96 Explorer Door Handle Problem

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John Ahnen - 11 Jan 2006 23:08 GMT

Recently my daughters 96 Explorer's (XLT) Drivers door handle (outside)
changed... Now, instead of engaging right away, it feels loose and engages
the opening mechanism near the end of it's range of motion.

Hopefully this explanation is not too vague and someone can shed some light
as to the problem and if it needs to be fixed right away or if it is
something that will not cause immediate problems such as being unable to
open the door from the outside.

Thanks in advance.

John

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Mikepier - 12 Jan 2006 15:39 GMT

It sounds like the latch connecting arm or the handle itself is broken.
You will not know until you pull off the door panel and see. You will
need to remove the panel anyway to fix whatever the problem is.

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Bob - 12 Jan 2006 19:32 GMT

> Recently my daughters 96 Explorer's (XLT) Drivers door handle (outside)
> changed... Now, instead of engaging right away, it feels loose and engages
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> John

It's a common problem, fix it soon or else when it breaks completely you
can't open the door from the inside or outside! I found this out from
experience. Had to spend about an hour with a slim jim to open the door
so I could remove the panel and replace the handle and latch. New
hardware to fix it is not real expensive.

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John Ahnen - 13 Jan 2006 05:09 GMT

> > Recently my daughters 96 Explorer's (XLT) Drivers door handle (outside)
> > changed... Now, instead of engaging right away, it feels loose and engages
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> so I could remove the panel and replace the handle and latch. New
> hardware to fix it is not real expensive.

Thanks for the info. Any tips about how to get the panel off without
breaking stuff, and where I can order the necessary parts? I could google
up a hundred supply places, but are there any you may have used that are
better than others? Thanks again.

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Mikepier - 13 Jan 2006 09:45 GMT

Although I have taken off door panels of my other cars in the past, I
have never done so with my Explorer, so this is a general description
of how to take off any door panel.
First remove any visible screws. They might be in the inside the door
handle area or perhaps hidden with a cap of some sort. Then gently pry
off the panel with a wide blade chisel or similiar tool. The panel is
held in with plastic fasteners. If some should break, they can easily
be replaced from any auto parts store. But the key is to pry the panel
off gently. Once you have gotten the panel loose, you may have to lift
it up a bit to clear the top of the door because the top of the panel
sits a little recessed in the top of the door. You may have to
disconnect the electrical harness for the windows, locks, etc.
Once you have the panel off, see whats wrong with your handle. I do not
know where is the best place to get parts other than the dealer.
Even if you have to order the parts, I'm sure the truck can be driven
without the panel for a few days.

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Bob - 14 Jan 2006 00:20 GMT

>>>Recently my daughters 96 Explorer's (XLT) Drivers door handle (outside)
>>>changed... Now, instead of engaging right away, it feels loose and
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
> up a hundred supply places, but are there any you may have used that are
> better than others? Thanks again.

I think the part I used came from: http://www.fordpartsnetwork.com/
mikepier did a good job of describing how to take the panel off. It's
pretty straightforward, no surpises. It's still hard to get to the
broken part even with the door panel off though.

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John Ahnen - 14 Jan 2006 22:32 GMT

> >>>Recently my daughters 96 Explorer's (XLT) Drivers door handle (outside)
> >>>changed... Now, instead of engaging right away, it feels loose and
[quoted text clipped - 30 lines]
> pretty straightforward, no surpises. It's still hard to get to the
> broken part even with the door panel off though.

The repair manual for explorers that I bought explains how to remove the
door panel, but it says that the removal should be done with the window
down. Can it be removed with the window up, or do you have to raise the
window after the door panel is off?

Thanks, just trying to get all the info I can before I tear into it and
screw it up.

John

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Fred 2 - 14 Jan 2006 23:11 GMT

The '96 Ford factory Explorer service manual I have doesn't say
anyting about the window having to be or down when removing the door
panel, whether for window replacement or locks, handles, etc.

I myself have remove the panel with the window up.

>The repair manual for explorers that I bought explains how to remove the
>door panel, but it says that the removal should be done with the window
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
>John

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John Ahnen - 15 Jan 2006 14:29 GMT

> The '96 Ford factory Explorer service manual I have doesn't say
> anyting about the window having to be or down when removing the door
> panel, whether for window replacement or locks, handles, etc.
>
> I myself have remove the panel with the window up.

Thanks for the info!

> >The repair manual for explorers that I bought explains how to remove the
> >door panel, but it says that the removal should be done with the window
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> >
> >John

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