I'm gonna take it to bits tomorrow have a look at it clean and put some silicon grease on the hinge I'm pretty sure it's the hinge
I wouldn't use grease. I cleaned mine with brake and carb cleaner and there was a really minute quantity of fine dust impacted on the handle pivots. This just stopped the handle returning to the right place when closed, We had it first unlocking itself and then refusing to openaltogether. There is a rod that attached to the lock to open it when the handle is lifted. This is held in place with a small plastic clip which cna be a little awkward. GO gently and dont loose it. Have some elastoplast on hand too!. LOL I used silicon spray lube on the whole of the plastic bits. This helps recolour it back to black, seals the plastic and lubes it. You can give this a really good polish with a clean cloth and the plastic will end up more or less like new. The handle on mine was removable with a bit of warmth and persuation and the muck wasboth around the handle pivotd and in the body of the handle mechanism as well as around the pivots of the handle lever. It took a bit of scraping to get rid of it all. We have recently sold the car but had no further issues for over 3 years after cleaning. I think grease would attract the dust and put you back to square one before long. Be thorough but avoid roughing up the plastic.
