Hi, I have an odd but infuriating problem ... hope someone can help me.

Something inside the external door handle seems to have broken or come loose (you can hear it rattling a bit), meaning that the door cannot be opened from the outside.

"Ah ha!", I thought - one of our young boys has simply engaged the child lock. So, in one of my blonde moments (I'm a dark haired male!) I moved the child lock catch. Of course the child lock effects the inside handle not the outside, so now I have both door handles out of use!

I've had a look at it but can't figure out how to sort it. I can't even get the interior door panel off as there are two screws down the side that can only be reached by having the door open! My local dealer had no ideas on the phone either.

Any ideas? We've lived with this for a few weeks already but I need to sell the car in a few months, hence I need to sort it out. The only ideas that I have had are to drill a hole in metal from the inside, behind the side bolster, to get to the lock with a screwdriver. Otherwise to force the inside door panel off which will inevitably cause some damage to the panel.

By the way, how do you get the rear manual window winders off?

Thanks!

Simplastic, UK

 

Cheapest would be to break the inner door panel.
The winder is held in with either a Clip on the handle close to the door panel or a screw in the middle of it.
Not exactly sure though don't have manual windows here in the U.S.

 

Thanks tech for your advice. I think my winder does have a spring clip on the spindle. However, once I've removed the door panel, what do I do then? How do I release the door catch? I've had a quick look inside the other door panel and it's all sealed up with a plastic skin so I couldn't really see much.

 

That plastic should only be a cover that pulls off.
Try prying off the top of the door panel first and see if you can see any of the rods from the top.
You might be able to get to the child safety latch and slide it to open it from inside again.

 

Thanks again, Tech. Good suggestions. I'll let you know how I get on.

 

Tech, you're a legend! Finally got the time to look at my door again today and it's all fixed now.

I managed to carefully lift off the door panel from inside, with only minor almost unnoticeable damage. I could not get leverage on the child lock, but easily opened the door with the outside mechanism levers. With a torch I then saw that the outside lever that was loose inside the door had just popped off its holder/retainer. I pushed it back on, turned off the child lock and everything is now working perfectly!

I think the problem arose in the first place because my impatient kids would try opening the door at the same time as I was pressing the remote control and the door mechanism would protest. (Hope that helps someone!)

Thanks Tech - you've been a genuine help when my local dealership was not.

 

Congrats glad you got it.

 

Tech is the main reason I peruse these forums with my new Volvo, and I'd bet a lot of other folks too.