Fleetwood (97.78.101.20) - Mon Mar 30 22:26:22 2009

I am looking for help in removing the driver side inside door panel to fix the door handle lock clip. (outside door handle won't open door, I hear rattling rod inside) The location/instruction of the door panel clips would be helpful. I will get a clip tool.

Reply #1 JC (65.255.214.146) - Fri May 29 11:08:16 2009

I am looking for help in removing the driver side inside door panel to fix the door handle lock clip. (outside door handle won't open door, I hear rattling rod inside) The location/instruction of the door panel clips would be helpful. I will get a clip tool.

I'm having the same issue with the door clip..

Reply #2 mchrist152 (76.76.65.205) - Sun Jul 12 23:09:35 2009

I have a 1999 amigo and I just got done fixing this same problem. Here are the steps I followed:

1. The first thing I had to do was to remove the window crank (if you have electric windows you may not need to do this). There is a clip between the crank and the door and the trick is to push the clip in with a flat blade screw driver. After you have done that the crank should come off easily if pulled.

2. Next remove the speaker cover on the lower front corner of the door by prying it off from the front with a flat blade screw driver. There are three big screws surrounding the speaker. Remove those screws. No need to remove the smaller screws actually holding the speaker to the door panel.

3. Remove the panel behind the mirror. This should just snap off.

4. Remove the obvious screw on the recess of the door release lever. Then pull the plastic housing off and remove the metal rod from the back of the lever mechanism.

5. Just behind the release lever there is an almost vertical door handle. The handle slants slightly toward the front of the door. The outside of this handle is actually a snap on cover. Pry it off with a flat blade screw driver from the top.

6. Once this cover is removed, two screw are exposed. Remove these two screws.

7. Now you should be able to pop the door off the rear, bottom, and front perimeter as these are held in place like most interior door panels - with plastic snaps.

8. Now lift the door panel off the upper lip of the interior door sheet metal. Be careful not to stress or break any wires in the process. Once the panel was off I was able to balance the panel on the inside of the car next to the seat.

9. Roll up the window and peel off the plastic weather shield. Now you should be able to see the handle mechanism. The rod is fixed to the handle with a piece of plastic that surrounds the top of the rod and that broke in my case. I fixed this by taking a tie wrap and threading it behind the door handle and around the rod thus holding the metal rod in the handle hole. I'm sure there are a number of good ways to fix this but the tie wrap method appears to be pretty robust and relatively inexpensive, especially if, like me, you just happen to have some hanging around.

10. Reverse the above procedure to reassemble to door.

Reply #3 RedRider28 (99.142.18.6) - Fri Sep 11 18:48:23 2009

I had the same problem JC & Fleetwod, just rod fell out of the door hand whole, the piece disappeared but easy enough fix.

mchrist182, thanks so much for putting in the time to help me get the door panel off, so many models are different and knowing where the screws are is a life saver, you made the job easy and described everything perfect, thanks again.

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