# Locks work, handles don't :( **URL:** \ **Category:** Interior\ **Created:** [December 28, 2008, 10:40am UTC](https://forum.g2ic.com/t/locks-work-handles-dont/85032 "2008-12-28T10:40:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![I\_3myDA](https://forum.g2ic.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/53a042/32.png) [@I\_3myDA](https://forum.g2ic.com/u/I_3myDA)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 10:40am UTC](https://forum.g2ic.com/t/locks-work-handles-dont/85032/1 "2008-12-28T10:40:40Z")
Okies, so I went out to my car one day and the exterior door handle wouldn’t open the door. I could clearly hear the lock disengaging, but the handle felt disconnected. Then some days later, before i could fix it it snowed hella. A few days after that, I tried to get out of the driver side and the interior door handle no longer works (and feels “spongey”). The lock sound like its working fine both with a key on the outside and from the latch on the inside. So now the door is stuck closed, and I have no idea how I can get the door panel off to fix it. :sad: Any ideas for me? ---
**Author:** ![Squeezethis](https://forum.g2ic.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Squeezethis](https://forum.g2ic.com/u/Squeezethis)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 7:42am UTC](https://forum.g2ic.com/t/locks-work-handles-dont/85032/2 "2008-12-31T07:42:31Z")
remove the interior door handle (the one that opens the door from the inside). pull the handle away a bit… 2 rods should be connected to it. one is for locking, and one if for popping the door open. if u can’t see them on there… that means the plastic piece that retains the rod to the handle is broken. u could try fishing for it in there… shouldn’t be that hard to reach it. once u find the rod… all u gotta do is pull it forward, towards the front of the car… that should get it open. trial and error will tell u which one is for the locks and which is for the release. once u do get it open tho. remove the door panels, and peel back that plastic dust shield thing, and then get to work. most likely all u need is a new exterior handle, and a new interior handle. (or it just needs to be reconnected). hope that helps. if u have a shop manual that would help u out too, cuz it should have pics of what the internals look like with all the rods n stuff. ---
**Author:** ![I\_3myDA](https://forum.g2ic.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/53a042/32.png) [@I\_3myDA](https://forum.g2ic.com/u/I_3myDA)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 9:29am UTC](https://forum.g2ic.com/t/locks-work-handles-dont/85032/3 "2009-01-03T09:29:32Z")
Awesome thanks! I’ll be getting on it this weekend, and hopefully I won’t have to keep knocking my mirror off trying to climb out of the passenger side 😃