Phoenix-like, this thread has been dredged up from the ashes of yesteryear.
Changes in my life, family's health, and the count of 2nd gen Escorts in the fleet has kept me from these pages recently. Nevertheless, I just handled this situation for someone who purchased from me one of the fleet. It is to these pages I briefly return, so as to update this thread for the future reference of others.
Customer states: Unable to open LR door from either the inside or outside door handles. When asked if she perhaps had the child lock engaged on that door, the response is "
child lock?" and a blank stare.
As was suggested earlier in this thread way back, the solution here is to first remove the inner door panel. This is a slight challenge with the door shut, but can be made less difficult with the removal of the seat bottom cushion and side bolster. I then removed the armrest, the window crank, and the screw mounting the inside door handle (but I did NOT remove the inner handle from the rod. Continue reading for another tip on this point.)
I was then able to pop the inside panel off of the door, albeit without using a panel tool or putty knife. Instead, I used my bare fingers and brute strength. Yes, this was at the expense of a few of the plastic retainers (I have spares), and some of the retainers were left behind in the door instead of coming with the panel. Those I later removed from the door using my panel tool. Perhaps someone more responsible might use a putty knife bent at a right angle to be more gentle in this step, but not me. Oh well.
I mentioned above another tip. Here it is: If you are removing the door panel from the car, there is no reason to mess with separating the actuating rod from the inner door handle, and worry about "door rod clips". Once the door panel is loose, it is easy to manipulate the inner handle assembly with rod still attached through the hole in the door panel. Reverse this procedure when re-installing the panel to the door. Now, back to the project at hand.
I separated just enough of the vapor barrier from the door to get access to the latching mechanism and the two nuts retaining the outer handle to the door. I did this using a razor blade to cut the black goo, rather than tearing the barrier and/or making big tendrils of stretching goo as I pulled at the barrier. Once I had access, I pressed down on the flat lever that the outer handle is
supposed to press down on, and opened the door. I then removed the two nuts retaining the outer door handle, and removed the door handle.
After noting that the
child lock had been engaged (what a a surprise... not), I laid out the broken handle to snap a photo:
The separate white plastic bit is supposed to be attached to the handle lever at the upper right. Instead, it was found down inside the door shell.
For comparison sake, here is what a good handle looks like (bottom, red) compared to a broken one (top, white):
Without that plastic piece, there is nothing to press down on the flat lever in the latch assembly. Although
it is not necessary to remove the latch assembly from the door to perform this project, I did in my case so as to get a photo for you. I have placed a small piece of blue painter's tape on the flat lever about which I write:
I had the luxury of a spare [red] outer handle. With the application of some white rattle can, I was good to go. Had I not possessed the spare part, I would have probably tried using a bolt & nut pair to hold to the door handle a stack of washers approximating the dimensions of the broken plastic piece. I bet that would work.
Speaking of that broken plastic piece, I was briefly tempted to see if a Phillips screwdriver might somehow unscrew it from the door handle. Take my word for it - this is just how the part is made, and there are no threads involved.
After seeing how wimpy this piece is, and how much inherent leverage the mechanism has to pop the plastic piece loose, I am amazed that more Escort door handles aren't broken in this manner. Perhaps as they age, this issue will become more commonplace. The morals to this story are:
1. Don't yank on the door handle of a locked door.
2. If you are not trying to restrain a young child in the backseat of your Escort Cop Car, keep the child locks disengaged.
To finish out my posting, after the paint dried, I put everything back together. The End.