Thank You...... This Girl Did It!!!!!! The screws are not fun to remove or put back on where they are located. The aftermarket door handle I bought needed different screws.
This was a difficult job. I understand the reasoning for making it difficult, we don't want our cars to be easy to break into. Thank you for this video, it did help me greatly. What I did as a temporary fix was to drill small holes in either side of the broken handle and put some stiff wire between those holes. It allowed me to be able to open the door while I waited for the new door handle to arrive. Thanks again for the video, it really helped a lot.
Very good vid for this project. I think this is the second handle I have replaced on my 97 Camry. But your tip on putting the rear bolt in from the outside was worth the time it took to watch the whole video plus the idea that the replacement part uses different bolts from what was stock! This is a keeper of a video! KUDOS!!!!
Thanks! I did this repair today. It was reasonably straightforward for someone who's got DIY but not car-repair experience. Took me about 1:30 hours. I preferred these instructions to the 1A Auto instructions (that video has better shots though, if you're unsure about what the latch looks like, check out the 1A auto video). I got the right bolts from my neighborhood hardware shop before starting. Did not need any special tools (WD40, hairdryer, etc.) in the mild Seattle fall. Thanks again, great to have a functioning handle on my car again!
Thank you for the Video, helped a great deal. When I replaced mine, one of the things I did was stuff rags and paper in the bottom of the door so I wouldn't lose any bolts or nuts into the recess there....
Great video. Thanks for taking the time to film, edit, and comment on your work. Brave man prying on plastic parts below freezing temps (-: BTW, the opposite jaws on the caliper are for taking "inside" measurements (e.g. when measuring from the edge of a nut to the end of the bolt before cutting).
Thanks, did this today. The part at 5:37 is by far the hardest part (getting the metal rod out). I sprayed WD40 on it, and used a hair dryer. I'm not sure if either that helped or not. What finally worked was using pliers with my right hand on the metal rod, and just pulling with a lot of steady force, while wiggling the rod as much as I could. The two plastic/vinyl caps come off really easily in the summer, with a small screwdriver and gently pulling with gloves.
Great video, very helpful. Thank you for posting, got a late start on replacing my door handle today. Got to finish the job tomorrow. A pain in the ass to do but cheaper paying a dealership or a garage to put it on for ya. Again, thank you for posting. 👍
The Original Mechanic, your video helped me out a lot, got the job done yesterday after I got off from work. Next thing I have to get done is replace the speaker on the driver side. Seen where it was busted due to it's age. But that will be an easy fix.
Overall a good video, but, about 9:20 into the video, you attach the bottom left 12 mm bolt, which attaches the lock cylinder to the handle. What you don't mention is that you also attach the lock rod into the lock rod clip and "lock" the rod into place. You talk about how there is "just enough room" to install the handle, but that you might scrape your paint a little. You don't show the process and hassle of getting the handle in the opening. MUCH trial and error showed me that the "key" to installing the handle with the lock rod installed is to get your key and turn it counter-clockwise while pushing the inside part of the handle through the opening. This "shortens" the handle and makes it MUCH easier to get through with the lock rod installed. Otherwise, it is a frustrating proposition.
Watched your video, it took me about an hour to replace thr handle. One thing I did wrong was that I removed the screws before I removed the latch arm. Big mistake. Thank you.
I may have missed it in the video, but why didn't you just reuse the original bolts? I see you have new bolts in there that are too long, but what about the original bolts?
I'm in Arizona, where the heat kills plastic; worries me with my 2000 @>270,000 miles. I already have replaced one rear handle, and as I prepared to replace the front passenger side (whenever there's a break in the heat from the 100's), my front driver side broke, and it's on order now. So glad am I to view your help, and I mean helpful instructions. Thank you for the quick and dirty solution to a task which can be a very long frustrating ordeal; i.e. trying to reattach the lock to the rod from the inside. And you solved the question,"What's this for? Where did it come from?"
the big plastic plugs will go in easier with a touch of ChapStik on the friction-causing edges. I broke the outside passenger door handle in VERY cold weather by not warming the latch first. Now I have to replace the outside handle. Be patient and do NOT force a plastic latch
Be sure use correct bolt/screw. My new handle didnt come with bolt so i used old ones from original handle. I ended up cross threading bolt-hole and now have to order a whole new-new handle.
