The driver side door can not be opened from outside because the lever which pulls the open has come off. so I'm trying to open the inside panel of the door (un-srew put the lever back on.I have unscrewed the screws but cannot remove the inside panel of the door. can u please assist me how to do so. I don't want to apply too much pressure so that i end up breaking the insidepanel

As the driver's door is the most used side it can be just worn or a part broken, best would be to remove the interior panel and check that the inside lever is still connected to the lock usually there is a thin metal bar that connects the two. If it is connected and you pull the lever and the bar doesn't move or only slightly this indicates you need a new inside lever, if the bar does move freely then you have to look at the lock mechanism.

handles may be in good condition but the lever on the latch itself may have came loose. your mostlikley looking at dismantelling the apolsery with the door closed to rectify it.

the inside of the handle break off remove it you will see it

{: ) The passenger door trim panel should be removed, and the inside inspected carefully for any binding of linkages, stuck up levers or cables, or worn out grommets, broken pieces, before deciding for a doorlatch replacement.

Sounds like the clips that hold the rods, that operate your inside/outside door handles have come loose. You will have to get the door panel off...but first...you'll have to get the door open. OK...where your inside door "lever" is located....there is a plastic cover behind that lever.....also, there might be a small plastic access cover... over the screw that holds on this larger cover in place. If so....pop the little access cover off and there will be a screw behind it. (keep in mind...this is behind the inside door lever you pull on to open the door) remove the screw...remove the cover...you should now be able to see where the rod has come loose. if you cant grab it with your fingers, get a pair of pliers and pull forward ( toward the front of the car) to open the door. Make sure the door lock is off also. You may find the clip that holds the rod to the lever is broken or the rod has just fallen out of the clip. Sometimes, you can wire the clip into place so it dosnt come loose again. At this point, you will want to remove the door panel....because the "outside door lever...rod...is also loose...in which case you will need access to the inside of the door to fix it. Just remember, you only want to this once...so while in there...fix it right....

Theroadisalover

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since it is the drivers front door it could be the outside door handle , the rod that goes from the handle to the lock asbly or the lock asbly its self take the door trim panel off and then loos inside the door and latch the door with the door open. open the door with the outside door handle and watch the rod and the lever that the rod is pushing down the lever might not be pushing the lever down far enough to release the lock. If the lock does not open try pushing down on the lever and see if the lock releases if it does ck the outside door handle for cracks along the hinges of the handle I have found that most of the time that it is the outside door handle cracked and the rod is not moving the lever far enough to release the lock.

I have this problem every year with my car, 1993 buick regal custom, 3.8. What happens is it gets cold, warms up a bit, and ice or snow melts and gets in the door, then it gets cold again and it freezes. I go to unlock and open the door from the outside and this problem arises.

There is a vertical rod on the left side of the drivers side, right side of the passenger side, that gets bent, from trying to open the door when that mechanism is frozen up. Just bend it back, a TINY bit and it will start working.

I got tired of taking my door apart every time it happened so i cut a little "door" in the cover thing, so i can get at that bar.

I also tried coating it in grease and that seems to lessen the frequency.

Open the inside door panel.
There is a big wire that connecting door open lever to the door lock,
The wire could be not in the proper posiiton, and its cause the door cannot open from inside.

Sounds like the door latch mechanism is worn out.

The door latch mechanism for your door is operated by rods, from the inside door handle, and the outside door handle.
It is highly unlikely, (Though not impossible), that all those two rods have fallen off. (Spring clips hold the rods in place. Opening Rod Control Clip. In the link below they are shown as Item E)

With the window all the way down, carefully use a long flat tip screwdriver, to push down on the lever for the door latch mechanism, to open the door. Make sure the lever for the door lock, in the door latch mechanism, is in the fully unlock position.

This link may help show you the inner door hardware, I'm referring to above,

http://www.mamotorworks.com/corvette-c3-door-hardware+1968+1982-inner-1-106-9491.html

You can see that when you pull out on the inner door handle, it pulls a rod forward. This rod is attached to a Bellcrank. The Bellcrank in turn pulls down on another rod, which pulls down on a small lever in the door latch mechanism, to release the door latch.

When you push down on the outside door handle, it pushes a small rod that is attached to that same lever as the inner door handle. Looking down through the window opening in the door, it is that lever that you're trying to push down, to open the door.

Viewing down through the window opening, try to operate the outside door latch a little. Watch to see what lever it tries to move. That's the lever you have to move Down, with the flat tip screwdriver.

With the door open, it is a matter to check out,

1.The Inside Door Opening Control, (The inside door handle is attached to it), to see if the locking part of it is functioning correctly. Make sure that it goes to the full Unlocked position.

2.The Door Latch Mechanism. Make sure it is functioning correctly. It, along with the various door hardware parts inside the door, needs to be lubricated at specific intervals. The more it's used, the higher the interval rate goes up. (I find that owners seem to Skip this task a lot! I use Lubriplate White Lithium spray)

To replace the door latch mechanism, I suggest you buy a manual for your car, so you can view all of the door hardware to remove, to remove the door panel. Then view how the spring clips come off of the rods, and the three screws come out of the door latch mechanism.

Some linkage maybe broken on the door handle. Door panel removal instructions are availablel on line www.carstereohelp.com/strford.htm but determining the problem will have to be found on your own.