Door handle clip

[jasmus1]

I have a 1999 996 C4 and the passenger's door wouldn't open from the outside. So, I removed the door trim panel and it looks like there's a clip missing that attaches the locking mechanism to the outer door handle. I've seen this discussed on our forums here, but I cannot find the part I would need to fix this. I attached a photo of the inside of the door looking at the back of exterior door handle and the missing connection is on the right side.

Does anyone know what I need to connect this inner locking arm to the exterior door handle? Can I just use a cotter pin? Also, what would be the easiest way to fix this?

Many thanks in advance,

JC

[1schoir]

I have a 1999 996 C4 and the passenger's door wouldn't open from the outside. So, I removed the door trim panel and it looks like there's a clip missing that attaches the locking mechanism to the outer door handle. I've seen this discussed on our forums here, but I cannot find the part I would need to fix this. I attached a photo of the inside of the door looking at the back of exterior door handle and the missing connection is on the right side.

Does anyone know what I need to connect this inner locking arm to the exterior door handle? Can I just use a cotter pin? Also, what would be the easiest way to fix this?

Many thanks in advance,

JC

JC:

You have two parts missing (which you might possibly find inside the bottom of the door if they fell in there).

Part numbers are as follows: 996 537 629 01, which Porsche calls a "bolt", but it's actually more like a pin, and

996 537 641 00 "Lock Washer", which is actually more like a locking clip.

Insert the "bolt" from the right side on your passenger door, and push the "lock washer" onto the end of the bolt after you have threaded the bolt through the "control shaft" (which is that little silver piece on the end of the black piece in your photo) and through the other edge (this time the left side) of that part of the door handle. You can see in your photo that there is a little rust residue where the original "lock washer" was seated against that part of the door handle.

Also, it wouldn't hurt to spray some graphite or other lubricant at those swivel points.

Regards, Maurice.

[jasmus1]

Thanks, Maurice!

JC

[1schoir]

Thanks, Maurice!

JC

JC:

Anytime! Let us know how it works out in case someone else runs into the same problem.

Regards, Maurice.

[jasmus1]

I found the bolt inside the door, but I cannot get my hand up far enough to put it in place. Should I unscrew the two nuts holding the handle on from the inside to try and put the bolt on from the exterior? Or is there another technique?

Thanks,

JC

[1schoir]

I found the bolt inside the door, but I cannot get my hand up far enough to put it in place. Should I unscrew the two nuts holding the handle on from the inside to try and put the bolt on from the exterior? Or is there another technique?

Thanks,

JC

JC:

I'm reasonably sure that you can get it in there with a pair of long reach needle nose pliers, either the straight ones or the curved ones, like these:

http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-11-inch-20-offset-45-angle-long-reach-needle-plier-set-33202.html

Regards, Maurice.

[jasmus1]

I did manage to fix my passenger door handle by replacing and installing the tiny (and I mean tiny!) circlip discussed here. However, no matter how I tried, I could not install the clip from the inside of the door. What I did was I unscrewed the two nuts holding the outside door handle assembly and then carefully pulled out the handle from the outside of the door just enough so I could get the little clip attached to its post. Then, I put the whole thing back together and the door now works like a charm! The circlip cost about $2 from the Porsche dealer, but I am sure I saved a bunch of money doing it myself since it took about an hour and a half to disassemble the door, make the fix and put it all back together again. My only regret is that I didn't purchase another extra clip to replace when this happens again!

Thanks for the guidance, Maurice. Now, if I could only get my remote key working again. But that's another topic that remains unsolved...

JC

[1schoir]

I did manage to fix my passenger door handle by replacing and installing the tiny (and I mean tiny!) circlip discussed here. However, no matter how I tried, I could not install the clip from the inside of the door. What I did was I unscrewed the two nuts holding the outside door handle assembly and then carefully pulled out the handle from the outside of the door just enough so I could get the little clip attached to its post. Then, I put the whole thing back together and the door now works like a charm! The circlip cost about $2 from the Porsche dealer, but I am sure I saved a bunch of money doing it myself since it took about an hour and a half to disassemble the door, make the fix and put it all back together again. My only regret is that I didn't purchase another extra clip to replace when this happens again!

Thanks for the guidance, Maurice. Now, if I could only get my remote key working again. But that's another topic that remains unsolved...

JC

JC:

Excellent work! $2 for what would be a multi-hundred dollar hit at the dealer! That's my kind of fix!

AFAIK, nobody has yet figured out how to break the remote function monopoly set up by Porsche. However, with the brain trust around here, here's hoping it's only a matter of time!

Regards, Maurice.