ahmett
Prominent member
You know what Heidi my driver side door is feeling a bit stiff compared to the passenger side so I think I will grease it before it is too late and the handle comes off!
General Drivers side door handle HANGING OFF!!!!!! :(
- Thread starter Kez 1000 fire
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General Drivers side door handle HANGING OFF!!!!!! :(
Lol. Mine going in Tuesday for a greasing then if broken will order the eBay kit
ahmett
Prominent member
Hey guys quick question. I want to grease my door handle myself. What should I do? Just get normal grease and spread it round or spray some WD-40? What do you think is the best solution experts?
Thank you for your help.
Thank you for your help.
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Since it's a fiddly job, I'd order the eBay kit and just replace the offending parts, rather than do a 'just for now' fix that might only last a few months. Plus every time the door card comes off you're risking scratches and broken clips.
When I pull UFI's cards off, I'm going to get the windows tinted, swap out the speakers, add sound deadener, replace the cracked handles and add my Ti/ alloy hardware.
fiat500own
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Yes ! I am a very petite five foot nothing and I went to open the car two weeks ago and the handle came off in my hand. The warranty ran out last month! I tried glueing it back on but nothing works. Very annoyed as I havent the strength to have a petrol lawnmower because of the pull thats involved.Has any one elses driver side door handle fell off or is it just mine?
Ive took it into fiat and they said theyve never seen it happen before. All i did was pull the handle to get into car n it snapped the rod that holds the right side of the handle on!!!!Luckily i still have a months warranty so its covered! But still, bit dissapointed!
anyone know what options are open to me.?
Currently I am getting in the passenger side.
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It's not your strength that caused it, it's the fact the hinge pin in the front of the handle seized up and caused the hinge to break. You don't need a new handle, just the repair kit - which is a LOT cheaper.
I was booking my car in the other week when a customer turned up with a handle in his hand. They told him the new one was in and they'd replace it later.
Seems like a pretty normal part of ownership. Nobody was phased at all.
Seems like a pretty normal part of ownership. Nobody was phased at all.
Many thanks to Marco Venturi for his guide, I've just had to replace the hinge on my passenger door handle.
I'd recommend a few things as well:
Grease the new hinge before you put it in.
Put something on the door to protect it from scratches.
And use proper tools to remove the door trim, this is the first time I've used them and the first time I haven't broken a trim clip!
I'd recommend a few things as well:
Grease the new hinge before you put it in.
Put something on the door to protect it from scratches.
And use proper tools to remove the door trim, this is the first time I've used them and the first time I haven't broken a trim clip!
Mine broke today, will be buying the repair part and hopefully with my sausage fingers will be able to use the guide (thanks to the poster who put it up)!
Then I'll go looking at how to replace the gearstick gaitor retaining clip that snapped 6 months ago and couldn't figure how to get the gear knob off!
And have already replaced the hose that gives a petrol smell, with thanks to the info on this site.
2008, 500, wifes car and am sorry but having touched a few things on it, I'd never have one for myself, everything seems so cheaply made and flimsy.
Edit, Just found out from a search for the door handle hinge part number 0051939041 that it's the same as an Alfa Romeo 147.
Then I'll go looking at how to replace the gearstick gaitor retaining clip that snapped 6 months ago and couldn't figure how to get the gear knob off!
And have already replaced the hose that gives a petrol smell, with thanks to the info on this site.
2008, 500, wifes car and am sorry but having touched a few things on it, I'd never have one for myself, everything seems so cheaply made and flimsy.
Edit, Just found out from a search for the door handle hinge part number 0051939041 that it's the same as an Alfa Romeo 147.
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The trim is a bit flimsy, but the drive train is fairly robust
ScottABarrett500
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I had both door handles replaced on my 59 plate 1.2 Sport, under warranty, apparently it was a common issue!
ahmett
Prominent member
Ricard
New member
I won't buy another Fiat, I got suckered into buying the 500 and whilst it's a lot of car for a small car Fiat just do-not cross the T and dot the i's.
Our driver side handle broke in just the same way as everyone else's, it was reluctantly repaired under warranty. The tracking had been so far out from new that the insides of the front tyres were onto fabric. It appears tracking isn't part of a PDI.
Another classic fault was the gear shift gaiter, that was also reluctantly replaced under warranty.
