my wife's toyota echo has manual locks...yesterday, the pull just popped up and out and we can't get the door open

it's still locked and the key doesn't unlock it (or if it does, the handle now doesn't work)

i'm fairly confident i can reseat the lock pull (which isn't completely out, but doesn't appear attached to anything anymore) if i can get the door panel off, but that requires opening the door to get access to some screws

thoughts? would a slim jim fix this, given that either/neither the key or/nor the handle work?

6/12/2013 1:23:26 PM

sounds like the handle became disconnected, so a slim jim would still work

6/12/2013 5:48:57 PM

Can you open the other door conventionally or... no?

6/12/2013 8:00:06 PM

yeah, all 3 other doors open just fine (though only the front passenger door has a key hole)

our roadside assistance includes unlocking service, so maybe i'll call them up and have them slim jim the door open

6/12/2013 8:39:18 PM

Quote :

"sounds like the handle became disconnected, so a slim jim would still work"

How so? Slim Jim is just going to unlock it. You still need the handle to release the latch.

Just take the door panel off. It might help if you take the seats out, but I bet you can get it without doing that. You might break the clip at front where the panel mates up to the side of the dash. No biggie.

6/13/2013 10:40:21 AM

how do i take the panel off? there are two screws that i have access to with the door closed...there are (4?) additional screws that are only accessible with the door open (if the passenger door is any indication, anyway)

6/13/2013 11:46:21 AM

Take out the bolts that are in the door panel. Pop off the switch plate. Pull out towards you, and look inside to see if you can access the latch rod.

6/13/2013 12:29:45 PM

Quote :

"Take out the bolts that are in the door panel."

i suspect i'm missing something...in the picture below (sorry it's big, the best i could find), there's one screw behind the interior handle (easily removed) and one at the bottom of the door pull "cup" (again, easily removed)

see those two on the far right (where the hinge is)? those are completely covered when the door is closed...there are at least 2 more (and i think 3, actually) on the opposite side (toward the back, where the lock is) that are completely covered when the door is closed

i'm confident i could remove the panel if i could open the door...but i can't open it

6/13/2013 1:34:02 PM

remove the screw in the cup and at the door handle.
The outside of the door is held on with clips, and the top just snaps over the bottom of the window frame. You can remove the cup, and pull into the car. It may help to have the seat slid all the way to the rear. As you pull out, and upward if you can, the clips should come free.

Just be careful not to pull the light gray insert out of the door. If you do, hot glue can put it back.

6/13/2013 1:38:54 PM

^ so what do you think those extra 5 screws are doing? i mean, those aren't separate pieces of the interior plastic panel (it's all one giant piece), so won't i do some major damage if i try to pull the panel from the door when the screws aren't out?

also, i assume i need to remove the window crank before doing any of this, as well?

6/13/2013 1:43:02 PM

Are they actual screws?

If they're like this then pop those sumbitches out and replace the damaged ones with a pack from Advance Auto when you're done:

6/13/2013 1:52:49 PM

no, they appear to be actual (albeit plastic) phillips-head screws

i will, however, double check...it could be that they're like these, but i don't think so



[Edited on June 13, 2013 at 2:07 PM. Reason : image]

6/13/2013 2:06:44 PM

Still just plastic either way. It's not going to damage anything to rip it out except maybe the screw itself which can be replaced cheaply.

6/13/2013 2:09:03 PM

this implies that there are actual screws around the door that i can't access with it closed: http://www.ehow.com/how_5569329_remove-toyota-echo-door-panels.html

not that an e-how article carries much weight

i'll double-check the passenger door when i get home

6/13/2013 2:11:13 PM

this door panel absolutely will not come off with the door closed...unless i break something more than plastic screws

suggestions for places to take it? i figure tommy is always an option, but i've never used them for anything that wasn't engine-related

6/18/2013 8:09:29 AM

Call up one of those unlocking service guys and ask them if they think they could operate the latch with a slim jim, etc.?

6/19/2013 12:25:10 PM

^ i did and they said they couldn't (not sure why)

ended up taking it to tunstall and williams...they called me 5 minutes after i left to let me know they got it open and to give me a quote...apparently, there were bits of plastic at the bottom of the panel space and they have to replace the entire assembly

still, the quote wasn't too bad...though i haven't gotten the final, yet

6/19/2013 1:07:47 PM

Door handles aren't expensive. If I was in town I would have helped you out

6/19/2013 10:20:04 PM

i would have suggested just cutting the doors off and riding around like those dudes in jeeps with no doors.

6/20/2013 11:52:45 AM

^

doorless is great

6/20/2013 1:38:23 PM