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Removing Door Handle???

PetrolHead

When's the next track day
Location
Motor City
Car(s)
MKVI GTI
Holy hell, that thing defies the laws of physics. I can't possibly fathom how that thing ever worked in the first place. First of all, ANY movement of the lever and the spring pops off...it barely attaches. Then I thought well, maybe if I put the door skin on and reassemble it I'll be fine. WRONG. I got the skin on (just attached to the handle and one bolt on front and back) and installed the handle, and lock cylinder, tightened them up and not a pop. As soon as I pulled the handle as if to open the door normally, the spring popped off.

Plac, do you know if the dealer replaced the latch mechanism? I'm wondering if it's broken? There is just no way in the world that thing could work. No way. Anyway, I wave the white flag, off to the dealer today...
 

plac

GTI Master
Location
SF Bay Area, CA
Holy hell, that thing defies the laws of physics. I can't possibly fathom how that thing ever worked in the first place. First of all, ANY movement of the lever and the spring pops off...it barely attaches. Then I thought well, maybe if I put the door skin on and reassemble it I'll be fine. WRONG. I got the skin on (just attached to the handle and one bolt on front and back) and installed the handle, and lock cylinder, tightened them up and not a pop. As soon as I pulled the handle as if to open the door normally, the spring popped off.

Plac, do you know if the dealer replaced the latch mechanism? I'm wondering if it's broken? There is just no way in the world that thing could work. No way. Anyway, I wave the white flag, off to the dealer today...

EXACTLY!!

no, they replaced nothing. they just did it.
 

PetrolHead

When's the next track day
Location
Motor City
Car(s)
MKVI GTI
FYI, they quoted me 3 hours, but only used about 2.

3 hours at my dealer is like $400..

Well, I bought my car as a used 09 with 1,500 miles on it. It came from out of state, and they need to smog it to get it registered. The dealer I bought it from is an hour away and they agreed to fix my door handle in exchange for my trouble of driving it out there. So, I lucked out BIG time.

It's amazing though, I don't see how they fix it. It is impossible without replacing something.
 

plac

GTI Master
Location
SF Bay Area, CA
Well, I bought my car as a used 09 with 1,500 miles on it. It came from out of state, and they need to smog it to get it registered. The dealer I bought it from is an hour away and they agreed to fix my door handle in exchange for my trouble of driving it out there. So, I lucked out BIG time.

It's amazing though, I don't see how they fix it. It is impossible without replacing something.

Its what we already talked about. They must assemble it, and then use that special tool to reach thru a hole and attach the spring. Remember, the handle doesnt need to move much to release the door. Still, I want someone to video them doing it some day. That is the ONLY way I will ever get over this nightmare experience I had.
 

PetrolHead

When's the next track day
Location
Motor City
Car(s)
MKVI GTI
Its what we already talked about. They must assemble it, and then use that special tool to reach thru a hole and attach the spring. Remember, the handle doesnt need to move much to release the door. Still, I want someone to video them doing it some day. That is the ONLY way I will ever get over this nightmare experience I had.

Yea, it's got to be the tool, but I played with it many times and could see no difference when putting the door skin on or attaching the handle to the cable. I figured it didn't take much movement in the lever to open the door, so I reassembled the whole thing with the utmost care. I had the entire thing put together and tightened WITH the spring still engaged and as soon as I opened the door, it popped off. On my car, any tiny twitch in the lever popped the spring off. There is no way it can work as is. No possible way. This whole thing completely blows my mind. I have yet to encounter something on a car that I couldn't figure out and admitting defeat on this project is a huge fail in my eyes.
 

plac

GTI Master
Location
SF Bay Area, CA
This whole thing completely blows my mind. I have yet to encounter something on a car that I couldn't figure out and admitting defeat on this project is a huge fail in my eyes.

HAHAHAHAHA dude... are you quoting directly from my own thread?

same for me tho actually.. i couldnt really move the handle at all without it popping off. i wish i had an x-ray machine now, so i could watch it operate inside the door.
 

