mk1 golf cabriolet doors won't open using outside handles

I hope i'm being stupid rather than coming across a unique issue that no one knows the fix to.

I have a 1989 mk1 clipper cabriolet
quite a while back the driver's outside door handle began to work less and less efficiently to open the door.
I was /am still able to lock it and unlock the door using the key without an issue but the mechanism to enable me to pull to door open began to work less and less efficiently to open the door.
I was slowly obliged to squeeze the 'trigger' more and more tightly/deeply until eventually it would not allow me to open the door at all though I could open it with no problem using the inside door handle.
I searched for an answer online and found several posts reporting locking issues but that is not my issue so I've then bought several replacement handles which all worked initially but very quickly failed.
Looking into the hole in the door where the handle fits I can see how a striker finger is meant to press downwards onto a lever however it looked like the lever might have been bent downward through 30 years of use such that very little contact would be made between the 2 which would / does easily explain why the mechanism is failing so I bought a new lock i.e. the bit that fits into the end of door on the inside.
I compared the old and new and this didn't seem to indicate that the lever I suspected to have been bent was bent…maybe a little but difficult to tell so certainly not to an extent you would think would be an issue but anyway I fitted it and - hey presto - it worked and continued to work…for maybe a week and then failed again.
To add my issue I had taken apart the passenger door handle as part of my driver door handle troubleshooting efforts only to find that despite it working fine when I reinstalled it that it too began to fail in the same way.
what on earth is happening? please can anyone help such that I might fix it please?
Failing that is there someone in the midlands I could drive to who could have a look please?
thanks
Ben

Ah, I see that you have the old finger is too small issue.

The normal latch looks like: Scroll you will see the issue,
How to remove and re-grease your Door Latches | Volkswagen Owners Club Forum



When exchanging the lock cylinders, folks make a mistake by using the new striker pawl.  That is the V shaped finger.



I have noticed that over the years certain makers of replacement handles are using a too short Pawl, or that they don't fit everything.

So If you roll down the window  then look at the striker pawl to latch engagement…

Also a saggy door, and the latch and striker pin that engages hard the striker pawl may or may not open the door.

HI Briano,

Thanks but it isn't the pawl that is the issue - the pawl, as far as I can tell, is used to lock or unlock the locking mechanism when you turn the key - it has the same effect as popping the black upright pin on the inside top of the door up and down and it works - I can lock and unlock each door however when the lock is unlocked and when I pull the trigger on the door handle, the door does not release the horizontal pin which his fixed to the door aperture so the door can be pulled open.

Hopefully the following will clarify…

I'm going to call the upper component that I've marked with a red pen in the first picture below the 'handle lever' and the lower red marked component the 'lock lever'.
when you squeeze the door handle trigger, the handle lever moves downwards and should press down on the handle lever such that the handle level moves downwards sufficiently for the lock to release the door pin so the door can be pulled open.
In my case the engagement between both levers is insufficient such that the pin isn't released.

please ignore the holes in the handle lever - I drilled these and inserted little screws in an attempt to elongate it in various directions to see if this improved engagement with the lock lever.
please also ignore that some of the elements of the handle are missing - I broke part of the handle off when attempting a 'fix' - I have another handle but it is easier to see the handle lever with the broken part missing.

When I was using the "Chinese" mk2 handles on my MK1 I had a similar engagement issue where I extended the length of my flat actuator on the latch so that it reached further towards the striker for the handle.

Look at extending the Latch and not the handle as the handles break more often than the latch.

On some of the handles you may have to mod the position by forcing it a wee bit down on the bottom.

If you take a flat piece of .020 steel and add a bit to the end less than 1/4 inch I would think, I would bend it, then drill it at the rear side where the steel is bent at an angle use a "POP-RIVET" at the rear and Jb-Weld between the 2, it will extend the length of the latch for engagement, and future handles will be easily changed…

You can purchase pair of repro handles, for sub 25£ and swap lock over,  and move the  fork/lifter over too if different ,like brian0 mentioned  increasing thickness increases the engagement.  your already looking at it and have it out so you can see how comes apart.
the whole OEM/Repro thing at times i feel is a farce, all i think you wanting is a working door handle, so bang on a repro and see how it goes.  if someone is so anal and wants to pull the trim off to see a VW brand on the handle then really they shouldn't be allowed near anyones cars.   RANT over. i'm sure i did a how too or something regarding swapping the fork/engagement part with repro.

If your local to me youre welcome to try a door lock/handle ive got about 1 million of the things,  what with 5 cabbies sat on the drive
 

I just had another thought?  
When you replaced the handle on to the door insert it into the slot then slide the handle all the way to the rear, insert the front screw and tighten, followed by installation and tightening the rear screw?  As if you don't slid the handle to the rear of the slot you can have alignment issues with the Latch and the door actuator.

On my 81 Diesel Rabbit/Golf I can remember that one of the replacement handles I had to file away some of the material on the rear screw holder to get it to give more rear clearance as the handle actuator to latch engagement was iffy about every 5 or 6th time….One I had filed a bit of the rear screw mount (actually I think It was more rounded than flat) it worked every time.

Hi both,

Thanks for the advice Kenneth - I certainally haven't got anything against repro handles but I've already bought at least 2 replacements as per my OP and they don't seem to last more than a few times so let me respond to Briano's suggestions..thanks for your offer for me to drop by so I may take that up if need be.

Briano,

I'm interested in particular about 2 of your suggestions.

Firstly you advise about filing down the rear screw holder - please can you see the top picture below of that hodler.
do you mean I should try filing down the red or the blue side or somewhere else?

Secondly when you suggest extending the 'latch' I assume you mean the component i've coloured in red and blue in the second picture below? - jfyi I referred to this as the lock lever in my OP.
if so, in which direction are you suggesting i extend this - do you mean extending the red side outwards i.e to the left or the blue side towards the right or maybe the side facing the camera downwrds as per the arrow?

thanks
Ben

The area that needs filing are where the arrows are, Notice the SLAG on the lower arrow…That should be removed to allow the handle to fully seat to the rear, I would give that a go first.



The Easy filing on the upper arrow.


The  Second shot is the latch that you may need to extend.

Hi Briano,


Thanks for the advice - I'm now waiting for a new handle to arrive but in the meantime please can you clarify your advice on extending the latch…

In this photo I've made a copy of the latch in blue paper and the folded piece of white paper is how I've imagined I might use a folded piece of 0.020 steel to extend the edge of the latch facing you.
The blue dot indicates where I might insert a pop rivet and I can only imagine that i'd use the jb weld you mention to ‘glue’ the steel to the latch but that may be misinterpreting your advice.
What is the purpos of the pop rivet?
You talk about drilling a hole in the steel from the rear side however to insert the rivet i'd need to make 2 holes wouldn't so if that were so I could as easily drill from the top side?
Please can you clarify?
thanks
Ben

You increase the length not the width.

Hi Briano,

OK maybe like this then?…..

Yes.

gr8…will let you know!
thanks
ben

Tin top and cabriolet handles are
different