Replacing the door handle

To replace the door handle on the Corrado on either side you must first remove the door panel ( the procedure for this is listed elsewhere on this page) this is necessary to unplug the molex plug that the power wires for the central locking attach to. It is very important not to skip this step as you can break the wires causing a short in your central locking system.

* A note about purchasing door handles for the Corrado,
Door handles for the corrado are $150 from your local VW dealership I suppose this is because it has a built in electrical connection to signal the central locking system that you are locking/unlocking the doors. There are a few options for purchasing new handles for your C, the first is bite down and pay the dealer the $150 for a new OEM handle or one of the following;
The other option is to buy a used handle from a wrecking yard or private party. Keep in mind when you do this that the odds of the handle breaking a week later are highly probable , so unless you are getting a great deal or a warranty be careful who you buy from. A good used handle could be anywhere from $20-60 any higher and you may as well go for the new one.

Once the door panel is removed pull the plastic liner up from the bottom left corner. When you can see the 3 sets of wire connectors about mid door you can stop. Secure the plastic out of your way.
Photo #1

Next disconnect the molex plug with the 20 gauge brown/red/black wires. Follow the wires behind the window track and unclip them from the inside of the door . There are two clips. Now remove the screw that secures the handle to the door, slide the handle forward then pull it out from the lock side first. This takes a couple of attempts sometimes so be patient and work with it. Once the handle is out feed the wires up through the handle hole. If you want you can actually cut the old wires on the handle once they are disconnected from the plug. DO NOT skip pulling the panel off and just cutting the wires to remove the handle. You can swap you old lock tumbler into the new lock by removing the C clip on the back of the tumbler assembly and inserting the key to pull the tumbler out of the old handle. Installation of the tumbler is the reverse of removing it including having the key in the tumbler. Before re-installing the handle, apply a liberal amount of white grease on both the handle strikers and the inside of the striker itself. This should prevent future failures

Now reinstall the handle reverse of removal make sure you clip the wires back against the door so the window doesn't cut them in half the first time you put the window down. Test the lock function and re-install the door panel.

Occasionally reapplying grease is recommended

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