Automating car handles not extending out? You may have heard friends complaining about it or even encountered it yourself. Modern car door handles may be prone to breaking, but not to worry, here are some solutions worth trying

Car door handles in the past used simpler mechanisms, and were more reliable and less prone to breakages as there was less technology and components involved.

With the advancement of society and technology, car doors now have complicated locking mechanisms to prevent theft and keep passengers safe. Older cars use locking mechanisms that are operated manually with keys or using keyless remote controls. With upgrades to newer cars, smart doors with keyless entry such as fingerprints and smartphone apps have been introduced for better user experience and convenience

Door Handles

Bearing the most amounts of force and use, handles are commonly made with strong plastics and metals for durability.

Latching Mechanism

This consists of two jaws and a lever. When the door handle is pushed or pulled, it opens the jaws to release the anchor. When the door is closed, the jaws latch on to the anchor.

Locking Mechanism

Thin metal rods, cables, and gears connect to the door-lock actuator, usually located inside the door, below the keyhole.  The mechanism controls the unlocking and locking.

Possible Signs of Door Handle Breakage

When experiencing any problems with the doors, most would exert more force to pull and push the handles, which can lead to further damage. Look for physical signs like cracks on the interior and exterior door handles. Door handle breakage can be caused by:

Erosion

Anything exposed to the elements will deteriorate and erode. This is especially so in Singapore’s tropical island climate, with hot, humid and higher sea-salt content in the atmosphere. For example, when exposed to varying temperatures, plastic and metal can expand and contract, leading to hardening and cracking. Add humidity, and moisture can form on these materials causing them to corrode.

Durability

It is difficult to estimate the service life of a car door handle. Car door handles are made with durable materials like plastic, aluminium, magnesium, and zinc alloys, but materials used will vary in quality and durability, based on each manufacture’s own protocols. One can only speculate if the manufacturer uses lower quality materials or poor designs that can cause door handles to break prematurely. It also largely depends on how door handles are used and maintained.

Care

Should an object knock the door handles, it may weaken and cause physical damage like cracks, dents, and handles breaking off.

Always operate the doors gently and avoid aggressively pulling or pushing the door handles.  Actions such as slamming doors shut could also increase the risk of internal damage. Constantly opening and closing the car doors with unnecessary force may weaken and cause physical damage like cracks and dents, resulting in handles breaking off.

Recommended Solutions

Detecting any faulty internal door mechanisms and misaligned doors could be challenging. It is advised to send the car to an authorised workshop to get the door handle inspected. The mechanic would have the tools and expertise to identify and fix the problem.

If it is only the door handle that is broken, a new replacement part is needed. While replacing the handle, the mechanic should also investigate the cause, to identify any other hidden related issues, like internal damages.

Internal door mechanism systems remain the same in new and older cars. However, some manufacturers offer different options for remote keyless entry like, keypads, fingerprints, smartphone apps, and proximity-cards to operate the locking mechanisms. As a result, more electronic sensors and transmitters are used leading to a higher reliance on AI to manage the systems. Should the door handle fail, in AI reliant cars, an On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) tool is plugged into the car’s on-board computer, Engine Control Unit (ECU), to help identify the problem.

If the cause is a misaligned handle and door, the mechanic can manually realign the handle and door. Specific tools are used to adjust the positions of the hinge and anchor points, while holding the handle and door in place.

Signs of damage

Stickiness

Manually operating the handles requires a certain amount of force. Should the handle resistance feel sticky and require more or less effort, the likely cause could be a faulty internal mechanism.

Use an approved lubricant and inject or spray it into the keyhole and hinge chambers. Thereafter, allow the lubricant to spread by repeatedly lifting and releasing the handles lightly. If that does not work, the mechanism may be damaged.

Mechanism Damage

If the handle is difficult to operate or is jammed, there may be internal damage. For manual systems, it could be broken gears to snapped cables. For electric- powered doors, the issue could be with power supply, ranging from a blown fuse, faulty modules or frayed wires.

Alignment

After an accident, damage may be visible. Look out for misaligned handles, listen for strange noises that are new, and take note of any inconsistent resistance when operating the door handles.

Loose hinges may also cause the door to misalign. From the front and side view, check if the door lines are flushed and parallel against the bodylines. If you notice that the lines do not match, the doors are probably misaligned.

Possible Fix

Cars with less reliance on AI are more DIY friendly, and the fix could be as simple as replacing with new parts. With AI, a diagnostic tool is needed to isolate the problem. Thereafter, the parts identified can be replaced, and using the diagnostic tool to reset the system.

With misalignment doors and broken internal and external door handles, it is advised to send the car to a workshop.

It is advisable to get original parts as replacements and to stay away from emotional purchases, as non-original parts may have the ‘bling’ factor but lack quality. DIY is a good idea only if you have the tools, time, and knowledge. If not, leave it to the professionals.