Play in Interior Door Latch. Repair or Replace?

[SSTJ]

Driver side full door on a '97. Exterior handle works perfectly. Interior handle will lock and unlock, but the handle won't release the latch. Panel is removed, and all metal bars and plastic connectors appear to be in good shape.

There is some play in the handle, as shown in the pics below. No such play in the passenger side, which works fine. So I'm wondering if that's the issue. I don't see any way to shorten the bar that connects the handle to the latch. Is there any way to tighten up this slack, or do I need to replace the latch itself?

I can't upload a video, but if you click on the lower-left image, then toggle back and forth with the lower-right image, you can see the play in the latch.

With Handle Relaxed​	Play/Slack Before Engaging Latch​
​	​
​	​
​	​
​	​

​

 

[red02tj]

Driver side full door on a '97. Exterior handle works perfectly. Interior handle will lock and unlock, but the handle won't release the latch. Panel is removed, and all metal bars and plastic connectors appear to be in good shape.

There is some play in the handle, as shown in the pics below. No such play in the passenger side, which works fine. So I'm wondering if that's the issue. I don't see any way to shorten the bar that connects the handle to the latch. Is there any way to tighten up this slack, or do I need to replace the latch itself?

New Interior Handle​
View attachment 662022​	View attachment 662023​

[td width="50%"]

Play/Slack Before Engaging Latch


[/td]​

This part of the door rod, which connects to the latch, should be ribbed, try pushing that in further to the other side to which it connects and the name I can’t remember.

But send pics if it’s disassembled.

 

[MikekiM]

Here's a closeup of that rod end. It looks like it is threaded.. it is not.
It's your adjustment point for the interior handle.

 

[red02tj]

Here's a closeup of that rod end. It looks like it is threaded.. it is not.
It's your adjustment point for the interior handle.
View attachment 662102

That’s what I was taking about.

 

[SSTJ]

Thanks both. Yes, where the rod connects to the latch is not threaded, and I can confirm that it's correctly snapped into place. I replaced that plastic connector recently process, so I don't see that being the problem.

Wish I could upload a video, which shows the play in the latch. Instead, I updated the table in the original post. If you click to open the bottom left photo, then toggle back-and-forth to the bottom right photo, you can see the play in the latch.

 

[SSTJ]

Here's a closeup of that rod end. It looks like it is threaded.. it is not.
It's your adjustment point for the interior handle.
View attachment 662102

Interesting to see that yours is one solid piece, and that both the interior handle rod (thin and bent) and the exterior handle rod (thick and threaded) connect directly to it. As you can see in my images, my interior handle rod connects to a piece that has a bit of play before it engages the piece where the exterior handle rod connects.

Mine is a 97. Yours is a 2000, right?

 

[SSTJ]

I wonder if anyone like @mrblaine has ever come across this?

I'm wondering if I might just need to replace that latch, in which case I'd be interested in any recommendations.

 

[mrblaine]

I wonder if anyone like @mrblaine has ever come across this?

I'm wondering if I might just need to replace that latch, in which case I'd be interested in any recommendations.

You have to move it and see what is NOT moving to deliver the movement to the latch assembly. I've seen many where the latch is sticky and poorly lubricated with old dried out grease so the link rods flex before they do anything to tranfer motion.

 

[MikekiM]

Thanks both. Yes, where the rod connects to the latch is not threaded, and I can confirm that it's correctly snapped into place. I replaced that plastic connector recently process, so I don't see that being the problem.

Wish I could upload a video, which shows the play in the latch. Instead, I updated the table in the original post. If you click to open the bottom left photo, then toggle back-and-forth to the bottom right photo, you can see the play in the latch.

You can unsnap that rod and move left or right to tighten or loosen the play in the interior lever. Then snap back in place.

Also make sure the other end is clipped into the back of the lever assembly. That plastic clips break easily. Though, if the lever works but just has more play than you want, the clips are probably fine.

 

[SSTJ]

You can unsnap that rod and move left or right to tighten or loosen the play in the interior lever. Then snap back in place.

Also make sure the other end is clipped into the back of the lever assembly. That plastic clips break easily. Though, if the lever works but just has more play than you want, the clips are probably fine.

Thanks. But the rod is connected in both locations by plastic clips, which are fixed in place. I don't see how I could snap the rod back into place in any way other than as dictated by the plastic clips. But let me know if I'm misunderstanding?

Of, if you're referring to the larger, threaded rod, I can see how to adjust that. But that rod is for the exterior handle, not the interior.

You have to move it and see what is NOT moving to deliver the movement to the latch assembly. I've seen many where the latch is sticky and poorly lubricated with old dried out grease so the link rods flex before they do anything to tranfer motion.

Thanks. I know it's nothing compared to a video, but that's what I try to show by toggling between the two lower pics in my original post. The component with green plastic clip rotates a few degrees (clockwise) before engaging the latch.

But I see your point about the actual connection to the latch. I can't quite see where that connection point is, so I'll need to remove it to find out.

 

[MikekiM]

Thanks. But the rod is connected in both locations by plastic clips, which are fixed in place. I don't see how I could snap the rod back into place in any way other than as dictated by the plastic clips. But let me know if I'm misunderstanding?

Of, if you're referring to the larger, threaded rod, I can see how to adjust that. But that rod is for the exterior handle, not the interior.

Very possible you are correct and I am not..
Most of my door mods were a few years ago. Apologies for mis-directing you.

 

[SSTJ]

Removed the latch. As expected, there is some play in the mechanism. I've uploaded four new pictures, keeping the two-column approach. Since I can't upload a video, toggling between left and right images in each row should illustrate the play.

I don't see how to resolve it. One option would be to use a shorten the rod (from latch to interior handle) by about 2–3mm. But it's an OEM rod and I can't see how it could easily be shortened. The other would be to somehow fill the gap shown in the final pair of pictures in the original post.

Anyone else ever come across this?

 

[SSTJ]

Temporary solution: I bent the rod, right before it connects to the latch. Now the play is gone, and I can unlatch the door using the interior handle. I suppose it's possible that all of this started because I unknowingly bent the rod while replacing the interior handle?