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99 DII - rear door will not unlock from outside

3K views 23 replies 4 participants last post by  sobieski 
#1 · (Edited)
1999 DII. All of a sudden the door handle on the passenger rear right door will not open the door. I have to reach inside and pull the handle and it will open.

What do I look for when I take off the door card? Anyone have pics and directions? No idea how to remove the door card.

OK - just looked at section 76-1-8 and 10 from my paper DII manual. It looks like I remove the door card (trim casing) but still the guts of the regulator is inside the door and hidden except for a "lower aperature" through which they say you remove the acutator (motor assembly). So when they say unhook the exterior handle control rod and the sill lock rod - you have to do it blind? And refit it blind? Can that be?

Thx.
 
#2 ·
From my experience it sounds like the door actuator has failed.
Does it open from the exterior if it is unlocked?

If you need to access and or remove the lock mechanism and actuator' you will likely need to remove the window frame from the door (not a huge ordeal) not only does it give physical access but also allows for some visual
 
#3 ·
Red - the outside door handle just does not work. The inside handle opens it fine. I believe there is a mechanical connection involving the outside handle which has broken or come apart. More that than the operation of the actuator. Like a rod pulled out of the pull slot.

Do not plan on taking out the window frame unless absolutely necessary.
 
#4 ·
#5 ·
Sierra - thanks for the drawings. #6 or #9 is about what I had expected to see; looks right to me. Should see the part at the bottom of the doorframe.

Do you think I have to take the entire mechanism out of the door? Do I have to remove the window and frame?

Why can't they be like Mercedes doors where you can see most everything once you remove the door card?

Thx.
 
#6 ·
You dont have to take the latch assy out, follow the instructions of @blast20 in that link and once the handle removed IMO you'll see what's the trouble
 
#8 ·
Finally got a chance to take off the door card and look at the lock. Sure enough the rod between the outside door handle and the latch mechanism is missing; there is no physical connection. I called Coventry West (40 minutes outside Atlanta) at the advice of Buckhead Land Rover and ordered the part. $10. They just called it a connecting link and seemed to know what I needed. Appears to be just a couple of inches long. Will be here in a few days.

Looking at the inside of the door handle (did not remove it), it seems that this piece will just press fit into a horseshoe shape fitting which is part of the outside handle. Have no idea what it fits into on the other end.

Can I do this repair without removing the latch mechanism? Do not want to have to remove it. Does anyone know what the interior end of this rod looks like and what it fits into? The schematic does not help.
 
#10 ·
Well, Coventry West sent the wrong piece. They sent the north-south rod which has the plastic thumb piece to lock/unlock the door by pulling up or pushing down. Called them and they were very nice. Said the parts guys just pulled the wrong piece. They are sending me the east-west connector. Here is a pic. I see that it has a hole in it.

Anyone know what goes in this hole?
 

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#11 ·
IMO nothung but air ;)
 
#13 ·
Tyl,

I don't see a "hole" in the pic you posted.

Anyway, having done many lock actuators and window regulators, my experience has always been that following the shop manual procedure has saved me time and frustration.

Every time I think a "short cut" would be faster.... well, you get it.

Taking the window frame and lock out are really no big deal (take it from me, a true novice compared to most on here) and will let you get everything back in correctly.
 
#14 ·
Take another look. There is a hole drilled through the link. Obviously not done for no reason. Hoping it will arrive by fedex today so I can try it. Here is a pic of the door handle itself. Cannot see this in the manual. Assume one end of the link just pushes through the loop on the door handle but have no idea where the other end goes.

Anyone out there know?
 

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#15 ·
OK; the east-west link came today. Surprisingly small. About 1.5 inches long and there is no hole drilled in this one. So how does it go - see four pics.

What does the other end attach to? Can anyone send me a pic of the other end. I see a green plastic round thing as a possibility; does it just push into this? Does not look like it would hold anything. There is also a brass colored flat bar attached to another similar flat bar and there is a hole where they are joined. Maybe it fits in this hole and pulls the two bars?

See pics.
 

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#18 ·
Yep, that's what I saw. How in the world can that little plastic thing hold this link and open up the door? Will try tomorrow hopefully. Unbelievable. Thanks for the pic. I did see that thing inside.

But which end of the link goes in it. The single bend end or the multi-bend end and what is the orientation????
 
#20 ·
The orientation of the pics compared to how they are actually situated in the door makes it difficult - which is what I ran into also until I succumbed to taking the latch out, so I could then see how it all fits together.

The link presses into the green thing and then snaps into one of the notches in the green thing to "secure" it.
 
#21 ·
Yes, I finally figured it out. The link connector (the end toward the inside of the cabin) presses down into the round plastic holder which is then pressed into a hole in the door latch mechanism. Unfortunately my round green plastic holder broke and that is what caused the problem. I found the metal rod link connector inside the door but cannot reinstall it until I find a new green plastic holder.

Headed to Buckhead Land Rover tomorrow.

However I am surprised that the end of the link rod that fits into the door handle does not have anything to keep it from slipping out. It seems just to pass through the hole inside the door handle. When you pull the door handle it pulls the link rod straight out.
 
#22 ·
Sobieski - I think you are right. Do not think this repair can be done without taking out the window frame and maybe even the latch. Maybe tomorrow.

Do you know which end of that connecting rod goes in the door handle? Is it the one with the single bend or the end with the double bend.

Thx.
 
#23 · (Edited)
Success

Got it finally; it is fixed. Here is what I learned:

When someone tells you that he has made this repair and it cannot be fixed without removing the window frame, trust him.

The east-west link has different ends. One is a simple 90 degree angle; it goes toward the cabin and fits into the plastic clip in the latch mechanism. Place the clip in the hole first without the connecting rod. If you put the rod in the clip first, it will be very difficult to force the clip into the hole.

The other end of the link has a double bend; this end goes in the door handle. I struggled for several days trying to figure out which end went in the door handle. Finally saw it on youtube. I asked several times on the forum and got no answer. So this is the answer.

The rubber grommets inside the door card can be carefully raised and the plastic sheeting slipped under them for holding power when you put the door back together. When removing the sheeting try to keep the holes as small as possible. The black tar is usable over and over; it will do a good job holding the sheeting again when you put the door back together.

Instead of lifting the entire glass and frame out of the door, I lifted up the end of the frame and glass at the door lock and leaned it over a bit. This moved the frame rod inside the door enough out of the way that I could get my hand inside and insert the plastic clip. Use a mirror and press the plastic clip into the latch mechanism inside the door frame. Put the connecting rod in the door handle, then feed it through the door frame hole, and use a mirror to look inside and figure out how to guide the connector rod to the clip and press the rod in the clip. It will lock in the clip.

The multiple wire wiring and plug for the window upper/downer switch is bulky. Pull the wiring way to the right and then fold the wiring at the left so it rests in the plastic bubble pocket inside the door at the left. Otherwise the plastic cover will not fit flush against the door card.

Use a flashlight to guide the plastic door card screws back into the door frame. Although you cannot do this on the top due to the black rubber window strip, you can do it on the side and once straight, it is easier to fit the remainder. You will be blind inserting the ones on the top.


All said, this was way too much trouble when all I needed was to put a round plastic clip back in a hole in the latch mechanism and then push a 1.5 inch rod into the clip. Has no one at Land Rover ever heard of a cotter key???

So it is fixed and it is my fault that it took so long. I kept thinking I could figure out a way to punch that plastic clip in without removing the window frame and it was just not to be.
 
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