Things break, that it just how it goes sometimes. When it is time to fix them we all hope for a simple easy fix. Chances of an easy fix are probably 1 out of 100 and this is no exception.
The inside door handle of our 2005 Lincoln Navigator broke off. I mean completely off and was hanging by the cable that operates the latch.
Me, no I didn’t break it. It was my 8 year old daughter. Ya you read that right, 8 year old daughter.
Stickers.... ya that handle has stickers on it, along with 4 out of 5 windows in the car too. This just proves that this vehicle has survived kids for 8 years.
Ok back to this broken handle. Upon further investigation and tearing the door apart I see what exactly broke.
Go figure, a Plastic piece was used to hold the door handle in place. You know the door handle that will probably get used a bajillion times.
Ok so I will just find this piece online and get a new one ordered up.
Not So Fast
What in the world is this thing called?? Wait it doesn’t just hold the handle, but also the speaker and window motor too. This piece is huge!!
Mind you, this has been broken for some time and everytime I try to find out what this piece is I run into a dead end. No info about a part number or anything.
Then today I decide to go straight to the source... Ford Motor Company
I call their parts department and explain to the gentleman what I am in search of. He sits on the other end wondering and putting the pieces together.
The window regulator mounting plate
Really?!?!? OK how much are we talking her pal?? ..... $230!!!!.....Good Lord Almighty!!!
Time to search my favorite parts website rockauto.com. Perfect, $80 shipped... now we are talking.
Ok let’s get this old one outta there. Shouldn’t be too bad right?!?!
Wrong!!
Remove the interior door panel easy enough. From the looks of it remove a few bolts and unplug a few wiring harnesses and...WHAM-BAM DONE!!
Umm... Yeah.. not quite. There is a cable that is used to raise and lower the window and there is no way to remove this piece without totally disconnecting the window-roller-upper-downer cable.
Which means the window will just fall down. I have a fix for that later as this car doesn’t get driven much until it goes in for an alignment next weekend.
I tried and tried to get these cables disconnected but trying to do it blind adds another level of difficulty. The places where this cable attaches are literally inside the door. That is where this little tool earns it weight in gold
Now that I have a way to see inside the door I can figure out how these cables get disconnected. Looks like the cable just loops through here on the bottom
AH HA This is the anchor point for both ends of the cable. This is exactly where I need to be
Holy crap!!! Finally this thing is out of the door and hopefully it is easier to put in the new one than it was taking out the old. Yeah right. Lol.
I ain’t gonna let no big plastic door piece get the best of me!!!
Wait.... the window is down and no way to roll it up and keep it up.
There, now if it rains over the next few days while I’m waiting for the part the car should be fine.
Why on God’s Green Earth can’t this plastic window regulator mounting bracket be removed without completely disabling the window??? I can totally see how it could have been avoided but then again I’m not an engineer, I just fix things that engineers create. He he he
All this for a frikkin door handle.... Good Lord Almighty I am glad I have patients for this.
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