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Your car’s interior door pull can break due to wear or excessive force. A broken door pull will make it hard to open the door from the inside.
A mechanic expert can quickly fix the problem for you, but knowing how to do it yourself can come in handy.
Luckily, it is pretty simple to fix a broken interior door pull. Depending on your car’s model, the process is expected to take less than three hours.
So, let’s go through the steps that you can use to fix the issue.
1. Gather The Tools
To repair a broken interior door pull, you must have all the necessary tools.
These tools include screwdrivers, screw, metallic cutting machine, plastic polishing machine, paste, towel, rubber mallet, masking tape, and a marker.
2. Remove The Inside Door Panel
It’s usually hard to fix a broken interior door pull without opening the inside door panel. The inside door panel is held firmly by screws and pressure clips.
These components need to be disengaged from their sockets. But as you do so, use a marker to label the location of each one of them.
It will help you when screwing them back after repairing the broken interior door panel.
Bear in mind that not all cars use screws. Some car models use plastic clips; hence you should use a gentle force not to break them while removing the door panel.
3. Remove The Waterproof Paper
Since cars usually are exposed to water or moisture, some car models are fitted with waterproof paper.
The substance prevents water from entering into the interior of the door panel and damages its components by causing them to rust.
Therefore, you will have to remove this material to access the interior components. But while doing so, you should be careful not to damage it since you will have to put it back later.
Also, please note how it has been fitted to refit it quickly as you remove it.
4. Remove The Wires
Some car models have their interior door pull connected with wires that facilitate the use of a remote.
If your car’s door has them, you should carefully remove them while noting how they are connected to the door pull.
5. Remove The Door Pull
After removing the connecting wires, you can remove the other side of the door pull. But when doing so, you should be careful not to cause further damage to the door pull.
Also, make sure you register how the door pull is placed in its socket to avoid installing it in the wrong direction after repair. You can capture a photo of the assembly to aid you later.
6. Repair The Door Pull
The two sides of the broken door pull are now in your hands, and it is time you use your skills to combine them.
You can do so by following these steps:
Drill Holes In The Broken Pieces
It is the most critical step when repairing the door pull. It involves using a drilling machine to make holes in each piece.
These holes will enable you to fit a screw that will make the repaired door pull strong.
Polish The Pieces
Before proceeding to the next step, you should make the two pieces smooth not to scratch your hands when repairing the pull.
A plastic polishing machine can do so in an efficient and fast manner.
Measure The Screw
After drilling holes in the pieces, you can measure a screw that you will drive into them.
The measurement should be so that one half of the screw should fit into one piece and the other half should fit into the second piece.
Cut The Screw
Once you have measured the screw, you can cut it using a cutting machine. But while doing so, make sure that this machine does not interrupt the lines of the screw.
Rub A Paste On One End Of The Screw
Rubbing a paste on the screw will reduce friction when driving it into the holes. It will also make the grip firm.
Fit The Screw Into One Of The Pieces
Hold the end that you have not rubbed with paste and drive the screw into one of the holes. Pliers or a screwdriver can help you fasten this process.
Rub A Paste On The Other Part Of The Screw
You are not done yet! The next step is to hold the piece that has the screw and rub the paste on the screw’s other end.
Drive The Screw Containing The Piece Into Another Piece
Finally, join the two pieces together by driving the one with a screw into the other.
But when doing this, you should be careful not to apply a lot of pressure that might cause the two pieces to break completely.
7. Reinstall The Door Pull
When you arrive at this step, you should start being very keen and careful. It is because reinstalling the door pull is another vital and tricky step when repairing the car interior door pull.
Before you reinstall the door pull, first clean the surface of the interior to enable the door pull to turn well once you are done. You can then install it properly.
You can use a manual or a photo that you took when disassembling it to aid you in this step.
8. Check If The Interior Door Bull Operates Well
Sometimes there is a fault in installation. For instance, you may have installed the door pull in the wrong direction.
Therefore, it is essential to test if it is turning smoothly.
But when testing, you shouldn’t concentrate so much on the door bull since some other parts may have also been interrupted.
For instance, the exterior section of the door may have been damaged; hence it is also good to check it.
9. Re-Assemble The Interior Door Panel
You can now return the interior door panel after ensuring that the door bull is robust and operates correctly. The ease and requirements of this step will depend on the model of your car.
Since you labeled the screws and pressure clips, it becomes easy to return them.
But as you do so, make sure to tighten them firmly to prevent the door panel from coming off or making noise when driving.
To minimize damages to your car’s interior caused by the rubber mallet, you can use a towel to absorb its shock.
In Summary
We have covered every step you should follow when repairing a broken interior door pull.
You should now have all the steps at your fingertips to aid you if you encounter this problem and require immediate fixing.
When followed to the later, nine steps will solve the problem quickly.
These steps only require you to have the necessary tools, which are not expensive compared to the cost incurred visiting a mechanic shop, and the fantastic thing is that you can reuse them for a long time.
It would help if you thus made an effort to make them part of your family.
With comprehensive experience in writing exceptional quality articles and blogs about cars and related stuff, Daniel is one of the finest bloggers and a hardcore car lover we have. He is an ASE certified technician with an across-the-board experience of 10 years in the industry. He could not help tinkering with anything he got his hands on from a young age, which led to his remarkable career in the automotive repair industry.
When he is not under any hood, you can find him on the water or in the woods to pursue his passion for hunting and fishing. He has been writing for multiple sectors and is a regular contributor to several publications.
He currently owns a Nissan 300ZX TT and a Pearl Yellow but plans to upgrade it to 550 HP. His favorites include the Koenigsegg CCX and Lamborghini Diablo 6.0 VT, but for him, the Ferrari 360 Spider is one of the sexiest cars that exists to date.
Being an avid world traveler, he has spent most of his time analyzing the automotive markets, latest technology, and local favorites to enhance his knowledge base. He is currently living in North Caroline, where it’s all about food and coffee and, of course, cars.