PetrolHead

When's the next track day
Location
Motor City
Car(s)
MKVI GTI
HAHAHAHAHA dude... are you quoting directly from my own thread?

same for me tho actually.. i couldnt really move the handle at all without it popping off. i wish i had an x-ray machine now, so i could watch it operate inside the door.

It really is the most frustrating experience ever. I just got my car back, and it's working fine. I spoke with the tech who did it and he said that he just removed the latch, put it back together, and reinstalled it and he said there was nothing out of the ordinary. I asked him about the tool and he said he just took the door apart instead to make sure nothing was broken inside. All he claimed to do was put the spring back on the lever. I assembled it and popped it off a dozen times and spent an hour just studying it and couldn't figure out how on earth it works.

My conclusion is that VW techs must put magic gnomes in the doors to re-attach the spring after it falls off the lever. As soon as you remove the lock cylinder (or cap), he escapes and you have to take it to the dealer because only those techs have the power to tame the gnomes into the door.

Really, that's my only logical explanation. I'm still dumbfounded by this whole situation and today I view myself a lesser gear head as a result. Seriously, x-ray vision would be so money. I'm dying to see how that damned mechanism works!
 

WestCoastDub

Ready to race!
The irony of this thread and my similar situation is killing me! Mine is a problem with the two door... my front passenger lock ring thing falls off when i try to tighten the final piece in... Must have put on and took off my exterior panel 6 full times.
 

ViRtUaLheretic

╭∩╮(︶__︶&#6
Location
KC MO
Car(s)
2009 VW GTI
damn, was hoping you had a resolution to this.
Ive been driving with my door handle messed up for a year now :biggrin:
 

anile_eight

Go Kart Champion
Location
Savannah, GA
Well, I'll make it my personal challenge to figure it out. I'll let you know when I do.

What I don't get is how so many people remove their door handles and don't run into this issue. Do those people just life with wobbly door handles?

I have this issue and have had it for a while!

no. thats not what knocks it off. pulling the handle is what knocks it off.

THIS!

It really is the most frustrating experience ever. I just got my car back, and it's working fine. I spoke with the tech who did it and he said that he just removed the latch, put it back together, and reinstalled it and he said there was nothing out of the ordinary. I asked him about the tool and he said he just took the door apart instead to make sure nothing was broken inside. All he claimed to do was put the spring back on the lever. I assembled it and popped it off a dozen times and spent an hour just studying it and couldn't figure out how on earth it works.

My conclusion is that VW techs must put magic gnomes in the doors to re-attach the spring after it falls off the lever. As soon as you remove the lock cylinder (or cap), he escapes and you have to take it to the dealer because only those techs have the power to tame the gnomes into the door.

Really, that's my only logical explanation. I'm still dumbfounded by this whole situation and today I view myself a lesser gear head as a result. Seriously, x-ray vision would be so money. I'm dying to see how that damned mechanism works!

I WAS ABLE TO FIGURE IT OUT! (With help from an ex-VW tech)

As always, you're fault if you break something following this.

Okay, long story short... That spring in the back lever shown below is a helper spring to set the cable to the right tension. Not pulled too much for possible early door open and not too little so the door handle has slack. Set that first. YES you must take the outer door skin off AGAIN.
20141108_141812 (768x1024).jpg

Next find the metal frame shown below. It is typically held on by some rubber band elastic. Mine was bright purple. Remove that entire assembly. Be careful, the black plastic piece is spring loaded and will go flying if you don't hold it back while taking it out.

20141112_140241.jpg

Here is the important bit. The words in the pictures explain most. You'll need to rotate the locking circle a little to push back the black plastic piece all the way down. Then rotate the circle as far as you can while pressing that piece down.

20141112_140253.jpg


20141112_140305.jpg

It is fully locked down and ready for reinstall.

20141112_144856.jpg

Note, how the door handle goes into that black plastic piece to regain the tension when you pull.

20141112_140356.jpg

How it should look when installed properly. But you won't get to see it really.

20141112_140328.jpg

What you will see when you go to install it. Make sure the handle get seated properly, else you'll have to take the door apart AGAIN to fix it.

20141112_141058.jpg

Hope that helps.
 
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