92 Previa door handle not working.

[Metrocruiser]

Hi all,

Just finished fixing my non working lock mechanism and drivers door not opening. It was a 1 inch long spring in the door lock mechanism that had rusted and broke off causing the door handle to lose its engagement to unlatch the door.

It took about 2 hours to open up both door panels so I could see how the other one was operating and then go to the auto parts store and get a few types of springs. I could not find one that matched exactly and I do not think it matters much at all so I chose the stronger beefier spring because it will last longer against the rust.

I cut that spring to size with a pair of linesman pliers and then bent a new loop onto it with a needle nose pliers.

A telescoping magnet will be handy in case you drop the spring or any tools into the door opening which I did at least 5 times lol.

Just a phillips scew driver is all you need to take off the top door panel. There is a top and bottom and the bottom does not need to come off.

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This is a picture of the new spring installed. That light blue plate on the left can get in the way of progress.
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The tools used for this job.
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[TheMAN]

I'm having trouble understanding what you're saying... is it fixed now or it still won't work?
if it's still not working, why don't you replace the entire component and get it over with? Doors are a safety issue that you shouldn't nickel and dime... what if your mcguyver repair fails and the doors fly open while driving down the highway?

[Metrocruiser]

I'm having trouble understanding what you're saying... is it fixed now or it still won't work?
if it's still not working, why don't you replace the entire component and get it over with? Doors are a safety issue that you shouldn't nickel and dime... what if your mcguyver repair fails and the doors fly open while driving down the highway?
Hi TheMAN, it is repaired better than it was before and works awesome. The door vapor seal had already been peeled off and the spring in the drivers door was rusted and piddly compared to the one in the pass side which looked like it was never tampered with. This leads me to believe it had failed before?? Its odd since I was second owner of the 3 y/o van.

I just wanted to give back to the site and share this quick fix that only cost me $4.00 for a few springs and about 2 hours of my time. IMO Its better than buying a locking assembly from a dealership or searching and dismantling in a JY for a used one.

Have a great weekend!

[pdgizwiz]

I encountered this same issue on one of my Previas. I later spotted the issue mentioned on this page (http://zenseeker.net/Previa/PreviaMaintenance.htm#Previa_Chassis_and_Engine_Co des)(about two-thirds of the way down) along with a potential replacement. I cobbled something up from my age-old box-o-springs.
Clearly it's a common issue. Thanks for the post! It's bound to help other Previosi who find themselves in the same predicament.

[Metrocruiser]

Hi pdgizwiz,

Thanks for that link, its got a ton of great info!!
I wish I had taken more photos of the job, but the phone camera was being challenged.

[Gabriel]

Thank you for the helpful info in this thread. These are the tools I ended up using. I hooked the spring over the top hook first with the the manipulator hook on the right. It has a tiny bend at the end that kept the spring from sliding off and falling deep into the door. Then I used the hook on the left to pull the spring onto the lower hook mechanism inside the door. The electric tool just made taking apart and putting things together a lot faster. I did have an extended magnet pick up tool on hand, but I was very fortunate and did not drop anything deep into the door. I was fortunate that I didn't lose one. I bought three springs from Ace Hardware in case I lost a couple. I can't get the picture uploader to work so I'll use dropbox links.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fq9a9nxecoaci1n/Image%20uploaded%20from%20iOS%20%284%29.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/d6q7etmt135i5i3/Image%20uploaded%20from%20iOS%20%285%29.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0c2j2jr8mjxt8ag/Image%20uploaded%20from%20iOS%20%286%29.jpg?dl=0


(https://www.dropbox.com/s/0c2j2jr8mjxt8ag/Image%20uploaded%20from%20iOS%20%286%29.jpg?dl=0)