Door grab handle backing cover loose

http://store.delorean.com/p-9910-gra...-lh-black.aspx

Anyone ever have the backing cover come loose on their grab handle? My drivers side one is loose. Not the handle part itself, but more of a cover piece that is on the backside of it. I can feel it or see it when I look, but don't know how it is supposed to attach. It looks like it might have some grooves around a side or two that snaps into place? The link on the store webpage shows it all as one piece, so it probably isn't supposed to come apart (or at least you don't procure it as two separate parts if you need a replacement).

I have not removed a grab handle before. Easy peasy? Or does most of the armrest and interior pieces need to come off first to get at it?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jonathan

http://store.delorean.com/p-9910-gra...-lh-black.aspx

Anyone ever have the backing cover come loose on their grab handle? My drivers side one is loose. Not the handle part itself, but more of a cover piece that is on the backside of it. I can feel it or see it when I look, but don't know how it is supposed to attach. It looks like it might have some grooves around a side or two that snaps into place? The link on the store webpage shows it all as one piece, so it probably isn't supposed to come apart (or at least you don't procure it as two separate parts if you need a replacement).

I have not removed a grab handle before. Easy peasy? Or does most of the armrest and interior pieces need to come off first to get at it?

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All the time. You glue it back on. It is a separate part, but was produced and inventoried as a complete assembly.

Remove the escutcheon and mirror switch. Look down inside and you'll see two bolts or screws. Take them out and the handle will come out of the door panel so you can fix it. The fun part is getting the screws back in. If you had two Phillips screws, replace them with bolts so you can tape the bolts into a socket.

Glue it back on with 3M weatherstrip adhesive.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jonathan

http://store.delorean.com/p-9910-gra...-lh-black.aspx

Anyone ever have the backing cover come loose on their grab handle? My drivers side one is loose. Not the handle part itself, but more of a cover piece that is on the backside of it. I can feel it or see it when I look, but don't know how it is supposed to attach. It looks like it might have some grooves around a side or two that snaps into place? The link on the store webpage shows it all as one piece, so it probably isn't supposed to come apart (or at least you don't procure it as two separate parts if you need a replacement).

I have not removed a grab handle before. Easy peasy? Or does most of the armrest and interior pieces need to come off first to get at it?

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Hey Jonathan,

you can remove the grab handle fairly easily:

1. Remove upper door trim panel
2. remove estucheon (carefully!)
3. pop out mirror switch
4. you'll see the bracket and its two 10 mm bolts down below
5. use a driver with an extension to reach each bolt
6. unbolt.

The fix is up to you. I'd use a thin layer of epoxy to bond it back together and a few pieces of duct tape to hold it in place while it dries.

I've done this a couple times.

Easy-ish peasy-ish, Japaneasy-ish.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jonathan

http://store.delorean.com/p-9910-gra...-lh-black.aspx

Anyone ever have the backing cover come loose on their grab handle? My drivers side one is loose. Not the handle part itself, but more of a cover piece that is on the backside of it. I can feel it or see it when I look, but don't know how it is supposed to attach. It looks like it might have some grooves around a side or two that snaps into place? The link on the store webpage shows it all as one piece, so it probably isn't supposed to come apart (or at least you don't procure it as two separate parts if you need a replacement).

I have not removed a grab handle before. Easy peasy? Or does most of the armrest and interior pieces need to come off first to get at it?

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Yes, my backing cover came completely off when I disassembled the driver's side door to repair the drop glass guides. I'm not sure how the pieces were originally attached to one another at the factory, but it definitely didn't just snap back together. I used two part epoxy to re-bond the parts. They've held together that way for the last 12 years. Perhaps they can also be heat welded/melted together - not sure about this, but I don't see why not.

Removing and reinstalling the grab handle isn't easy, but it also isn't super difficult either - just a pain that requires a long screwdriver. When removing, be sure not to loose the screws into the recesses of the door. When reinstalling, use something sticky to temporarily bond the screw-heads to the screw-driver blade, otherwise installation can become difficult relatively quickly. Or replace the screws with bolts as others have suggested.

Good luck!

Likewise I glued mine back together the first time I disassembled my doors.

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Originally Posted by Tillsy

Likewise I glued mine back together the first time I disassembled my doors.

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I assembled my doors at the same time i was sealing up my roof, just used the same caulking to glue them on.

As dave mentioned, the handles are a PITA to re-install.

Oh...I thought they were supposed to be loose. They didn't appear to have any adhesive the first time I took the doors apart so I just left them loose. Whoops :D

Ok, cool. Thanks for the replies. Looks like the consensus is they come off often and go back on just about as easily. I think I can handle what you've described on getting things apart. I have had one of my door armrests completely off to access wiring/light receptacles and I think I encountered this long skinny screw driver idea and trying to get the bolt/screw not to keep falling off and down into the door as you go to do it. I need to get at the drivers side one anyway as my mirror switch is mounted on top of the estucheon instead of under it. Good enough time to put that back the way it was supposed to be.

We'll tackle it after this weekend. Nothing else gets started until after British Car Day tomorrow. Giddyup!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jonathan

Ok, cool. Thanks for the replies. Looks like the consensus is they come off often and go back on just about as easily. I think I can handle what you've described on getting things apart. I have had one of my door armrests completely off to access wiring/light receptacles and I think I encountered this long skinny screw driver idea and trying to get the bolt/screw not to keep falling off and down into the door as you go to do it. I need to get at the drivers side one anyway as my mirror switch is mounted on top of the estucheon instead of under it. Good enough time to put that back the way it was supposed to be.

We'll tackle it after this weekend. Nothing else gets started until after British Car Day tomorrow. Giddyup!

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British Car Day, Woohoo!