General Drivers side door handle HANGING OFF!!!!!! :(

[RobinPJ]

first two attached pictures (taken from Adrian Bravo 's Guide "How to fit Fiat 500 door handles to a Bravo) show "the way it should be" , 3rd what - in my case - causes the "malfunction"

Koennten Sie uns bitte mitteilen, ob sich der Stift im defekten Scharnier frei bewegt hat, als Sie den Griff entfernt haben oder ob er geklemmt hat?

Vielen Dank.

 

[jnoiles]

Mine didn't break on the hinge Mine was on the metal. Where the blue mark is on the metal in the pics above I have a vertical fracture. Boo.

 

[frupi]

Koennten Sie uns bitte mitteilen, ob sich der Stift im defekten Scharnier frei bewegt hat, als Sie den Griff entfernt haben oder ob er geklemmt hat?

Vielen Dank.

Robin, ich glaube, Sie sind Angeberei? Vielen Dank keiner Weise unseren deutschen Beitrag werden die Fotos sehr nützlich.

 

[RobinPJ]

Robin, ich glaube, Sie sind Angeberei? Vielen Dank keiner Weise unseren deutschen Beitrag werden die Fotos sehr nützlich.

If you've got it, flaunt it. ("It" in my case being a very attractive German secretary down the corridor...)

 

[frupi]

If you've got it, flaunt it. ("It" in my case being a very attractive German secretary down the corridor...)

Yuk - people like you make me sick! Never was lucky enough to have my own secretary.

 

[jrkitching]

Just out of interest, what do these hinges cost?

 

[RobinPJ]

Just out of interest, what do these hinges cost?

Depends if you get the battery ones or the free range.

 

[Chrisilda]

If you've got it, flaunt it. ("It" in my case being a very attractive German secretary down the corridor...)

Robin is always showing off

 

[jrkitching]

Mine didn't break on the hinge Mine was on the metal. Where the blue mark is on the metal in the pics above I have a vertical fracture. Boo.

It doesn't necessarily have to be the hinge pins that are sticking. Excessive friction anywhere in the door unlocking mechanism could cause these fractures.

 

[me2]

Koennten Sie uns bitte mitteilen, ob sich der Stift im defekten Scharnier frei bewegt hat, als Sie den Griff entfernt haben oder ob er geklemmt hat?

Vielen Dank.

Unlike frupis post #63 obviously no google translation

BTT, Pin was completely stucked, which (most probably in combination with prior mentioned cheap material) leads to fracture.

(BTW, you won't PM me the phone number of the

... very attractive German secretary down the corridor...

in return, will you?

 

[frupi]

Unlike frupis post #63 obviously no google translation

Dunno what you mean :nerner:

 

[RobinPJ]

Unlike frupis post #63 obviously no google translation

BTT, Pin was completely stucked, which (most probably in combination with prior mentioned cheap material) leads to fracture.

(BTW, you won't PM me the phone number of thein return, will you?

Thanks! Sadly I can't help with the phone number....

 

[solseadog]

Yep happened to mine,only mine is out of warranty

 

[RobinPJ]

Ok so we seem to need to add a third entry to the List of Shame:

1, Breather pipe;
2, washer jets;
3, door handle hinge.

Did I miss anything else?

Also, what advice is there as regards lubricating the pin inside the handle? I haven't looked closely yet having read this thread, but it strikes me that it won't be too easy to squirt anything in where it needs to go.

And what should be used? I recall being told that WD40 is not all it's cracked up to be?

 

[jrkitching]

Also, what advice is there as regards lubricating the pin inside the handle? I haven't looked closely yet having read this thread, but it strikes me that it won't be too easy to squirt anything in where it needs to go.

And what should be used? I recall being told that WD40 is not all it's cracked up to be?

If you were aiming for perfection, you'd dismantle the offending item & apply a little white grease to the pin, but that would need the door card removing and most normal folks would be thinking in terms of an aerosol spray into the hinge. There's a piece of plastic material between the handle & the door, so you need a lubricant which is both plastic & paint friendly. That rules out WD40 (just try putting some in the bottom of a yoghourt pot or getting it on latex gloves & you'll never spray it anywhere near plastic or rubber again). Safest would probably be a rubber & nylon lubricant. I've got some in one of those cans with a fine tube to help get it in the right place, and will have a go this weekend & report back.

As the handle is used to open the door as well as unlatch it, keeping the main door hinges lubricated will also help (and it's worth doing anyway to prevent the door dropping on its hinges). You can get white grease in an aerosol spray with a solvent carrier to get the grease where it's needed. and that works well - but 3 in 1 oil is something most folks will already have, and that's a lot better than nothing. I do mine every 3 months. Remember the bonnet & hatchback hinges too.

 

[306maxi]

Ok so we seem to need to add a third entry to the List of Shame:

1, Breather pipe;
2, washer jets;
3, door handle hinge.

Did I miss anything else?

Also, what advice is there as regards lubricating the pin inside the handle? I haven't looked closely yet having read this thread, but it strikes me that it won't be too easy to squirt anything in where it needs to go.

And what should be used? I recall being told that WD40 is not all it's cracked up to be?

4. Rear suspension design
5 Rear damper top mount bushes.

 

[jrkitching]

4. Rear suspension design
5 Rear damper top mount bushes.

Have these not been fixed in the 2010 model year rear beam update?

 

[306maxi]

Number 4 somewhat, number 5 we don't know yet

 

[jrkitching]

Number 4 somewhat, number 5 we don't know yet

In fairness, number 5 is trivial if aftermarket bushes can be obtained separately.

 

[306maxi]

In fairness, number 5 is trivial if aftermarket bushes can be obtained separately.

Maybe so, but if our 18 year old Subaru can get through its MOT with its original bushes then 3 or 4 years isn't a good effort at all.