[dpf]

My driver side door handle has been damaged by a would be thief in the night who attempted but failed to pry the door handle away from the door. As you know they are two separate pieces. They wedged something in between the two and tried prying it off. Thank god they failed, but what they did accomplish (the bastard) was to break off one of the eye holes inside; one of two eye holes used to screw the handle onto the door.

It is currently being held on by the one screw and is beginning to be one big pain in the ass as it is not secured on the door, one side keeps pulling away when used, naturally given what happened.

My first thought was a failure of creativity in fixing it and I can't seem to come up with anything to securely hold the handle in place. My final option is to find a replacement 'door' for the car but I want to exhaust all possible (cheaper) avenues of fixing it before I drop the cash on the door. (then I have paint costs, lock replacement costs, etc.).

So I turn to you car enthusiasts and eagerly welcome any input you may have for this problem. Thanks!!

 

[scubasteve]

not completly sure i understand what is damaged, but with working with car doors ect, do you think you may be able to bondo it from the inside of the door, to give it something to screw back into

other than that i dont have any other ideas, I would really help if you can get some pics of the damage, maybe some body could help then!!!, I'd be willing to look at them!

-Scuba-

 

[Marcus]

i don't understand the part your describing... take off your door panel and see if the screw fell out and is hanging out down below? I'm also confused!

I would avoid bondo for this simple fact... bondo is easily noticeable to the trained eye. If someone sees bondo with no damage report to the car they might not want to purchase or reduce offering price for the car b/c of it.

 

[scubasteve]

i was refering to bondo from the inside behind the doorpanel....

 

[Goatcrapp]

ok they broke the eyehole - meaning the place where the screw screws INTO correct?

easy - get some HARD cork... i say hard so it wont crumble... or even hard rubber thats round and about as wide.

screw directly into that until tight. then glue the $hit out of it.

if this isnt the place where its broken, give us more details,. maybe a pic... im sure we can find something other than buying a new door!

 

[Marcus]

I'm really sorry scuba... like i said... i'm a little confused as to what is broken. My Chilton's guide is at my girlfriend's house so as soon as I get it back... i'll post a better more educated solution.

 

[Guest]

I'm sitting here looking at a service manual about the size of five normal sized Bibles, (Mazda Workshop Manual) everything you ever wanted to know about our cars and the 626, Found the diagram for the door, I don't even see any screws in the assembly diagram for that part of the door (if it's the part I'm thinking of...)

Like they said, post a pic and help would be easier...

I know if some punk did that to my SAM (that's the name of my 6) I would hunt them down and cut their nuts off!!

 

[Guest]

Another option would be to just replace THAT PART of the door, cheaper than a new Door, I'm probably going to have to change the lock cylinders in mine, the plastic (yeah it's plastic) door that slides over the key hole is damaged on both sides, anyone know if you can have those re-keyed??

 

[dpf]

as Goatcrapp pointed out correctly there are eyeholes for two screws to fit into to tighten the door handle to the door itself. There are basically only the two pieces we're talking about. Remove both screws and you're left holding just the handle itself with two screws itself. Hold on pictures on the way.

 

[dpf]

 

[dpf]

I don't have a place to post the picture so it can be viewed. I'll work on that one tomorrow and be sure to get some photos up here.

 

[filly]

sux, don't it?

same thing happened to me. only they pulled the whole thing off. (the alarm went off and they ran)
since the actual handle was broken as well as the plate (still is as of now...) i can't get in from the drivers side without opening from inside, so i got desparate and ordered it from Mazda (never again) for $200 bucks after tax.
so i just wanted to say, if you can avoid it, find a way around getting a new handle.


(just a thought.... doesn't your insurance cover sh*t like that?)

 

[dpf]

were your eyeholes still intact on the inside that attached the handle to the door? One of mine have been broken. I did have claim that was fixed by mazdz themselves a few years back. They rigged it up to hold but it broke. All in all it is under my deductible and so I'm searching prior to breaking in and buying a complete door. Junkyards here I come!!

 

[BIGPOPPAPOPE]

The inside of my door came loose also, I took it to a shop, and it cost me 50 bucks, it was well worth it.

 

[filly]

naw. my door got TRASHED. when i got there the entire handle, panel and everything, was hanging out. even the locks got damaged. that's why i couldn't open my door and i ended up going to the dealer out of desperation.

 

[dpf]

what are your ideas/plans for the repairs?

Any welding that can be done to rig something.