Considering my experiences with our Ducatto 2.8 JTD i'm looking round the Fiat 500 and spotting all sorts of stuff that never becomes a problem with our VW's.
No more Fiat for us.
Our driver side handle broke in just the same way as everyone else's, it was reluctantly repaired under warranty. The tracking had been so far out from new that the insides of the front tyres were onto fabric. It appears tracking isn't part of a PDI.
Another classic fault was the gear shift gaiter, that was also reluctantly replaced under warranty.
Considering my experiences with our Ducatto 2.8 JTD i'm looking round the Fiat 500 and spotting all sorts of stuff that never becomes a problem with our VW's.
No more Fiat for us.
How do you know the tracking was out from new if you never had it checked when new? I had my tracking put out by a feckless Fiat dealer tech but it wouldn't make me get rid..
Ricard
New member
It's a good point and I do have an answer.
First years service produced a comment that the tyres were wearing unevenly though I don't understand why I didn't ask for a tracking check. When I confronted the service manager he acknowledged that removing a tracking check from PDI had produced a lot of problems with new cars.
His thoughts were mostly about cars entering and leaving transporters.
Having said all that, it doesn't take that long to do a tracking check and any dealer worth his salt will do one as part of PDI even if they don't get paid by Fiat.
First years service produced a comment that the tyres were wearing unevenly though I don't understand why I didn't ask for a tracking check. When I confronted the service manager he acknowledged that removing a tracking check from PDI had produced a lot of problems with new cars.
His thoughts were mostly about cars entering and leaving transporters.
Having said all that, it doesn't take that long to do a tracking check and any dealer worth his salt will do one as part of PDI even if they don't get paid by Fiat.
Don't disagree. To me that would be annoying, but not so annoying as to make me get rid though!
Ricard
New member
It isn't just the door handle and the gear-shift gaiter and the wheels out of of track or even the early problems with Stop-Start, it's the whole Fiat thing.
The other Fiat we have has a history of annual spending other than annual maintenance. This annual spending is mostly down to poor design in areas that needed a simple level of corrosion protection or a simple upgrade in quality. In all cases as with the 500 they are all 'classic' problems that most owners will see.
I've been driving a good few years now though in terms of experience i'm limited to Ford and VW, I or rather we, have many years of Ford and VW ownership from new. In both cases we have never suffered the problems we get with the Fiats we now have.
Right now i'm looking at the shock absorber top mountings on the 500, they collect all the water coming off the screen and are due to corrode and an early replacement but not in warranty so Fiat couldn't be bothered to fit simple protection in much the same way as couldn't be bothered to protect the sump on most of their range.
She loves this little 500 and I think it's a lot of car for the money but it's a piece of poo compared to the VW Beetles we've had for years and now have another new one.
We get good service from the Fiat dealer in this area, we get poor service from the VW dealer in this area and it's why we tried Fiat. It's a huge dilemma.
The other Fiat we have has a history of annual spending other than annual maintenance. This annual spending is mostly down to poor design in areas that needed a simple level of corrosion protection or a simple upgrade in quality. In all cases as with the 500 they are all 'classic' problems that most owners will see.
I've been driving a good few years now though in terms of experience i'm limited to Ford and VW, I or rather we, have many years of Ford and VW ownership from new. In both cases we have never suffered the problems we get with the Fiats we now have.
Right now i'm looking at the shock absorber top mountings on the 500, they collect all the water coming off the screen and are due to corrode and an early replacement but not in warranty so Fiat couldn't be bothered to fit simple protection in much the same way as couldn't be bothered to protect the sump on most of their range.
She loves this little 500 and I think it's a lot of car for the money but it's a piece of poo compared to the VW Beetles we've had for years and now have another new one.
We get good service from the Fiat dealer in this area, we get poor service from the VW dealer in this area and it's why we tried Fiat. It's a huge dilemma.
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Ironically, that is one of the few things they have fixed. New cars come with little plastic caps that go over the top mounts.
Ricard
New member
Thanks very much for that information, i'll see if I can get them as a spare.
Great guide, used it today. One thing might be easier, unscrew the door handle from inside the door card, 3 little screws, saves you having to pop the pull mechanism apart. Part from dealer was £9 ish inclusive of VAT.
PS, that little screw that holds the door clip on that you're replacing is a bit of a bugger as it's at an angle, bit of perseverance required there
Many thanks for the PDF Marco.
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