The door opener I was thinking of is mentioned in this article and I was only thinking you could make one for your own use, not mass production!! LOL

 

Thx for that link! Looks a far simpler item, and one that could easily fall off/get stolen whatever. I don't see how it clips on firmly enough to stay put reliably. I suggested one of the clamping ones to my wife, and got a firm "no" ! She really doesn't like many of my constructions! This is our door-bell, my first-ever house add-on, which has 2 independent switches totally water-protected inside. I had thought of painting the outer part pale pink, and the inner button a darker pink...

 

I was just thinking that replacing the switches could be a job to keep me busy, let me know if you decide to start supply again and I'll happily purchase. We have a safe routine in place for the opening of the post so no concerns with that!

 

Seems the general opinion is it's ok to keep internet-based business going. So I'll restart the offers of switches. Give me a few minutes to check inventory etc. I may well only go to the post once a week, so can't guarantee I'll be posting out super-fast as usual.

edit: Ok, switches, boot-clips & Voltshelf supports now back on eBay! Roll up, roll up!

 

Hello. This is my first post here and I would like to thank those who contribute to the knowledge and understanding of these great cars. In this instance to HandyAndy for his brilliant solution to the door switch problem.
I have just replaced my front passenger door switch without a problem- until.
Before completing the installation I decided to test it ( to check my work) and inadvertently 🤔 closed the door. Unfortunately the door won’t now open from the inside or outside.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Hello. This is my first post here and I would like to thank those who contribute to the knowledge and understanding of these great cars. In this instance to HandyAndy for his brilliant solution to the door switch problem.
I have just replaced my front passenger door switch without a problem- until.
Before completing the installation I decided to test it ( to check my work) and inadvertently 🤔 closed the door. Unfortunately the door won’t now open from the inside or outside.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Bit of a discussion earlier on this very thread about this (see post #42 onward) - seems some doors will not latch or will open from inside even when handle disabled but @CheesyPuff had to unbolt the door to resolve this. I suspect (hope) there will be an easier way - but can't suggest anything specific to be honest (other than of course making sure the locks are 'unlocked' and trying the inside handle again!).

Good luck!

 

Ouch. Did you get as far as doing-up, or undoing, that screw thing through the grometted hole? I think that either locks the handle mechanism in place, or releases it & lets it act again, or something. Sadly I don't know how the mechanism works inside the door. I think you're going to have to remove the interior panels to try & get at it.
There's a Chevvy Volt Service Manual pdf, about 75 MB, on dropbox here:
2012 Chevrolet Volt Opel Ampera Service Manual.pdf
Download this. There are diagrams etc about door locks & handle at page 1314 onwards.
Good luck!

 

Could you gain access to anything via the window aperture? Putting the window down and look down to see if there is any way to activate the catch?

 

Set about trying to enable the operation of the door handles this morning. As previously experienced the only solution seems to be the removal of the rear door to gain access to the Torx screw.
In practice, the bolts holding the door are long enough to loosen enough to gain access to the Torx screw, the retaining strap does need to be removed though.
The door retaining bolts are dowelled, so the door does not need re- aligning.

 

Set about trying to enable the operation of the door handles this morning. As previously experienced the only solution seems to be the removal of the rear door to gain access to the Torx screw.
In practice, the bolts holding the door are long enough to loosen enough to gain access to the Torx screw, the retaining strap does need to be removed though.
The door retaining bolts are dowelled, so the door does not need re- aligning.

The clear lesson here is that the Torx screw needs to be fully tightened and the door button and handle tested with the door still open.

This is how I did it:

1. The mechanism or catch that secures the door in the closed position is easy enough to push in with a finger. Mine was covered in grease so this was a bit messy but nowhere near as dangerous as the mechanism on my old MG that was clearly designed to slice off tips of fingers!
2. The door can then be locked by pushing down the pin (lock rod) on the inside of the door (the door will refuse to stay locked if the catch is in the open position) - with the door locked try the handle - it should not move.
3. Press the button on the handle and try again - the door should unlock and the handle should pull out sufficiently to cause the catch to click back to the "door open" position.
4. That test should prove the operation a success!

I have replaced all four door buttons three of them using original GM replacement door handles - Andy's replacements and methodology have proved to be, by far, the easiest, most efficient, and most cost effective!

On two occasions, when installing the GM replacement door handles, I managed to break the unexpectedly flimsy integral bracket that secures the control cable for the inner handle to the door trim - this is so easy to do when struggling to unplug the electrical connector with the trim suspended on this cable and the electrical harness.

The big plus with Andy's system is that the door trim does not need to be touched at all.

