Door Handle Carrier Installation Problem
 

This repair has really reminded me why I no longer enjoy working on cars.


I am replacing the DHC in the rear drivers door of my 2004 X5. The entire process has fought me every step of the way, and now I have to take a break out of frustration. The new carrier (aftermarket, but not cheap) appears in every way correct to the one I have removed. My problem is the rear part of the carrier simply will not sit snug against the door skin. I have had it in and out several times, there does not seem to be anything in the way preventing it from sitting flush. With pressure, I can force it into place, but this to me does not bode well for its longevity.


Any suggestions?


Thanks!

Been there before Chief. It is easy once you know how to place the carrier in place.

When you are sliding the carrier from the large access from the center of the door upwards to get in in place for the door handle area, you have to tilt the carrier to get it under a small lip that is there. You are on top of the lip and that is why it won't lay flat.

So tilt the carrier top towards the outer door skin and it will slide under the lip that is causing your issue. :thumbup:

Possible tip that applies: especially for read door I remove the latch/actuator and get at least twice the space to work!

Thanks guys. I did see the "lip" inside the door skin, but just can't maneuver it in place. Guess I'll remove the actuator to gain some room. I have been reluctant to do so based on how every component has fought me so far!


Off to research the actuator threads!

I had a similar issue. It's just a matter of continually wriggling it around until you get it in place. I also had an issue where I think I had it on top of the window glass, as opposed to below.

The front door removing the actuator only makes it twice as easy to get the dhc into place, in the back it's 5x add easy. No fuss no muss you might even be able to leave the power conneced and just drop it down.

In my actuator repair thread I only have two steps for remove the actuator:

1) remove the three t30 screws
3) it's free.

Step zero) disconnect the dhc cable.

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0SGsCn7Ga0oFm


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I would honestly recommend a genuine part. The tolerances are pretty tight, and it is a tedious job. Definitely unbolt the door latch assembly, and move it out of the way a bit. Will make it a lot easier on the rears

I second that commotion. Put an aftermarket one in the front passenger door on our '04 recently. The cable on the aftermarket one was too short and didn't work properly. I had to use the cable from the old OE assembly which, fortunately, was OK.


The cam lock where the handle's front part fits was out of round on the chinoleum one, so I had to tap a punch into the hole to make it fit.


Last affront was alignment of the lock cover - the bolt wouldn't go in. I had to bend the frame a bit so the bolt would align. The OE part uses a dogpoint bolt - re-use that as the aftermarket one is a plain bolt and there'd be zero hope of it threading.

^^^ Wow, amazing cable pics there. How could they be so wrong?

But I wanted to chime in saying I've got 4x Febi DHCs in my 2001, all from RMEuropean, all installed just fine, and still working with a few years following install.

I did not do any cable transplanting with the Febi's. I did recently do the AndrewWynn stainless steel zip tie reinforcement on the driver's door DHC, but that is just preventive.

The 4x broken originals all failed the same way - the U-shaped pivot support cracked or completely broke off. I shipped them all to AndrewWynn for his x5 Repair and Maintenance Laboratory.

And at least one is living a second life after being refurbished I think maybe two of them