E39 Exterior handle fell off?!

[hamzamian]

Hi,

The outside door handle on my mum's E39 5 series just came off in her hand. It doesn't appear to be broken, just have come apart from the door. Very odd.

I can slide it back in place easily enough but it just drops right back out again.

Any ideas what's going on here? Is this a relatively simple fix if I take the door apart, or best left to a garage?

Thanks

[Pickled Piper]

Hanzamian, I don't know how easy it is to fix, but the door pad is relatively easy to take off if you want to investigate.

have a look on youtube there are some videos showing how to remove the door pad and fit new speakers etc.

pp

[T-bagger]

If my memory serves me correctly, the E39 door handle assembly (I assume the 'scallop' part has come out too) fixes to the door by a sliding mechanism that is released or locked through a hole in the door above the catch. There will be a largish grommit covering the hole so have a look to see if you can refix it. Perhaps it was never locked in properly after a past repair.

Edited by T-bagger on Saturday 25th July 17:09

[hamzamian]

Thanks T-Bagger. I couldn't get to it from the grommet near the door catch but without that comment I wouldn't have seen the sliding part of the assembley and realised that what's holding it all in place!

I had to take the door card off and that take the side airbag out in the end in order to be able to slide the locking mechanism into place (Thanks Pickled-Piper, the YouTube vid is very goood, only took me 5mins to get the door card off in the end).

All sorted now.