5.3 - Door handles and locks ( ,  )

5.3.1 - How To Replace Door Locks ( ,  )

Remove the interior door trim - Remove inner handle surround, slide out wood, remove screws including the one hiding under the rubber air trunking. Remove small middle section (inside pull-handle) to reveal crosshead screw - remove. Also remove screw in red kerb light.

The window lift motor needs removing, but first use plenty of tape to hold the window to the top of the door frame to prevent the glass falling down.

Undo the four nuts that hold the lift motor (no need to unbolt the bottom channel runner).

Undo the connectors, and ease down and out the motor.

Remove the four Torx-headed bolts holding the window frame, and remove a fifth inside the door at the bottom of the front frame. (Don't worry - the frame will not drop down)

Force the frame up so that the window is clear of the weather seal (a bit of a struggle). Untape the glass, and remove. Remove frame. Remove the lock - first undo the cable/ rod connections. Unplug the locks electric's (cut cable ties). Remove Torx bolts holding lock to door frame. Remove lock through bottom of the door.

To refit - reverse procedure.

5.3.2 - How To Replace Door Handles ( ,  )

Remove door Trim. (See above)

Disconnect operating arms/ linkages

Disconnect multiplug (front doors)

Remove handle (two 10mm nuts)

Reverse procedure

5.3.3 - Adjusting Door Handles ( ,  )

Well, to adjust the door handles, you take off the door interior panel.

There's a little gray rectangle in the interior door handle. Push up and it will pop out revealing a screw. There's also a screw behind the puddle lamp (the little red lamp on the door interior, near the rear). It's sort of scary, but take a large flathead screwdriver, hold it horizontally, insert it in the crevice between the puddle lamp and the door and pry it off (be sure to hold your tongue in just the right position or you'll break the plastic).

After all the screws are out, just pull the door off gently from the edges, there are plastic 'clips' that hold the door on - not to worry, you'll see.

Inside the door you can see the door handle assembly. There is also a turnbuckle which can adjust the length of the arm that connects the door handle and the latch. The bad news is, you have to take the outside handle off to adjust this turnbuckle. It's more time consuming than it is difficult.

Anyway, there are four screws on the bracket that hold the outside handle on.

I found that a pair of simple pliers was the best method for loosening them.

BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO DROP THEM INTO THE DOOR ONCE THEY ARE LOOSENED!

Adjusting the turnbuckles is very important and they need to be adjusted to completely eliminate all free play from the external handles when the doors are closed but unlocked.

The standard Jaguar tool kit includes the right open jaw spanners to do the job. Other very small 8 & 7 mm open jaw spanners would also be OK. The front doors are no problem at all; the rears are difficult but possible.

The job can be made a little easier by buying a small 8 mm open jaw and heating and bending the shank about 30 degrees, as near as possible to the jaws and in the flat plane.

5.3.4 - Repairing Door Handles ( ,  )

1) remove handle assembly

2) remove rubber seal from handle assembly to verify your handle is broken (handle itself doesn't usually break, pivot pin bracket is usually the culprit). If bracket is broken you can either pay $300.00 (USA) "list" for a complete handle assy, or:

3) fabricate a repair fitting out of a piece of 1/4" aluminum sheet. 1 3/4" X 5/8" steel can be used but not necessary. I'll do my best to describe the shape of fitting. It's a lot easier to make than it sounds, and does not have to be a close tolerance thing you would find in the space shuttle. (some shimming may be required in the long run).

Fabricating Fitting

a) from a piece of 1/4" aluminum sheet,cut a 1 3/4" X 5/8" rectangle.

b) at one end of the rectangle, draw a 5/8" square.

c) fill the 5/8" square with a circle.

d) from the long side of the rectangle, draw a line the length of the rectangle 3/8" from either side.

e) at this time you will be cutting out a letter "P" from the rectangle, the "stick" part of the "P" should be 3/8" thick and the bubble at the top should be between 9/16" and 5/8". (use a band saw, milling machine is nice). Exact measurements are not critical at this time, but the surface of the sides needs to be square (90 degrees) from the face of the fitting. Make a couple of these, if you mess one up, you won't have to go and cut another out.

Installing Fitting

The fitting needs to be screwed on next to the broken pivot bracket. The pivot pin will be going through the hole that is normally in the top of a letter "P" (somewhat accurate drilling needed but this is done last). To pinpoint the mounting location of ‘P’ you need to take the handle assembly retainer (metal thingy you removed to take assembly from door) and set this in place on the new assembly and scribe the location where the retainer touches the assembly and this will be the bottom of the fitting.

Set the fitting in place and mark for the drilling of 2 holes that will pass through the fitting and assembly bezel (the screw can’t really be seen from outside of the car after reinstallation as it's up too far). Use #6 or #8 button head screw (not Countersinks) to mount the fitting to assembly bezel, the fitting should be perpendicular to pivot pin.

After the fitting is temporarily mounted to the bezel, remove the pin from the assembly by popping the slip clip from the end of the pivot pin. The pivot pin bracket will be your drill guide in order to make hole in top of ‘P’. Using a drill bit that rotates freely in the pivot hole, make a mark for the hole on ‘P’ (setting the handle straight and level will make up for the alignment of broken bracket). You may need a second set of hands to hold everything in place.

Keep in mind the up/ down position of the handle is critical for good operation. Side to side position is critical for clearance of spring and slip clip. Fore/ aft clearance can be shimmed for final adjustments.

At this time you need to check clearances, you may need to take a little off of the bottom corner of the "P" in order to get assy in and out of the hole in the door. At this time handle should rotate free on the pivot rod. If it hits bezel than you need to shim it (trial and error).

You need to come up with some kind of repair for rubber seal because seal will no longer fit.