1990 Trans Sport- Doors Won't Open

Hi guys, it's me again. :banghead:

My front doors have both quit opening from the outside. The only way I can get in now is from the slider on the side. :crying:

No power door locks or anything, it just feels like the handles on the outside aren't pulling the doohicky inside the door far enough to fully release the latch. The passenger side handle makes an audible "click" when I pull it, like it's trying, but something inside is stripped or something. They both open from the inside just fine.

Help... :dunno:

-Sarge

I don't understand why this happens where normal 1 sec then outa the blue doesn't work & on both sides.. to boot.

Anyway.. happened to me (& others) & a buncha threads on it.

Inner door panel has to come off to fix & wouldn't put it back on until sure its fixed right.

Had it fixed a few times by a mech but prob came back until I finally went in myself & made a buncha mods. Took me a loooooong time to figure & sort it all out. Tweaking one part can affect another & at one point, I couldn't open the door ..at all!

Basically, the door handle is attached to a rod (that is a bit too short) that ends up coming out of a hole (shouldn't do that) in the door latch mechanism. Putting the rod back in the corresponding hole is not difficult but for me at least, left the way it was, it kept popping out & happens when pulling on the inner door handle.

EDIT - Just struck me due to recent events what may happen. If the door is frozen shut, say when temps go from near freezing & it was raining, to way cold quick, you can end up pulling reaaaaal hard on the handle, to unstick the door & open it from the outside. I tried several other areas of the door to pull on but found none. Only way (i figured out so far..) from the outside is pulling the handle to get in ..whatever it takes. Tried banging the outer door frame with my hand, but didn't help. Maybe spraying/pouring windshield washer fluid would help.. Best to get in any door that opens & then pound/push the stuck door open from the inside ..if it ever comes up. Only prob is.. they may all be frozen shut. I do try to leave the doors half ajar when closing 'em, when aware of a quick temp change scenario combined with moisture.

Probably the handle (& mechanism) is not designed for that type of force & some parts get bent, then the rod pops out easy after that. Probably explains also why not everyone has the prob.

I ended up tweaking the door handle stop, relocating the rod to handle attach point (turns out another hole was already there..), drilled a hole in the rod where it attaches to the handle & secured it with a small nail bent over (original clip was a PIA & no room..), & also tweaked/bent the inner rod that goes from the inner handle to the door latch mechanism.

My outer door handle used to have ~ a half inch of play before anything happened & took that play out by adding a buncha washers to the rod where it goes in the hole, but also as mentioned, tweaked/bent the stop at the handle.

In the end, probably tighter & better than when it was new. Barely touch the outer or inner handle & door opens ..when its not frozen shut.