Video is good but the quickest and easiest way is .. First u pop out and disconcert that handle rod rod with a long handle screwdriver ... And then take out the two top bolts and the handle will come out just enough where u can disconnect the lock rod .... Replace back the same way but do not tighten front bolt tight at all as you or going to have to have some play in it to install that outer bolt ... Then tighten them up and Snap handle rod back into place I had to put wd on it so it would pop back in the new one easier ... Put back together every thing and you or good to go..... It only took a hour from star to finished if you tackle it like this ...Cheers
1. Interior door handle-the one with the locking lever- has two clips on the top and bottom toward the side facing away from the hinges. Be careful and try to unclip these or you might break the actual handle itself. 2. My ebay replacement did not come with bolts. 10 mm bolt fits in the side away from the key cylinder, a 12 mm works good for the threaded hole near the lock cylinder, and gives the added length as this side supports the lock cylinder. 3. My handle came with a phillips screw for securing the top of the lock cylinder, this is not a tapped screw, its self tapping, but was too short. Use the original screw for this, it is self tapping, do this before installing the handle so it's pre tapped for the new handle. 4. Use your key to hold the lock cylinder in place from the outside, makes it easier to line the lower bolt up under the lock cylinder. 5. Use some wax on your socket to keep your 10 and 12 mm bolts in the socket so you don't need a magnet to find them when they fall inside the door. 6. Only have to remove the rod that opens the door, not the one going to the lock cylinder. Have a telescoping magnet to fish the bolt when you invariably drop one inside the door. Took an hour. These tips should help.
Lucked out. Bought replacement handle, but only had to use plastic clip from handle to lock rod. Couldn't find a clip locally, so took one off replacement door handle. 1997 Camry.
The lower rear bolt is much harder to put back in than to take off. Don't tighten the upper rear bolt completely until you get the lower holes lined up. You need good finger tip dexterity to get lower one in the hole and started in the threads. Don't let bolt fall or you'll need a magnetic retriever to find it.
Just had to replace the driver handle on my 98 Camry 217,XXX miles. Between the wrong length screws initialy stress cracking the brittle plastic and thousands of uses, I feel lucky that mine has made it so long. It's a know weak design that Toyota redesign for the next gen. Of the 23 '97-'01 in my local yard, ALL had missing or broken driver door handles. Ever wondered what the other pointy things on the top side is for?, other than jabbing in your hand? 8)
This looks very hard to do when you can’t see inside to get all those parts unscrewed. Plus, I don’t have all those tools ( non mechanical person here). The sawing the length of the screw sounds crazy too. No wonder it all costs so much to have a shop replace the door handle.. Looks as much fun to do as enduring a root canal.
My 2000 Camry door handle does not have threaded screws it’s all plastic with self tapping so I had to find the correct screws that would fit into the replacement parts yipes!
It was about 30 below when my outside drive side broke I took a couple zip ties . Making sure plenty room for finger. It's 6 month later like it just fine except for once . I was talking to someone and standing passenger door looking away from car. And when opening it as I swung it open my finger was still in there when trying to swing it wide open only little painful for 10 seconds
Just bought this car, 3rd one. Love them..but the previous owner replaced this handle and it's a bit loose. I'm going to attempt to tighten the bolts up
Wish I could do this but I have no experience with any of this stuff and I don't want to spend $200 or more to take it to a dealership... would taking the car to a local auto-shop or mechanic be cheaper? How much would you charge for this job? You're amazing!!!
I would think a shop might do it for less than $200. Just call around and describe the job and I bet you find someone more reasonable. All I work on is my own stuff.
@@TheOriginalMechanic Thanks so much!! Just for an idea of a rough estimate of the price range, how much would you say this job would cost around? Somewhere in the $50-$100 range? I'll mention this conversation to future mechanics and see if they agree or not...
@@quentinboswell900 ok I’ll check that out when I get back to working on it thanks! It’s only when I hit the lock button from the control switch, it will lock and unlock and all the other doors will lock and unlock to
I swapped the door handles on my 2018 4Runner and now I can’t open the driver side rear passenger door from the outside, it makes a weird sound when I pull the handle too. Any advice/suggestions? Thanks!!
Peace of junk. What should of taken one hour took a lifetime. Threads for bolts not flush way off center the ends I noticed were raised on an angle so removed all the thead inverts the heat gun and replaced flush ( a complete nightmare ..) Then put back in and pulled on handle and lift rod popped our so took apart and put in vice and lift rod would not SNAP into handle so drilled hole bigger and put rod in pushed plastic clip down and zip tied it against rod through hole opening ..put back together then worked fine but inside lick botton wouldn't move up with flicking key fob ..took a chug whisky break then pulled out new inside handle cover ( since worked fine without cover so indside to tight for handle and knob ) and filed that down at top and bottom and then it all worked fine... Buy OEM !!!!!!!!!
Every one of these cars I saw in Florida had broken handles.. Toyota should of replaced them for nothing even though they were old cars. They were real junk.
