86 Audi 5000S Door Handle

The whole door handle. They are notorious for breaking. If you're careful, you can do it without removing the door trim - don't let the levers fall down inside the door after disconnecting them from the old door handle.

Common problem on the T44s

The mechanism in the handle itself has broken.

The is so common that your local recyceler will probably not have any left on the cars in their yard.

There is a current thread on this on Audiworld.com

There are a few that have spares and others that have been able to fix them.

removal and replacement is simple when you have the part.

T> I have a door handle that will not spring back after you pull it to

Michael, If the handle works, it just requires some help to return, you can use some spray oil and soak the pivot point of the lever and move the lever back and forth a few times to work it in. It is true that the handles are weak in the type 44's, but they will last a long time if regularly lubed. It's a good idea to have a set on standby, though, they're fairly cheap through a local wrecking yard. You can carefully pull the screws out of the large end of the handle, pop the end of the handle out a bit and soak the back side connections to the handle down as well. As for the oil, I use stuff made by Rust Check here in Canada - available from any FLAPS. Cheers! Steve Sears

1987 Audi 5kTQ 1980 Audi 5k 1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes (SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)

I ask for door handles every time I go to a scrap yard. Never got one, they go too fast.

Christoph

Christoph, Yep, they certainly do. Door handles and window regulators are a common focus here as well. Some of the most important folks I know in keeping my old car alive are, aside from local Audi nuts, are the guys at the salvage yards. I'm on a first-name basis with a few of them. Cheers! Steve Sears

1987 Audi 5kTQ 1980 Audi 5k

It doesn't hurt to go to the *source* of the stress, too. The door

*latch* assembly on the rear of the door. Take it off (a couple Big Damn screws and a couple of simple links) and *lube the hell out of it!* Hit it with lots of penetrating oil to get it loosened up and cleaned and then hit it with some white grease. Work it vigorously 'open' and 'shut' until it's quite free. The trickiest part of reinstallation is getting that spring-loaded arm to catch its wire link. Use a small screwdriver in the slot underneath it to hold it fully out while you maneuver it into place and release it. Voila!

BTW, *never* remove these at the same time as you have the door handles off or you *will* be looking around down inside the door for the link parts.

After looking at the failure mode of these things, I decided never to buy used ones. They all *will* eventually fail because VW/Audi made them out of crappy potmetal and the materials were never changed. Your best chance of extended life is to to the above lubrications religiously (once a year on Easter works!) and try something else I developed on my own: as you begin to open the door, *push in on it* with your other hand to reduce the tension on the door latch as you pull the trigger. You'll find it noticeably easier that way.

-- C.R. Krieger (Been there; done that)