faulty inside door handle - '98 Prizm...ideas?

[jlee]

The inside driver's door handle on my sister's car broke - we have a replacement and I installed it, but when you pull the handle the door doesn't open (it acts like the door is locked). However, if I slide the handle forward about 1/4" (just enough to be out of line with the screw hole, so I can't screw it in place), it will work normally (though perhaps a little stiffer than normal).

It seems that the handle is not pulling the rod far enough in order to release the door mechanism - I pulled the door lining off and looked inside, and it's just a metal rod with a 90 degree bend in it. No method of adjustment is apparent...

Any ideas?

 

[PottedMeat]

assuming they're identical, pull off the passenger door lining and copy what you see?

 

[jlee]

Nothing appears out of place - it's a pretty straight-forward setup. We were going to try the rear driver's side handle but that one is broken as well.

 

[CraigRT]

Did you put the rod in the wrong hole? There is often a hole built in for power locks, and a hole built in for the rod that pulls the door latch.

Double check that. If the handle is identical, cant be anything else.

 

[EricMartello]

The OEM solution is to use duck tape to hold the door shut...but will you pony up the $$$ for the tape when it's worth more than the car. Dilemma...

 

[JulesMaximus]

Trade it in for a '98 Toyota Corolla?

 

[jlee]

Trade it in for a '98 Toyota Corolla?

Wouldn't help..the inside of the door says Toyota right on it!

 

[Squisher]

...it's just a metal rod with a 90 degree bend in it...

Make it 91 degrees. That is probably how you shorten or elongate the link.