Re: 1997 Park Ave Drivers Side Door Handle II

[mzauss]

Originally Posted by Greg5150

The job was easy. Door panel very easy to remove & all you need to remove handle is a small 10mm wrench.

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I am trying to also fix my broken driver side outside door handle. I am having trouble taking it apart. I got one nut loose, but not sure how to get to the one close to the edge of the door. Do you have to take the window out. I have the door panel removed which the window and all switches are connected to. Not sure how you took off the nuts with window in as the window covers up the bolts. The one by the key is the worst. I must be doing something wrong. Could you please explain more in detail what you did?

Thanks
MLZ

[TopherS]

I just replaced mine a couple months ago. I did not have to take out the window, but I remember the one closest to the key was tricky. I did not have the correct socket wrench, but was able to get it with a socket. If I remember correctly, a small socket wrench would have made the job easier. The nut, once loosened, was easy to spin off (I lost it in the door once ). The trickier part is maneuvering the handle assembly out of the door and the new assembly back into the door...I thought I was going to break something. I wish I could give better details, but it's been a while since I did it. However, I'm not very mechanically inclined, and I was able to replace it twice (first, to replace the broken one with the replacement...and then again, a few weeks later, putting the broken one back on while I was having the replacement painted to match the car).

Hope this helps...

[Greg5150]

Take the door panel off - which is simple. Then you will have access to the bolts securing the handle to the door. You need a small metric size open end wrench to get the job done. 11mm I think. Whatever you do, DO NOT drop the bolt in the door unless you want to go thru hell trying to find where it fell.