Broken plastic door latch trim - 96 Misty

[Spikedog]

I'm trying to figure out the best way to repair both front door's interior door latch trim. It's grey plastic, and has a screw in the middle to help hold on the door skin. The driver's side door trim recently broke, at which point I noticed the passenger door trim was broken too.

I guess I could glue it back together, but it does take some abuse every time the door is closed from inside, so I'm not sure that would last. Any way to reinforce this piece, or is there an aftermarket replacement? I suppose I could get one from the junkyard, but there aren't any close to where I live, and it could be just as brittle as what I've got now.

 

[BrApple]

best bet is to just replace with a used part. check out the classifieds if there are not any junyards near you.

 

[Spikedog]

I see the post has been moved. I thought I had posted it in Troubleshooting to begin with?

Guess I was figuring it was a more common problem.

 

[BrApple]

it was moved because it isn't a troublehooting post. you are asking how to fix an issue, not determine what the problem is ....

 

[Spikedog]

Problem fixed, for now. I made it to a junkyard this weekend out of town, and got the repair parts - even scored the right color. I had to go through 4 vehicles to find intact parts, as the first 3 had the door latch trim broken in the same spot as my originals. So it turned out to be a fairly common issue, I'm guessing.

 

[Spikedog]

Dambit, now the new one is broke too. It looks like the door panel flexes out too much when the armrest is pulled to shut the door. I was doing OK until I let my 19 year old son drive it to college all winter.

Back to the junkyard. I saw a nice Mystique with the right color interior last time, but all the doors were locked. I'm gonna bust a window out and get inside to pillage all the interior parts. I hope that part of the junkyard is deserted when I do it.

 

[striker2]

there are 2 bolts inside the door pull so that when you pull on it to close the door you pull on the door not the cover panel. make sure they are there.

 

[Spikedog]

There is one towards the rear of the door pull that has a round plastic cover over it - that one is tight. For the life of me I can't see any others. I've looked at it upside down, sideways, etc. This is a 1996. I've seen pictures on other threads that show a cover you can pry off, but they don't look like my door pull. Any help locating this little bugger would be appreciated. I count a total of 8 screws on the door, while the interior FAQ sticky thread says there should be 10.

 

[striker2]

the center of the door pull should have a cover that you pry off and there should be 2 screws behind it. you should be able to see it in this picture, the center piece in the door pull is what comes out.

edit: this thread shows how to remove the door panel, which requires getting to those 2 bolts so there is a nice picture of how to remove that insert
http://www.contour.org/ceg-vb/showthread.php?t=6702

 

[dlphnfn]

That's a great "how-to". I wish everyone would be forced to read step 3 when they sign up for an account here! Every car in the yard has beat up screw drivered up plates there.
Erick --

 

[Spikedog]

Thanks for the picture, but my door doesn't look like that. The door handle looks like one piece that runs from below the interior door latch handle back to the end of the door. Plus, the power window controls are on the top of the door handle, not integrated with the door release handle. Pulling on the door handle will result in movement of the power window controls, and it looks like there are two 'claws' that extend inward and should be hooking onto something but aren't. Maybe the picture is of a 2000 model year? The how to link is also a different door handle layout.

I recounted the bolts that I can find, and came up with 9 now. So I am still missing the 10th bolt - it's gotta be somewhere near the middle of the handle, eh?

If I get a few more days of good weather, the junkyard might be dry enough to get back to the old Mistique I saw last year. I could start with the passenger door panel removal, and make my mistakes of discovery there. I've got to get a new rear driver's side panel anyway since a loose bowling bag smashed the speaker cover.

The picture is my experiment on posting pictures. I'll get one for the door if this works. It's about how I feel about this door now anyway.

 

[striker2]

ah, didnt realize the mystiques had a different door panel. it probably looks like this then?

if thats the case then there is the one under the door pull behind a screw cover, you can just see it in the below the rear edge of the pull handle. if there is another one it is probably under the window switches.

 

[Spikedog]

Yes, that's the right layout. You've got a picture for everything, striker2. Is it a Contour/Mystique thing or is it just the particular year that determines the door design? I couldn't swear that the junkyard donor for last year's parts was a Mystique or a Contour.

The screw cover is quite obvious (even in the shadow under the door pull). It's the other screw that's a mystery. Or else, there isn't one, and the force of shutting the door is transmitted to the trim piece above the door pull. Which is why they seem to break....?

 

[striker2]

its a Contour/Mystique thing as I have owned both a 97 and a 2000 Contour and they had the same style door panels.

im guessing the other screw, if it exists, is supposed to be under the window switches based on where its located in the Contour door panel (one in each end of the pull)

 

[Spikedog]

I got to the local junkyard this weekend. There were about 10 Misty/Contours of the right vintage, and only one had an intact driver's side door handle bezel (it's brown and doesn't match the grey interior...oh well). It was the locked one I mentioned previously. I took the door panel off another vehicle just to see if there was a screw under the power window control panel - nope, no screw there. Basically when you pull the door shut, most of the stress goes right to the clip on that plastic bezel piece - hence, the breakage is pre-ordained.

I did find another little helpful tip - the rear door bezel is exactly the same, except for the door lock switch. If one could drill/carve/mill out an oval to fit the door lock switch in, it will work. And probably has had a much easier life than the driver's door.

 

[Spikedog]

Followup to this thread. I eventually used a rear door bezel, and ground out an oval for the electric door lock switch. It's hung in there quite a bit longer than the others. Only drawback is that the replacement is brown instead of grey.