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This is more of a self-therapy thread but feel free to chime in if you have a notion.
A week ago, the passenger door decided, for no reason other than to annoy me, to no longer open from the inside. I researched how to fix it and ordered a Bowden cable, just in case.
I haven't even had a chance to fix the passenger door and the driver's door decided it hates me today and now it won't open from the inside.
Seriously, are the doors pre-2006 really that fragile? I've had a 2006 and a couple of 2007 Mini's and never had issue with the door opening mechanisms. Now both doors decide to go ****-ups within a week of each other.
It's not unheard of, but it's not very common from what I gather.
One thing I noticed shortly after buying my R53; the doors would autolock when first setting off and none of my passengers could figure out that you need to pull the handle twice to get out of the car. They would just pull harder, and harder, and harder until I yelled at them. This probably isn't good for the life of the cables. I eventually coded out autolock.
I don't mind fixing them, it should not be a major job - I just don't want to have to do it over and over. I'm afraid I don't have the patience for that...
<I won't swear at my Mini, I won't swear at my Mini, I won't swear at my Mini...>
I am officially frustrated. I followed the directions to replace the inner Bowden cable. I watched a number of videos and read several how-to's. Remove the latch mechanism they all said. It makes it easier they all said. You'll have fun and woman (and a few men) will want you...
Well they can all bite me... after 3 hours trying to get everything reattached, it turns out at some point I stretched the OUTSIDE handle Bowden cable. So now my door opens from the inside, but not the outside. I am not sure I want to even tackle that job at this point - if anyone has words of wisdom I'm all ears. I got a real job at some point so I could avoid unpleasant car situations. I do like turning wrenches and this should really have been an easy job, but what a total sh** show today was and I am thinking about paying the local Mini shop to just do the outside handle. Maybe I'll feel differently when I settle down a little. I am still hopeful I simply did not connect the outside cable correctly. Arthritic hands and trying to attach things by feel is a challenge.
On the good news front, you CAN detach the old Bowden and reattach the new Bowden cable with the mechanism IN the door. Once I had the latch mechanism out and could see it, it can be done, and I believe without a lot of difficulty. I'll try after the swelling goes down in my hands and the tiny cuts heal a bit...
Good luck. I'm planning on DD'ing my mini this winter in Wisconsin; despite my freezing door problem. I was going to take both doors apart and pre-emptively lube/grease questionable components to try and prevent headaches. Your experience is making me nervous....
Good luck. I'm planning on DD'ing my mini this winter in Wisconsin; despite my freezing door problem. I was going to take both doors apart and pre-emptively lube/grease questionable components to try and prevent headaches. Your experience is making me nervous....
To be honest, it was a major PITA but doable. I can't get the outside cable connected properly, but that may have more to do with my hands - not being able to feel like I used to along with arthritis that makes them hurt is not a great combination for this kind of work. I am still fighting with that cable this morning...
Okay, so I finally got my fingers to work and got the final cable installed. I wrapped it in green painter's tape so I could see it better. For me the trick was to feed the end with the protective sleeve through the top and then use the wire end to pull it into place.
The only other hints I have that I didn't see anywhere else is to mark the bolt BEFORE you move the window track (assuming you pull the latch mechanism), and there is a clip for the cable on the BACKSIDE of the interior door panel just below where the lock pull goes into the door. If you miss this clip the window will catch the cable every time it goes up and down.
I will report back how the passenger door goes without pulling the latch mechanism. I also suggest checking to be sure the current cable is actually seated in the latch mechanism - I didn't check on this one because I didn't know, but after installing this cable is is clear that the plastic cable piece that locks into the latch mechanism could pop up and then the cable wouldn't work, and pushing it back in to place is a lot easier then replacing the cable.
Okay, so I finally got my fingers to work and got the final cable installed. I wrapped it in green painter's tape so I could see it better. For me the trick was to feed the end with the protective sleeve through the top and then use the wire end to pull it into place.
The only other hints I have that I didn't see anywhere else is to mark the bolt BEFORE you move the window track (assuming you pull the latch mechanism), and there is a clip for the cable on the BACKSIDE of the interior door panel just below where the lock pull goes into the door. If you miss this clip the window will catch the cable every time it goes up and down.
I will report back how the passenger door goes without pulling the latch mechanism. I also suggest checking to be sure the current cable is actually seated in the latch mechanism - I didn't check on this one because I didn't know, but after installing this cable is is clear that the plastic cable piece that locks into the latch mechanism could pop up and then the cable wouldn't work, and pushing it back in to place is a lot easier then replacing the cable.
I feel your pain...(no pun intended).
I also have arthritis (RA)... My driver side, outside door handle cable broke. That was probably the hardest, most frustrating R&R I've had to do on my Mini.
Seemed like a simple job; HOWEVER, the cable had to be fed and an oriented in such a particular way (up and over the lock actuator) making it such an ordeal. It was nearly impossible to see and get your hands in there at the same time.
2hrs and a few thousand new expletives (submitted to the Urban dictionary) later.... my hands, neck and back were done for. Spent 2 days, 2400mg Ibuprofen, relaxing to recover.
PS: I made sure to lube everything up before I buttoned up the door card. Door work on a Mini is a *****....so is RA.
Now that I have done the passenger door, a follow-up is in order.
The passenger door took me 15 minutes to fix, from start to buttoning up the door card.
It is VERY easy to access the door covering the cable attachment and latch end of the cable in order to replace the cable. However, first check to see if the snap in end (in the box) is snapped into place. In my case, is simply popped out. Snapping it back in fixed the problem.
To be honest, had I not pulled out the driver side latch mechanism, I would not have know. However, any of the very helpful videos could have mentioned it...
