Door Knob Woes

[Don]

Greetings my fellow Chimaera owners!

So there I was at the local Shell/Sainsbury's buying a lunchtime sandwich.

I finally manage to park up and reach for "THE KNOB".

The knob proceeds to do a comedy spin around and around and around with absolutely no door opening action going on.

I decided that simply yelling for help would be far too humiliating at this point and wound down the driver's window and popped the door with the aid of the little white button. No harm done. Butty bought and back at work.

As an ongoing situation requiring the doorman to let me out of my vehicle isn't really suitable so I obviously need a fix...


As far as I can see the only thing holding THE KNOB on is a tiny screw like affair that one tightens up with an even tinier allen key.

Is this all there is to it? Or am I about to find that I am going to need the assistance of The Garage?

[Bob the Planner]

Might depend on what has broken !

When I stripped the centre consol it looks a fairly simple mechanism and you may be right its the allen screw thats NFG. Have you tried just lifting the know upwards, if the screw is not biting then it should come off. Alternativiely the weld holding the arm onto the knob may have broken in which case its time to get the centre console off and get the assembly fixed.

As a temporary solution you may wish to loosen the carpet by the door and access the lock mechanism rather than lean out the door.

[Don]

Thanks, Bob. Yes "THE KNOB" comes straight off. To be honest its been "loose" for a while but has never failed. I'd been meaning to get around to working out how to tighten things up for a while so I am fairly sure I just need to tighten the little screw.

Thought I'd see if anyone had tried the same fix...

Once the knob is off everything seems tight as anything underneath it...

[cloggy]

Don said:

I finally manage to park up and reach for "THE KNOB".

The knob proceeds to do a comedy spin around and around and around with absolutely no door opening action going on.

I decided that simply yelling for help would be far too humiliating at this point

Did you feel like a 'KNOB'?

[Don]

cloggy said:

Don said:

I finally manage to park up and reach for "THE KNOB".

The knob proceeds to do a comedy spin around and around and around with absolutely no door opening action going on.

I decided that simply yelling for help would be far too humiliating at this point

Did you feel like a 'KNOB'?

Knobbier than a knobby thing in a cave surrounded by knobby friends singing knobby songs about knobbers!

[spend]

Spin the knob on, when the pass side opens nip it up ~ it should now have enough grip to open the drivers door.

The lock nut under the knob really needs tightening up, a dab of loctite on the knob helps.

Excuse me if the later car has a different mechanism, but the early ones are that simple...

Dave

[Don]

Unless something has broken the knob just sits on top the assembly and the little screw should bite into slot...



I hope.... does that look familiar?

[spend]

Ah you have a later smaller knob with no nuts. I didnt look at yours obviously...

Dave

[Don]

spend said:

Ah you have a later smaller knob with no nuts. I didnt look at yours obviously...

Dave

But now I'm going to have to spend all evening fiddling with it!

[jonnyb]

Its a 3mm allen key, and a PITA! I had to cut one down to fit in the recess. Also make sure the holes line up or your into a whole world of sh!t.

[spend]

jonnyb said:

Its a 3mm allen key, and a PITA! I had to cut one down to fit in the recess. Also make sure the holes line up or your into a whole world of sh!t.

Oh my word! That'll put him off his stroke this evening (I hope).

Dave

[Don]

jonnyb said:

Its a 3mm allen key, and a PITA! I had to cut one down to fit in the recess. Also make sure the holes line up or your into a whole world of sh!t.

Well I played around with my knob for a bit. Inserted my key into the hole and it just went right in straightaway!

Twisted the key a bit and now my shiny knob is run once again fully functional! Its completely firm instead of being a bit floppy and does its job just perfectly.

And the doors open a charm too!

Thanks for the moral support chaps...

[cloggy]

Don said:

jonnyb said:

Its a 3mm allen key, and a PITA! I had to cut one down to fit in the recess. Also make sure the holes line up or your into a whole world of sh!t.

Well I played around with my knob for a bit. Inserted my key into the hole and it just went right in straightaway!

Twisted the key a bit and now my shiny knob is run once again fully functional! Its completely firm instead of being a bit floppy and does its job just perfectly.

And the doors open a charm too!

Thanks for the moral support chaps...

Now you can stop with confidence not looking like a 'KNOB' again. Good luck mate.

[jonnyb]

Don said:

jonnyb said:

Its a 3mm allen key, and a PITA! I had to cut one down to fit in the recess. Also make sure the holes line up or your into a whole world of sh!t.

Well I played around with my knob for a bit. Inserted my key into the hole and it just went right in straightaway!

Twisted the key a bit and now my shiny knob is run once again fully functional! Its completely firm instead of being a bit floppy and does its job just perfectly.

And the doors open a charm too!

Thanks for the moral support chaps...

[Timja]

My knob fell off this morning too! Had to put window down and open from wing mirror button.

Mine did up with a 1.5mm allen key though, not 3mm as mentioned above. Mine is a '98 if that makes any difference....

[spend]

Jeez, there is no wonder Lorena Bobbitt found us, I think we had better get Ted to opt out of Google

Dave