96 Explorer Door Handle Problem

It sounds like the latch connecting arm or the handle itself is broken. You will not know until you pull off the door panel and see. You will need to remove the panel anyway to fix whatever the problem is.

It's a common problem, fix it soon or else when it breaks completely you can't open the door from the inside or outside! I found this out from experience. Had to spend about an hour with a slim jim to open the door so I could remove the panel and replace the handle and latch. New hardware to fix it is not real expensive.

Thanks for the info. Any tips about how to get the panel off without breaking stuff, and where I can order the necessary parts? I could google up a hundred supply places, but are there any you may have used that are better than others? Thanks again.

Although I have taken off door panels of my other cars in the past, I have never done so with my Explorer, so this is a general description of how to take off any door panel. First remove any visible screws. They might be in the inside the door handle area or perhaps hidden with a cap of some sort. Then gently pry off the panel with a wide blade chisel or similiar tool. The panel is held in with plastic fasteners. If some should break, they can easily be replaced from any auto parts store. But the key is to pry the panel off gently. Once you have gotten the panel loose, you may have to lift it up a bit to clear the top of the door because the top of the panel sits a little recessed in the top of the door. You may have to disconnect the electrical harness for the windows, locks, etc. Once you have the panel off, see whats wrong with your handle. I do not know where is the best place to get parts other than the dealer. Even if you have to order the parts, I'm sure the truck can be driven without the panel for a few days.

I think the part I used came from:

did a good job of describing how to take the panel off. It's pretty straightforward, no surpises. It's still hard to get to the broken part even with the door panel off though.

The repair manual for explorers that I bought explains how to remove the door panel, but it says that the removal should be done with the window down. Can it be removed with the window up, or do you have to raise the window after the door panel is off?

Thanks, just trying to get all the info I can before I tear into it and screw it up.

John

The '96 Ford factory Explorer service manual I have doesn't say anyting about the window having to be or down when removing the door panel, whether for window replacement or locks, handles, etc.

I myself have remove the panel with the w>

Thanks for the info!