Hi All,

It would appear (from old threads) that it is common for the drivers interior door handle to become jammed, meaning the door cannot be opened from the inside OR outside (very dangerous if you were trapped following an accident !). This problem recently occurred with one of my cars and necessitated in my climbing to the passenger side to alight (that was difficult enough for me - I dread to think how an elderly person would have managed). The next problem was how to remove the inner door panel to access the problem. If you wind the glass down and reach in you can then a) remove wood trim panel (pull forward edge out and then slide forward), b) Undo the torx screw situated under the small black cap inside the chrome inner door handle housing, c) Unscrew the two pozi-drive screws under the armrest. Once those three steps have been carried out you can then pull the top of the door card away from the door. Once done this will enable you to access the cable which is attached to the latch mechanism. Remove the cable from the latch (lift the cable end out of its hole and then pull the plastic outer cable from the plastic housing) and you should then be able to open the door by simply pulling the inner cable.

With the door open you can now remove the door card entirely. Pull sharply and you should be able to pull the plastic pegs from the door. There is also a small plastic screw located under the door card base - don't forget to remove same - the card will not come away without removal. Once card is loose separate the green and blue wiring sockets which are connected to the door and card (push one end in and slide apart).

With the card removed the door latch assembly is simply held by two small torx screws (you'll also need to disconnect the tweeter speaker and (if fitted) the memory pack plug. You'll now have the latch assembly in front of you for examination. I found that the hinge pin which slides through the larger chrome part (and the strong spring) had worked loose upwards and wasn't in the lower hole, meaning that the whole chrome assembly was out of line. This caused the two chrome parts to overlap where they shouldn't - hence becoming jammed. Closer examination revealed that the plastic insert (attached to the larger chrome part) had worn badly due to the misalignment and this wear allowed the overlapping/jamming - best explained with the attached pictures. The hinge pin may well have been displaced for some time. I managed to find a good secondhand unit, but they are becoming hard to find due to this problem (the small plastic insert isn't available separately).

As a temporary measure, if this happens to you, then you could poke the cable through the doorcard aperture with the card replaced - at least you would be able to open from the inside or outside. You may be lucky and find that your problem is JUST the hinge pin displacement (that's what I initially thought with mine - after refitting it worked for a short time but then became jammed again due to the wear shown of photo).

 

Hi CaptainQ,
Thanks for your very useful guide to solving this problem, I think it should be a 'sticky'.
I wonder if the worn part shown on the bottom photo could be built up by plastic welding or hardened super glue? I have replaced a broken driver's inner door handle spring with one I made, but have never had a jam. Could the hinge pin be glued in place with silicone sealant?
As you say, parts are becoming scarce, but I think the same handle assembly is used on a number of Jaguar cars of the 2000-on era.
Here in NZ, used parts are even more rare, as so few x350s were sold here.
Pete M

 

Hi Pete,

You're probably correct regarding other models using a similar handle (at least the chrome parts). I'm awaiting a used rear right-hand X Type door handle purchased on Ebay quite cheaply. It looks like it uses the same plastic insert shown in Photo No 2 In the UK X type spares are more prolific so, if I'm correct, then this could be the answer for other X350/358 owners problems - I'll update later this week with the outcome. Rear door handles obviously get less usage so should be wear-free. Might also be a good idea to super-glue the hinge pin prior to re-fitting (it's only held in place by a small area of splines near the top. Kind regards Keith

 

UPDATE: Purchased a cheap X Type right rear inner door handle and dismantled same. Turns out that although the plastic body differs, the chrome parts are the same, hence so is the plastic insert (shown worn in my photographs). Once the hinge is removed, releasing the chrome parts, the insert can be swapped over and, hopefully, problems solved. The moral of the story is: At the slightest sign of a sticking/jamming inner door release handle - CHECK YOUR HINGE PIN BEFORE THE PLASTIC INSERT STARTS TO WEAR. The hinge pin is a push fit with only small splines at one end.