Croma interior door handle (front passenger)has gone floppy. Still works so guess a spring has come loose or broken. Anyone got any idea how to remove the door trim or other method of access. Have just got the car 06 JTD Eleganza 29k for £5640. Must represent the best value out there. Apart from the door handle it's perfect.

By door handle do you mean the full arm rest handle or the silver door release handle?

Yes I mean the silver door release handle. I think acess is gained by removing the armrest cover and removing the armrest followed by the cloth trim. Unfortunately it looks like a special tool might be needed to remove a strange looking nut on the armrest.

By strange looking nut I think you will have to expand or show us a picture.


According to the Croma eLearn workshop manual there are three main bolts/screws involved. One is inside/behind the silver door release lever. The other two are inside the door handel and appear to be accessed by removing the top switch plate and main handle arm rest sections. The manual referes to a special tool (1878077000) also described as a 'knife'. This means thin flat blade lever to me. No pictures in manual.
Not special nut removal tools is mentioned so I'm assuming it is one of the motor industry standard screw/nut sets.

It may have half-broken, or broken at a different point than we had. They're not expencive (rather suprising for a croma) so it's not end of the world if it is. Bit of a pig to get to by all accounts.

Thanks guys . I think the special tool ( knife) is what's required to release what I described as a nut. It clearly isn't a nut and looks like a bit like a TV aerial jack viewed from the end.

Not one of these is it? They seem to be used all over the place and the manual states that a 'knife' is required to remove them. It is not a bolt but a serrated pin that spreads the outer ring/bush. It has a screwdriver type slot in the top which is confusing but presume used during installation. Bugger to remove if one wants to reuse.

Presumably the knife is to lop off its head, so that the locking core can be pushed through. Most body shops would buy these in large boxes covering numerous common types.

I have the same problem with my driver side front door release silver handle. How did you get on, have u fixed it and can you give a novice any tips to help me fix mine?

Cheers

My Front door interior handle no longer functions. To get out of the car I have to lower the window and use the outside handle.

When I get time (It could be a week or two), I'll let you know how I get on fixing it, I'm hoping that a connection has come loose and fallen off, but more likely some flimsy plastic fixing has snapped and I will be off to FIAT to identify a replacement part.

I was right (about the flimsy plastic).

The handle is made of the stuff and had cracked where it pivots to actuate the Lock Cable.

The removal of the door panel was simple enough, using a hex drive for the 3 bolts and a wide screwdriver blade wrapped in cloth to pop the door panel fixings.

I ordered a replacement door handle from FIAT on Monday and was advised that the part should be available by the next day (£15 ). I was then called later that day to be told the part was not in stock, but should be in by Wednesday.

I'm still waiting.....

Italian stock control and factory parts ordering can be "strange" at the best of times. I'm on my 3rd attempt, over nearly 3 years, to get a touch-up paint stick for my Croma.

Some times ordered parts seem to hit a bad supply period and when the parts fail to arrive at the dealer as expected then a fews weeks? later the order gets flushed from the system.

Leaves the dealer and customer rather confused and upset.

All sorted now.

The door handle arrived on the Monday (1 Week after order) and it only took 20 minutes to put everything back in place with no problems.

I'll not have too much of a go at my local FIAT dealer. They have recently moved premises and the parts dept are currently operating out of a clutch of ISO containers and a portacabin!!! (Let's just say I'm glad they lost their Alfa Franchise).

My LH inner front door handle has broken. The fault is that the spring (like an old clothes peg spring) is massively too strong.
Helped by Elearn, I have now got the panel off and isolated the handle.
Got to put most of it back to drive the car, probably add a pull cord to the wire until the part arrives. I will report fully later.

Part number 71745049 inner LH door handle I fitted today. After a long time with a bit of string, partly my fault. Briefly, window down, ease tweeter away from the door, it has 3 flat plastic tongues in spring clips, and remove the cable. I went for the window switch next, lifts from the rear and has 2 self mangling thin steel clips (reshape after) and a tab at the front. The arm rest has 6 flat plastic tongues in steel clips which need some force, but they just lift straight up. 3 6mm screws with 4mm hex heads, one behind the handle, 2 under the top of the arm rest.
Door interior panel, I started by the speaker at the front, and managed to lift enough to get fingers in and a sharp tug did it. I have a light in the bottom which is now easy to remove, or just the cable.
There is a panel retaining clip near the top of the front edge of the door, so you need to swing it fairly wide. I used a thin piece of wood to gently persuade the panel to lift, and the handle will be seen screwed to the back of the panel (20 torx). Also take cable off speaker, and remove the door release cable end.
All caused by the over strong spring in the handle, which cost £16.77 total.
Hope this helps

I had an odd buzzing when driving over some rough surfaced roads. Refitting the dorr panel has fixed it.

That's the door handle finally gone on my drivers side.

I've got the 3 bolts undone to have a look to see what's wrong but do I need to remove the whole door card or just the upholestered part?

Also is there anything needs to be undone? It seems fairly stiff to just pop off.

Brian, see post 15, your door card is not too difficult, I did it.

Forgot, mine is a Prestigio, so might have more trim.

Hi Keith,
I got the 3 hex bolts and 5 of the 6 trim screws easily enough but the 6th took a little while to find and remove.

The Eleganza hasn't got a tweeter so I don't need to worry about that. I can't find anything else holding it in so it's probably just a lack of confidence on my part to put enough pressure on a knife under the panel to lever it out.

Am I taking off the whole door card and is it just held in place with those pop stud things? I guess what I'm saying is that with the bolts and screws undone all I need now is to find the courage?

I got my fingers under the front corner where I have a large speaker. Jerk it out with the door well open, you will find the studs pop out of the door shell, mine have a rubber washer on them also They were all reused. the top front corner has a stud, and you need to swing the card fairly wide to get it. The card is firmly placed at the top, I used a piece of thin wood to gently? push it up from below. I think I used a wood chisel with suitable protection to get the front corner out enouigh to get the fingers in. The doors are very well made.

A sharp tug on the card is better than gentle leverage, I used to have a tool for these, like a large screwdriver with a curved blade with a split up it. The card lifts straight up, perhaps move one end first, and watch for any connections as you lift the card off.