door handle fix

The outside door handle on the driver side rear door will not snap back into position after I open the door. So when you go to close the door it will not latch unless you push the handle in. Anyone experienced this? I assume a spring is involved here but I'd like to know if there are any suggestions on how to fix it before I tear the door apart.

Thanks

don't recall reading anything on that one, hopefully this will bump it up top for someone who knows a fix

alias_guy ,

were you able to resolve this?  the thread kinda got lost in the shuffle..

I'm curious to what you did to fix it.

No I haven't had a chance to yet...work and springtime chores around the house have screwed up my priorities Also I need to address the water pump issue first.

alias_guy said:

No I haven't had a chance to yet...work and springtime chores around the house have screwed up my priorities Also I need to address the water pump issue first.

Click to expand...

chores happen... that's for sure....

good luck and keep us posted

sorry to bring back an old thread, but i have this same issue and was hoping someone knows of a way to resolve this before i start stripping the door apart (i'm 3000 km from home for work, don't want to be going blindly into anything!)

thanks guys

I never did get around to fixing this. I've just been living with it. However I did ask a friend of mine, who is a GM mechanic, about it. He said I'd need to take the door apart and probably lube the mechanism - which is probably why I've been living with it.

thanks.. if i was at home, i'd fix it, but i don't plan on leaving this job (industrial construction) until mid winter... i guess i'll live with it for now too, although it is a major PITA when someone gets in and the door doesn't stay closed!

Old thread but it helped me somewhat so Im going to help someone else out with the answer.  I had this same problem.  The other thread re. handle replacement @ americanavalanche (sorry, cant remember member name)is great for pics.  Long of the short, it needs lubed up. Not where all the mecanisim is, but on the other end where its basically just a hinge and barely moves.  I took mine out of the door to do this (needed to fix the window switch)  but it may not have been necessary.  With it removed from the door you can release all the tension from the spring with your finger (by holding it) and feel that the handle is still stiff in both in and out movements thus eliminating any other problems other than the handle hinge pin itself.  Use a good penetrating oil on the rusty hinge pin with the straw and have a rag handy for runoff. Pull handle  a few times to work it in.  It was hard to tell it worked until I bolted it back up. Works like new. 

Guys I had the same problem with the handle sticking out rather than returning to the normal position. I was all set to follow the instructions posted on how to fix it when..........I looked inside the door jam! Guys there is a 1 inch rubber plug at the top of the jam. I pulled the plug and there directly in front of me is the spring etc. I doused it with WD-40. Pulled the handle in and out and after a minute or two the handle worked pretty good. I sprayed it a bit more and left it. Over the next 2 to 3 days the handle (spring?) really loosened up and it now works like new. Hope this works for you guys! It took all of 5 minutes and I never touched the door panel etc. Note the WD-40 will run out of the exterior door panel along the door guard. Have a few rags handy. Good luck.  Mint Black 2004 Avalanche Z-71 88,000 miles.

Get a good Bicycle grade lubricant. WD40 is a very poor lubricant. You want a synthetic silicon type spray. T9 is the best Bicycle chain lubricant around me. WD40 works fine to loosen up rusted parts but once it dries it is a dirt magnet and your issue will come back again in short order. If you use a silicon spray such as T9 or some other style they repel dirt and will work MUCH better and you may never need to spray it again.

The rubber stoppers in the doors I believe are access to one of the bolts to remove the handle but they should allow access to lubricate the mechanisms as mentioned here. Just make sure you use a "straw" on your lubricant spray to get right in there.

Rodney

I have this same issue with all four doors.  Thanks for the quick fix, will try this fix soon when I have some more time available to work on it.