My '95 civic drivers door handle stopped working around winter do to cold weather and I'm just know trying to fix it. The outside of the door handle is the part that doesn't work, the inside works fine. I took the panel off last night on both sides, to study the side that was working and the side that wasn't. I noticed that inside the passengers side (working side), the bar that gets pushed down to open the latch is low compared to the non-working side, which is somehow higher. With the non-working side being higher, the bar has more distance to travel before opening up the door latch. Nothing looks bent and I can't fathom how it got to be the way it is now. During winter I was aware of the handle might not being able to working so I just lightly pulled on the handle in minus 10 degrees and the handle hasn't worked since. I've looked at the back of the latch, that is attached to the back of the handle and don't see any parts the could have slide out of place while something else cold have been frozen, and there is no way that something could have been bent (it's all metal). So if someone else has ever had a similar problem and has been able to fix it, please share the solution. Thanks!

 

well id say pull the handle out...and inspect it beter.... it could be the door lock cylinder is sticking so it wont let the door handle release the latch... or could be something as small as one rod came off the handle....

 

Thanks for the idea, but my dad and I have look at it for hours and have even taken part of the springs that hold the parts themselves out so we could get a better look and still haven't figured out anything. The question that's got my it not how to fix it, but how it happened. If I can figure out how it happened then I can fix it. But not one real piece of evidence has been found since yesterday. Nice car by the way!

 

ud say its in the lock mechanism....

could have been when ice got in thier it jamed and either when you used the key to unlock the door or open the handle it COULD have messed up the tinyest part thats keeping it from working on the exterior handle...
ive never had my handles off so not sure if its one or two rods coming from the handle... typicaly its 2 that run to the latch..... and it could also be the latch is the problem as well....
i know on my truck it has 3rods that all work seperatly... olne for lock, one for outter handle and one for inner handle... if the latch STICKS it COULD be a problem....


its just one of those things ya have to play with to try and find the problem!

bust out the WD-40 and spray the latch down.... or take out the latch as well and play with its rod conections... could have a just worn out linkage/rivet joint on it not allowing it to open with the exterior handle.

just to hard to just SAY whats wrong unless you can see it and play with it for afew mins....

ANOTHER QUESTION.... DOES THE DOOR LOCK KEY WORK STILL? if it DOES id say its the latch mechanism thats just worn out.... it happens to every vehicle!