Drivers side door wont open!?

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Dec 17, 2013 | 02:15 PM

#26

mandd

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Quote:

Originally Posted by bavmotors

Do they use separate cables? I'm considering swapping out new cables invade my current cables are stretched out.

Yes. Look up at the pictures from ECS. The exterior handle has a short crooked cable and the interior one has a longer straight one.

Dec 17, 2013 | 02:19 PM

#27

ECSTuning

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From: Wadsworth, Ohio

There is the cable that's # 10 in the diagram all the way at the top of the thread. One per door.

Then the short cable that is integrated into the handle , you can see it here. Also at the top of the thread.

Both hook to the latch. Once you take the door panel off on the inside you will see all of it.

Thanks

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Dec 17, 2013 | 02:22 PM

#28

mandd

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Do you know if the short cable (exterior) is replaceable?

Dec 17, 2013 | 02:25 PM

#29

ECSTuning

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From: Wadsworth, Ohio

That little short cable that goes to the handle is one part, its connected to the interior handle section. No separate part from MINI. Its part of the handle.

You can see it here. And yes the newer design handles are easier to open. See the PDF file I attached a couple threads back for the older design.

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May 26, 2014 | 06:30 PM

#30

nlamunion

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From: Apex NC

I am having issues with not being able to open the door from the inside, took the door panel off and from what i can tell i think the cable is stretched out..... is the cable hard to replace? When I was messing around in there it seemed like the cable running from interior handle went across the door and then down which is different than the diagram posted. was i looking at the wrong cable?

Nov 13, 2014 | 11:40 AM

#31

mandd

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Quote:

Originally Posted by bavmotors

My friend has had his mini for about 6 years now and his does the same, he believes the cables that open the door latch don't work well in the cold. My handle works fine just feels like the door isn't unlocking. If I keep pulling the handle from the outside, it will eventually open. But many times I can't even get out of the car. Being locked in my car is a problem mini should address somehow.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mandd

I'll add my experience here, maybe it will help someone, and maybe someone can help me.
I have an '06, so the newer handles. I've only had the car for 5 months and it came from Southern California so it doesn't have a frozen history (I'm in Minneapolis).
I've found that when it is cold, the black rubbery part (the part you squeeze) goes into the chrome handle, but doesn't come all the way out. And it is very hard to squeeze--it gets harder as the temperature drops. The door opens fine, but the black part doesn't come all the way out. The door also closes fine, and you can open it from the inside too. UNLESS the automatic lock are triggered. Then I am stuck and can't get out. I have figured out that I have to make sure to pry the black part out before I close the door in order to not get stuck (again) Since I have the new style latches at least it is easier.
I've taken the door apart and taken the latch off and sprayed the cable with lube, and worked the latch until it seemed good. But this was in a warm(ish) shop and as soon as it got outside and below freezing, the problem returned. I didn't do anything with the latch/lock mechanism itself. Is it possible that there is a problem inside it?
Thanks

I have done some more work on this and I believe I have the answer--at least to what was causing *my* problem. And to clarify, my problem was that when I squeezed the black plastic (1) part into the chrome handle it stuck in there, rather than springing back, when the outside temp was below about 40F. After much testing with the freezer over the course of a summer weekend, I found that the cables were NOT the problem. The issue was that the black plastic frame (2) that fits inside the chrome handle (4) was contracting enough so that it restricted the movement of the...um...squeezed part (the moving part of the handle (1) ) so that the spring tension wasn't enough to move it back to its 'neutral' position. The solution was to file the plastic opening (as indicated by the arrows in the 2nd pic) a bit so that it was no longer restricting movement. It worked after being in the freezer, and now that it has gotten cold again, it has been working down to about 15F.

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