Hi all.
My drivers side external door handle has been a bit stiff for a while, but today (after the car has been sat idle for a few weeks) it would barely budge at all. I've managed to get the door open, but I'm worried that something is about to break.

About a year ago the internal handle was getting stiff... I changed two cables at that point, but if I'm honest I can't remember exactly what they were (pic attached of the ones I replaced). I remember it was fiddly!!

Is anyone please able to tell me what the problem is likely to be? What the solution is? And what the two cables are that I've already changed!!?

Car is a 2007 TDV8.

Thanks in advance.

Longer cable is for exterior door handle, small for interior, if insulation has not fouled the mechanism and there is no real dirt / corrosion, might be due to cable slipping out of fixing slot - On right hand end of long cable in photo, there are two square flanges just next to the corrugated flexible cover, these may have slipped out of the fixing point, mine were bloody hard to force into place ( Used genuine part from dealer ) Hope this helps.

You can move them by hand to see how much resistance there is. Usually the problem is door latch.
Trouble with cable(s) are that in some point the metal head breaks off. Just the same as the bonnet cable. It is that sharp angle that slowly "cuts" the metal head off.
If nothing is broken the cable change is easy job. Just make sure that outer one will not vibrate against something when shutting the door. That grey isolation is for this. In case your new cables don't have them.

According to what I read, the cable length can affect operation. Many people who have fitted ebay after market cables have experienced problems with operation, and it seems to me from reading around that it is largely to do with cable length.

I found the that the genuine cable I fitted only worked effectively when it was clipped into all the correct fittings, otherwise operating the handle did feel a bit stiff. I only changed the cable from internal to external handle - part number FQZ000041. Before clipping it all back into place, I tested the handle and it felt stiff and clunky. Once the cable was secured as it should be, the handle worked as normal.
Mark

Thanks for the feedback gents.

I always like to try to feed back when I've solved something... so just clearing this one up after I finally got around to the fix this weekend. I've been putting it off because I absolutely hate taking off the door card, and cold weather never helps with that stuff!

Anyway, given that I'd already changed both interior and exterior cables about a year ago I was pretty confident it wasn't either of those at fault (I replaced with LR parts). Basically it was a simple as just a bit of rust and general seizing inside the catch mechanism inside the door. I basically removed the door card, folded the foam back out of the way (held with a bungee), then sprayed with lubricant while working the handle and latch about a million times. If I was doing it again I'd probably start with WD40, then move on to spray grease, but I actually just started with the grease.

It is now about 90% better, but is definitely still stiffer than the other handles. I'm putting that down to wear rather than anything else.

So, just waiting for the next issue now!