How to adjust door handle rods 4 dr

[derkach99]

How do you adjust door rods on a 1994 Olds Cutlass Supreme 4 door once the door handle is loose?

[derkach99]

Also do you need a special tool to properly take off the door panel? With the plastic white fasteners I am worried that I wont be able to get the panel back on. On another note, I managed to get the handle off but how hard is it to get the door handle back on the rod?

[pshojo]

I actually never have had to adjust, what I've found out on my four door, is the rod is compressed every time you open, and it eventually starts to bend in the middle, typically toward the inside of car. So I've taken thick screw driver, push on the rod and bends it slightly back, then put on my door panel, I'm done

[derkach99]

You pry on it from the inside of the car?

[rich_e777]

You need the handles firmly in place and there is a retainer nut on top of the rod that you adjust accordingly to remove any excessive play in the handle. Manual also states you need to remove the trim panel and the water deflector to get the access you need. I haven't worked on a 4 door so I don't have hands on, just going from the manual.

[derkach99]

You need the handles firmly in place and there is a retainer nut on top of the rod that you adjust accordingly to remove any excessive play in the handle. Manual also states you need to remove the trim panel and the water deflector to get the access you need. I haven't worked on a 4 door so I don't have hands on, just going from the manual.

So handle has to be on the rod and how do you adjust this nut

[rich_e777]

The nut should be able to thread up or down on the connecting rod, that's how you adjust it.

[derkach99]

Once the door panel is off is it easy to gain access to the nut

[rich_e777]

Yes, the procedure calls for removing it. If one of those plastic fasteners breaks they sell replacements on the shelve at AutoZone and many other auto parts stores.I use either a flat head screw driver or even an open ended wrench to leverage them out, they might fray a bit but usually don't break as they are sort of flexible.

[derkach99]

I found out you cant get them off by hand so i bought the proper tool for them. Is the nut near the seat belt retractor?

[rich_e777]

Ok now it appears I was wrong about the sedan connecting rod being threaded like the coupe, sorry man. At the handle once its on where ever the connecting rod sits normally seems to be the intended adjusted position. You just use the rod to retain the rod against the handle bracket with as least slack as possible.

[derkach99]

The problem with mine is that it was doing great and then one day during the winter it just stoped. But the rod was still connected

[derkach99]

Well today I finally got the door panel off and we found that the rod bent therefore it wasn't compressing the rod enough to open the door latch. So I bent it out but with all the fussing around with it I managed to ware down the little plastic clip that hold the rod to the door latch mechanism. Now I need to find out where to get a new one. Also as A side note I scratched the outside of the door with the end of the spring in the door handle.