Door lock busted on 86 Buick Century

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My son tells me he can not open the front passenger door from the inside as the handle has no tension and is loose. The door can be opened from the outside. Is there a rod inside the door going to the handle that had some sort of clip break? Trying to plan ahead if I have to get a part to fix it and if so where can it be purchased?
 
Originally Posted By: 007
My son tells me he can not open the front passenger door from the inside as the handle has no tension and is loose. The door can be opened from the outside. Is there a rod inside the door going to the handle that had some sort of clip break? Trying to plan ahead if I have to get a part to fix it and if so where can it be purchased?


Your best bet would be to get a small crowbar and gently pop off the interior trim panel. They are held on by clips. Then see if you can bend the rod back. Sometimes there is metal in the way.

Something like this. https://www.walmart.com/ip/TradesPro-7-M...13=&veh=sem
 
Junk yards will probably have the part. Might cost a bit more than it should.

The inside metal edges of the door can be very sharp. Be careful in there you cut up your hands.
 
I used to have a 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera same car as your Century basically. When my door did this it was a broken interior door handle. At the time I just bought a replacement which was if I recall correctly under $20 at the parts store. Check Rock Auto. My bet is on a broken door handle not the clip.
 
There's still an A-body around that hasn't rotted out? I'm impressed.

Agreed it's probably the door handle. They're made of pot metal and break after a while. You'll probably need need new door panel clips too, after this long you can almost guarantee the plastic is extremely brittle and they'll break on removal.
 
Originally Posted By: FlyNavyP3
I used to have a 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera same car as your Century basically. When my door did this it was a broken interior door handle. At the time I just bought a replacement which was if I recall correctly under $20 at the parts store. Check Rock Auto. My bet is on a broken door handle not the clip.


Could be

Thanks
 
Originally Posted By: 14Accent
There's still an A-body around that hasn't rotted out? I'm impressed.

Agreed it's probably the door handle. They're made of pot metal and break after a while. You'll probably need need new door panel clips too, after this long you can almost guarantee the plastic is extremely brittle and they'll break on removal.


This, my ciera suffered.

HF has a plastic door trim tool set (blue in color) for $6 that will come in handy for this job.

Should just be one phillips screw inset in the handle cavity then two more under little rubber corks on the armrest. Then the rest are just plastic "Xmas trees" around the perimeter.
 
You guys were right it was the handle. What a pain fixing as many plastic connectors around the door panel were brittle and broke!
 
Originally Posted By: 007
You guys were right it was the handle. What a pain fixing as many plastic connectors around the door panel were brittle and broke!

Yep. On my BMW there are jobs where I spend as much or more on plastic thingamabobs as I do on the part that needs replacing.
 
Originally Posted By: 007
You guys were right it was the handle. What a pain fixing as many plastic connectors around the door panel were brittle and broke!

I didn't even chime in on the thread since the advice given was correct and I went into a flashback to the taxi days, with GMs of the same vintage having their doors opened several billion times a day, and the handles meeting the same fate every year or two. I curled up in a ball on the floor after reading your post.
wink.gif
 
All I have to say is keep that Century on the road as long as possible. What engine's in it?

My brother and I shared a grey '93 with the 3300 V6, then he had a purplish '93 with the same engine. I have a soft spot for most late late eighties to mid nineties GM's.
 
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