 

Hello all. I just found this thread because i ordered @HandyAndy door button kit. I have a 2016 Volt. I read the kits included instructions and breezed through this thread for any bits of "this worked for me" advice. Anyway, I had discrepancies from the git go. I started on the drivers side rear door. The Torx behind the grommet seems to do nothing more than hold the dummy cylinder moulding in place. So backing the torx out a bit and removing the cylinder allows the door handle to slide rearward and disengage from the spring loaded lock actuator assembly. I had to narrow down the steel strip to allow it to fit into the handle. But the door handle black plastic insert only had two small tabs for the dismantler tool nut to apply outward pressure to. Anyway, one of the tabs gave way, so it looks like using multiple spudgers / small screwdrivers and prying the chrome cover off is my option right now. I've decided to reassemble everything and post my dilemma. So any other gen II volts have this issue.Tthanks

 

Hello all. I just found this thread because i ordered @HandyAndy door button kit. I have a 2016 Volt. ...

Ah, penny has just dropped; you bought an item designed for Mk1, hoping it would fix your Mk2 problem!

...Anyway, one of the tabs gave way, so it looks like using multiple spudgers / small screwdrivers and prying the chrome cover off is my option right now. I've decided to reassemble everything and post my dilemma...

Ouch, sorry to here something broke. The Mk1 covers are almost impossible to disassemble using multiple spudgers/small screwdrivers, and it's damn dangerous as a result. But I worry that using my rechnique of forcing the 2 pieces apart in the middle might crack the chrome finish on your covers? Could be a risky process! Was it easy to split the 2 pieces apart, or did you struggle? Did my dismantler actually help you? Or have you decided to put it ll back in the car before actually separating it all?

... So any other gen II volts have this issue.

Did you mean "so many other gen II volts have this issue." ? I'm not sure I have the capacity to mfr for that car as well. Also, we don't have the Mk2 here in UK for me to test it on! But if it uses the same switch as Mk1, then I think GM have made a bad mistake. Mk1 switch must have cost them a lot of money in warranty repairs - I had one switch replaced that way, and the entire handle assembly was replaced - must have included the radio transmitter thing as well!

 

Hmm, I'll have to look at this! Mine's a gen1, but doubt that makes any sense. My front foor covers certainly aren't chrome - it's the same paint as car, and everything's plastic except the tiny bit on the tip of the push-button is chrome. I'll take a look at the online Volt service manual & see what they say about removong the rear door handles, can't see why they'd be any different from from the front ones.

The Torx on the front locks seems to be mo important than just locking the face cylinder in place; it has an action to do with releasing the entire locking thing, somehow. I admit I don't know exactly what or why; I've simply followed instructions in the service manual about turning it all the way in/out.

Thx for mention about the plate. Recent ones are 2mm thick as I can't find the type of strip I want in 1.5mm. Maybe that extra 0.5mm is enough to catch in the gap. My rears are ok, as hardly used, but clearly I'd better do one just to test & take some pics! Rather busy printing PPE at the mo, though!

 

Seems like I have a big problem now; I tried to replace the buttons on both of the doors of the drivers side. I was working on it, had both handles removed with the torx bolt still in open position. The parking lot is not in front of my house, and I had to leave the car for a moment. I closed both doors, thinking I could open them from inside and entering the car from the other side.
Unfortunately both doors do not respond to both the outside- and inside handles. I'm kinda desperate now, I need the car for the family.

 

Seems like I have a big problem now; I tried to replace the buttons on both of the doors of the drivers side. I was working on it, had both handles removed with the torx bolt still in open position. The parking lot is not in front of my house, and I had to leave the car for a moment. I closed both doors, thinking I could open them from inside and entering the car from the other side.
Unfortunately both doors do not respond to both the outside- and inside handles. I'm kinda desperate now, I need the car for the family.

Is your Volt a gen I or gen II?
I have a 2016, so I only have experience with the Gen II handles. Image 1 shows the rear door mechanism with the door in the closed position. an arrow points toward the pivot point the door handle actuates when you open it. The door handle pulls this point towards you.
Image 2 shows that door mechanism pivoted to the open position by using a screwdriver. You could try and manually actuate this with some wire or string.

Good luck,
Gary

 

I managed to open both doors. @OregonVolt: Thanks a lot for your suggestion and pictures, unfortunately the locking mechanism of a 1st gen is different.

I opened the front door by lowering the window and use a long rod to insert between the window and the outer metal of the door. That way I could push the mechanism to release the lock.

