new plastic clip, you need to lock the plastic clip shut, reach around with your other hand, while holding the pushrod with your left still, and push it shut. After you hear a click, your done.

Airpoppoff · May 20, 2003

Putting it all back together

Now take Bolt #1 And tighten it with the 10mm wrench

Now its time to put bolt #2 back in, you can set it in there and get it started with your fingers.

I found it easiest to use a small 10mm wrench, whatever is easier for you will work, tighten it all the way.

Now after that, close the door with the new handle secure, and see if it works, if you can open your door back up, You did it right.

Now on the inside of the door, press the sticky plastic back onto the door, after everything is out of the way.

Now take your door panel and put it back on, In the reverse way of Post #1.

After that, your all done, Congratulations, you just installed your door handle, Now print this out, and take it with you, cause it will probobly happen again.

Matt Poppoff
1996 Eclipse GSX
Any Other questions or suggestions, please e-mail me.
Airpoppoff@hotmail.com

harry99GSX · May 21, 2003

Well, hopefully I dont ever break mine off, but incase I do, you sure put together some nice referance material to follow. Good job!!!

16g-95GSX · May 21, 2003

Sure, if you have a black car

Honestly I think mitsu should be the one paying for the replacement of these damn things, its just piss poor engineering on their part. I want nicer door handles that are sideways like on the evo or the supra.

Airpoppoff · May 21, 2003

16g-95GSX said:
Sure, if you have a black car

Honestly I think mitsu should be the one paying for the replacement of these damn things, its just piss poor engineering on their part. I want nicer door handles that are sideways like on the evo or the supra.

what are you talking about if i have a black car??

well it was covered under warranty, but mines not under warranty since its kinda old

16g-95GSX · May 21, 2003

Don't the door handles come unpainted? That was my understanding when they replaced mine a while ago and had to have it painted. Mine was also covered under an aftermarket warranty so I didnt mind as much, but the thought of it kinda pisses you off.

luk00 · May 24, 2003

If you don't have a black car, then you can put them on, but they won't match your body paint color. It will cost extra to get those jokers painted.

If you do have a black car, then they look just fine as is out of the box.

By the way, nice pictures and very detailed instructions for replacing the common door handle prob. GoodJob!!

hopkinsj · May 28, 2003

My damn handle just broke off and this looks like a PITA! Thanks for the detailed info though. Do you think there's any way to JBWeld the darn handle back together or is it toast?

TrikEclipse1 · May 28, 2003

Excellent source of information. You are a car god. Thanks
Justin

nellystyle · May 29, 2003

hopkinsj said:
Do you think there's any way to JBWeld the darn handle back together or is it toast?

AXiS · May 30, 2003

Yeah I tried to repair mine.. it seems like it should work but it won't open the door. At least it looks like there is a handle on there now.. it just won't open the door!

jeoff · Oct 25, 2003

Thanks. it only took me 1 hour with these detailed instructions. It would have driven me crazy without them.

I couldn't find a socket small enough to remove the interior bolt so I used an open-ended wrench as was used in the last step to reinstall the bolt. A 1/4 drive socket would have been small enough, but all I had was 1/2 and 3/8. That bolt removal was the trickiest part for me

Grilf · Oct 26, 2003

If you don't have a black car, then you can put them on, but they won't match your body paint color. It will cost extra to get those jokers painted.

read post #1 over again plz

I could not find one from a junkyard, so i got one for $60 from satan, and it does come in the factory color, so that is a plus.

jeoff · Oct 26, 2003

The handle only comes in black. I tried multiple dealerships and online and that's it. If you buy the equivalent Avenger handle from Chrysler, it comes in white.

The Mitsubishi body shop charged me 50.85 for the paint job (.8 hours labor @ $36 per hour, .8 hours paint @ $22 per hour)

turbo2oh · Aug 22, 2005

images arent working

any chance of getting them rehosted?

VFAQ: How to fix your broken door handle on a 2G

Airpoppoff

Airpoppoff

Airpoppoff

Airpoppoff

Airpoppoff

Airpoppoff

Airpoppoff

harry99GSX

16g-95GSX

Airpoppoff

16g-95GSX

luk00

hopkinsj

TrikEclipse1

nellystyle

AXiS

jeoff

Grilf

jeoff

turbo2oh

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