Rear door handle intermittently quits and service center unhelpful. Should I try another?

[Dbj77]

i just booked my third appointment for a nagging problem that has been present since I bought the car. The back left passenger door handle intermittently quits working completely- doesn't auto present, doesn't respond to pressure. I have to open the door from the inside. When this happens, the window also won't work, making it seem like a power issue to the back door. A major annoyance is that this is intermittent, but I'd say it happens more than 50% of the time (will work for a few hours, then won't work for a few hours). The first time I took it in they replaced the door handle, no dice. The second time, they replaced the computer in the drivers side door, which seemed to fix it for a few days, but now it's back. I'm not sure what else to do- this seems to be a puzzle for the service guys. I'm wondering if I should try and book at the other service center nearby, to have a fresh team take a look. What do you guys think could be the problem? And what do you think about the fresh eyes idea? Thanks!

 

[Max*]

It seems like when you bring it in, they try to fix it. The service center is helpful, they just haven't been able to fix the problem yet.

Intermittent problems are hard to fix. Bring it back, ask them to fix it again and to test it longer to make sure it's actually fixed. Take a video next time it brakes, send it to them as evidence that it's still happening.

 

[Sethsla]

I had a similar problem during a cross country drive. All of the drivers side door controls and locks quit for both the front and rear doors on my 2013 S85 CPO. No locks, windows or mirrors could be controlled. I had to crawl across from the passenger seat to enter. I called 800 service, stopped in the next day at the Austin, TX service center and a tech specialist went right to work on it. He diagnosed and fixed the problem in 90 minutes - terrific service. Turns out it was the bus controller that sends signals to both of the drivers side doors. The controller was replaced and all of the door handles, windows and mirror controls have worked flawlessly since. Hope that helps.

 

[Dbj77]

Thanks! I took it in again today- supposedly a pin was bent in a micro switch. They fixed it and when I came to pick it up, same thing was still happening. The guy took it right back in and bent that pin as straight as possible- then it worked. Hopefully it continues to. The service associate said if it happened again he was going to order a new wiring harness for the door... hopefully I won't be going back until annual service!

 

[FrozenCanuck]

Thanks! I took it in again today- supposedly a pin was bent in a micro switch. They fixed it and when I came to pick it up, same thing was still happening. The guy took it right back in and bent that pin as straight as possible- then it worked. Hopefully it continues to. The service associate said if it happened again he was going to order a new wiring harness for the door... hopefully I won't be going back until annual service!

Hey - is this resolved? I'm having the same problem. Door handle doesn't present and the window also doesn't work. The window DOES lower and raise the small inch or so when you open / close it ... but the switches don't do anything.

My door handle has presented TWICE and only twice since I noticed the problem, but since it is winter I had not thought to test the windows until very recently.

 

[Dbj77]

Yes! It was resolved with the third visit to the service station. It turned out to be a defect present since delivery. One of the connectors from the door to the controller had a loose /bent pin. They replaced the back door handle and the front door computer controller before they figured it out. It was as simple as bending the pin back to make it connect consistently. Haven’t had a problem since!