That did't work for the passenger door because of the frame for the small fixed window; there was no way to insert the rod high enough for leverage. I broke of the two small plastic nodges that hold the locking mechanism in place on the outside, thereby making it possible to move the locking mechanism just enough inside the door (by rotating it a little from the outside) to move the internal lever just enough to open the lock. Insertion of the handle and handle-end will keep the mechanism in place.

Hope this might help someone else facing the same problem, but as a fair warning: Do not close the door when servicing the door handles .

 

raldnor.... Glad to help even thou it wasn't applicable to your Gen I.

 

Hi all, slightly off topic but thought this was the best to place to post this...

My door handle fell off this week! I have tried to retrace my steps but have been unable to locate it. It's just the outer painted part that clips onto the drivers door that has come off...

Just wondering if anyone has got a spare left over from their door button repairs that they would be willing to post?

Replacements seem to include the entire mechanism for circa £50. Yes my 2 front doors buttons are broken, but I can live with that (I just use the rear doors on the odd occasion when I cant reach the fob)

Is this a fairly standard part across the GM range? Astra, Corsa, etc? It might make it easier to locate a cheap replacement on eBay etc if so.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Cheers
Jim

 

Please send me a private message with your full name and address and I will post one to you - I have a few spares but, unless your car is in matt grey primer of red metallic, you may need to paint it.

 

A couple of us have had an issue when ofter popping the handle cover off it pops back on again but as soon as any pressure is put on it rhe cover comes off at one end. The latching area looks undamaged but maybe it is worn and you can't tell as you can't see what it looked like before it was removed. There is an easy fix fkr this though 3M make a tape called gph 060gf. It is only 0.6mm thick and holds the handle on at the single clip end with no issue. We tried another double sided tape at first but it was too think and the waterproof layer could be seen. Sorry can't seem to add a photo.

 

Sorry can't seem to add a photo.

There may be subsidiary problem with posting an image, this is @Marx175 first post and I think you need a few (2-3?) posts before you can post an image.

 

Thanks for the info. Easiest way to add a photo in Windows is simply right-click & Cntl-C copy the .jpg from a folder, then Cntl-V paste it where the text cursor is. No point bothering with the fancy buttons, I had probs with them a few years ago & have never tried them since!

 

Using an android phone and can't add pics. Basically door handle fits back on fine with some tape, you'd never know it had ever been off.

 

I've rooted around in my pics, and enlarged & cropped a few bits. The lugs at the push-button end of the cover are chunky blocks, and when re-assembling have to go in position first. See next 2 pics.

The lug at front end is the one that gets unclipped during dismantling, and is the final thing to be clipped back together.
There's a squared off lip on the solid black plastic inner moulding with a rounded-off lead-in, see next 2 pics .

Now the bit that may be getting damaged during dismantling? Outer cover has a clip, looks like the hook bit is on a leaf-spring bit of plastic, see next pic of dismantling it with the dismantler tool fully screwed into the nut.

... and here's my handle cover after dismantling. Can only see a tiny bit of it, but enough I think.

 

Does anyone have an exploded view of the door assembly from the inside? Or of the mechanism the handle attaches to?

I've attempted a repair, but the torx screw came undone, and now my handle is stuck in the slot. I'm just trying to understand how the mechanism works so I can reset the sequence of how the pieces go in. I've got the things together in such a way that pulling the handle will release the latch, so at least the door is usable, but the dummy tumbler won't fit in the slot, and I can't finish the project. Heck, I can't even backtrack and remove the handle from the hole for some reason.

I'd like to know how to manually release the latch in case I have to close the door for the night, and don't want to have to scramble to figure out to make things just right. I'm hoping I don't ultimately have to take the window out to get access to the lever..

Replaced button works great too btw!

 

Looking in the Service Manual, I can't see any detailed diagram at all of the mechanics of the door lock.
The important thing to remember is holding the door handle in the pulled-open position as you tighten or loosen the Torx screw. It's a rather un-natural action to do this! I think this screw usually takes around 12 to 14 complete turns. Good luck!

 

Thanks Andy. I've actually had the receiving part of that torx fall off into the door and have to figure out how to get it back in place. I actually figured everything out but have to get this one silly part back in place so that dummy cylinder can stay in place snugly. Unfortunately, it's nigh but impossible to get your hands into the door to fit the thing in place, or even remove the mechanism so put it in place outside the door then reinsert because the mechanism is attached to that latch thing I'm probably going to have to remove the glass to effect the repair... Sigh .. what a silly design.

Edit: I've solved the issues. With a bit of dexterity, I was able to slide the metal nut thing back in place and do the sequence of steps to reset the handle into the right position.

Thanks again for this product, my 4 door handle buttons are like new!