The release button on my driver's side door broke. The interior latch and lock still work but I have to leave the vent window unlocked and reach inside to open the door. Getting old, fast.

So I removed the door panel thinking I could figure out the mechanics of the locking system. And I'm sure I could if I could see a f***ing thing inside there. As you'll see in the photos below, they give you a tiny cut-out to reach inside the door (along with the opening from the exterior which you get after removing the door handle).

But short of taking a blow torch to the door I cannot figure out how to gain enough room to get inside there to fix the latch/lock linkage.

Here's an exploded view of the door mechanism:



All I think happened is that screw #33 in the upper right of the diagram loosened and fell off. But for the Hell of me, I cannot figure out A.) how part #32 is positioned between the other parts of the mechanism inside the door and B.) how I get inside to place all these pieces back in the right positions plus find the working room to screw it all back together.

Here's what #32 looks like right now:



And here's a look at the tiny interior openings through which I'm supposed to realign and screw all this back together. It's that small square opening toward the window sill. In addition I can (barely) reach up inside the door from below the black, riveted bar that supports where the arm rest screws back in but I can't see a damn thing. That's my entire access to work on this door button:



Oh, and this tiny opening which is really only for accessing one of the screws that holds the exterior door handle in place:



Since the parts view above is exploded, I can't even tell how that part #32 is meant to sit inside the door and which other pieces touch it at what spots. If I could see what the Hell I'm doing in there I could figure it out but I can't see so I'm stumped.

Anyone ever work on their door handle lock assembly and can walk me through how to get this back together? Again, I think it's just that screw #33 came loose and I do have it along with that little shaft, part #31 --



-- but I just can't figure out how to get it all put back together when there's barely any access to inside the damn door.

Thanks in advance for any and all help...

CJ

 

Reach up from under the window regulator and unclip the latch (item 32) from the actuator arm (item 34). Trying to do this with the latch mechanism still in the door is nearly impossible.

 

Thanks, F1; will give it a shot this afternoon...