I know I am resurrecting a 3-month old post...but this post was very helpful to me. i have recently completed the full carriage update based on all the great posts here. I thought I had done well and saved lots of $$. However, now, about a month or so later, the handle is getting harder and harder to use. I have to pull very hard and my wife cannot open it at all.
I plan to pull off the door panel tomorrow to see what may be wrong.
My biggest concern: I think that I may have cross-threaded the final screw that goes in to the locking mech. ( you know, that screw behind the black plastic plug that is so hard to find). So if I did cross-thread it do you think that I have also ruined the locking mech.? And if so, will I have to replace that AND the keys?
I'll re-post after pulling the door panel and looking to see if something else is loose. Not sure why the handle would have so much play that it would not open the door.
Any thoughts? Thanks!