The Lotus Grand Tourers

Went to unlock the car using the key in the passenger door lock the other day and the lock just fell away when I tried to insert the key!

Any ideas what's happened and how to fix it before I strip the door panel off at the weekend?

Regards
Shaun

Excessive rust?????


Dave the cog

The plastic handle has a few metal threaded inserts molded into the plastic, the plastic cracks and the insert ceases to be held in place. This either results in the plastic handle coming away from the door, or the barrel falling away from the handle (this case).
These can be fixed, ideally cut away some of the plastic, rough up a big area and use lots of epoxy to secure to the plastic handle and the knurling of the insert.

Sounds like Fractured moulding

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10883&p=88562&hili ... dle#p88562

Thanks guys, I had a suspicion it would be something to do with the plastic handle.

Shaun

I've got a fix for the broken door handle problem - just not done anything about it for 3 years! When you get the handle off put up some photos of the damaged bit so I can see if I can help. The door handle may be fine - the lock barrel has a flange that can break.

Pete

I had exactly this problem when I bought my car last June.
It was the first job fixed and I was lucky the lock barrel was falling out simply because the single M6 screw that secures it had worked out. In this position, the insert was still good. Someone had used a wrong locking washer.

Not so lucky with one of the two inserts that secure into the door panel, but there are numerous ways to rebuild / rebind that insert, all covered on the forum.

Tony

shaunw wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 12, 2021 09:43

Went to unlock the car using the key in the passenger door lock the other day and the lock just fell away when I tried to insert the key!

Any ideas what's happened and how to fix it before I strip the door panel off at the weekend?

Regards
Shaun

Just as an after thought. No signs of an attempt to force an entry?

Hawaiis0 wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 12, 2021 20:55

shaunw wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 12, 2021 09:43

Went to unlock the car using the key in the passenger door lock the other day and the lock just fell away when I tried to insert the key!

Any ideas what's happened and how to fix it before I strip the door panel off at the weekend?

Regards
Shaun

Just as an after thought. No signs of an attempt to force an entry?

Not unless the blighters were conscientious enough to lock my garage back up afterwards

As suspected the plastic moulding had cracked allowing the metal fixing to come away. A dab of epoxy and all is well again.

Shaun