1999 Kia Sephia Door Jam

Hi,
My dad and me are trying to fix a 1999 Kia Sephia door jam. We haven taken off the first panel (where the interior door handle connects into). When we go to pull on the exterior door handle, nothing happens and it feels very loose. It is like a cable is off or something on the handle. And when we go to stick the key into the slot where you unlock the car door, we turn to unlock it and nothing happens. When we did this, turning to unlock position, it wouldn't do anything then the key will comeback to its original positionwhen you first stick the key into the slot. This is also like a cable off too. I don't know if somebody tried using a Slim Jim or something and knocked it loose or hit a speed bump and knocked it loose. We have also tried getting the latch on the car door open but wouldn't work. Can anybody tell me what is wrong and how I can open it and fix it too.

What do you mean by first panel? There's only one to my knowledge, and after that all that should be between you and the doors interior is a plastic insulation cover which just gets pulled off i think. haven't taken one off on Kia yet, but the one on my saturn was just glued.

Once that's off, you should be looking at the power window track and motor in front and behind that (probably a bit to the rear of the car) the lock assembly, which has four bent rods comming from that and it sounds to be that, along with a few springs that is giving you problems.

But are you saying the door doesn't open at all? If that's the case, there's gonna be at least one screw you cant get near. Two on the side by the hinge, one behind where the door closes (near the latch) and then the ones holding the pull handle and inside door handle also connect to the door frame in one way or another.

My only suggestion if you cant' get the door open would be to remove the inside door handle, poke through the plastic and see if you can somehow get ahold of the rod to triger the door to open. Two rods come out there, one for the lock, the other for the latch, you may have to unlock it first.

hope that helps. Let me know what happens, as my own handle is loose (as a few geese) and I'll be doing this soon myself. :)

The first panel I was talking about, is the one that has the rough leather on it and is the first one you take off when you look at the interior handle on driver's side. Do you know how we can get the driver's door open, because it is really jammed or something. Do you have a picture on the inside of the driver's side door. So me and my dad have a diagram like picture to fis whatever the problem is if we get the door open. We have tried a clothes hanger and it sounded like we got it unlocked but the door still wouldn't budge. Can you please help me out?

I do have a picture, if your gonna try to work on it today, it looks like when you take out the inside handle, you should have acess to two rods, one locks, the other is the door release. So push or pull the one to unlock (it should trigger all the locks in the car if the rest of the doors are closed and the power lock module under the dash is working) then i believe it would be "pull" for the other one to open the door. so if it is jammed, you would probably have to pull hard while trying to bump the door open at the same time.

I don't have any digital way to get the picture to you easily, but I'll try to see if I can get a decent shot for you on my web cam monday night and upload it. Dropped the dang diggi cam in the snow while snowshoeing a couple of months ago. :(

No go, by the way. Couldn't get a shot that actually let you see anything. You might want to call a locksmith and see if they can jimmy the door open from the outside if you're still haveing problems with this.

Also, if you want to pay twenty bucks, you can sign up for kia's tch pages which i think would have the diagrams.

http://www.kiatechinfo.com/logon.aspx?url=%2fDefault.aspx%3f

Not sure about the price, guess you would find out during registration...

I'll be doggone... kiaparts place. naturally I think to check this now, after telling you tough luck.

http://www.kiausaparts.com/catalog/results.asp?uid=474252&formname=sectionform&section=5830

It doesn't show you the removal, but it does show the insides to some extent.