Bit of urgent advice needed on clio 200 - attempted break in

[TheRedEyeJedi]

Hello,

Think someone had a crack at my car last night. Basically the drivers door handle has been ripped clean off. I now have a hole in the body work on one end of handle and just the plastic fitting plate on the other end. The handle was no where to be seem.
The drivers door was on the pavement side so its no way an accident by something hitting it. It has to be an attempted break in by a complete moron or just mindless vandells. I cant see it being vandelism as nothing else is damaged, not even the paint around the handle has a mark on it.
3 questions....
1- my alarm didnt go off, i can still get in through passenger door and open the drivers door from inside, the alarm still sets and workd fine as does the keyless entry from passenger side....... is the car safe like this for a few days till I can get it sorted? I have a hole in the door but other wise its fine...im guessing it would still be pretty hard to break in as it is.
2- What sort of repair to you think I will have to do..... the handle is obviously gone, there was a pice of plastic hanging out of the whole which looked like it joined the handle to the inside of the door, was black with a clip on it- it had just sheared off so i have binned it. Will i just need a new door handle assembly or is it likely its gonna have messed up stuff inside the door too.
3- anyone had to have a neww handle on a keyless entry clio-- im guessing its not cheap as it must have electrics in there as its got the button you press to lock the car on it?
Not very happy to say the least but I guess it could be worse-- at least they gave up at that handle and didnt fuk anything serious up

Its this handle - silver bit on the left is still there, but the whole of the actual handle bit on the right is gone and I just have a hole in the door

 

[EllD90]

Pretty sure it should just be a replacement handle. The sensor behind the handle is the most important part! Hope you sort it with ease!

 

[marky-f1]

Just make sure you double lock it (deadlock) .

 

[TheRedEyeJedi]

Just make sure you double lock it (deadlock) .

yeah will do- i always double press the handle

 

[TheRedEyeJedi]

hopefully - sensor part seems untouched ... looks like they have just literally yanked as hard as possible on the handle untill it broke off ...brainless idiots basically if they actually thought they were getting in like that. It could just be kids but it seems a weird way to cause damage - could have done much worse with much less hassle if its just kids.

I just hope it hasnt done damage inside the door .... the plastic bit that was hanging out of the door lookded like it might have been desinged to just snapp off if too much force is applied so hopefully thats the case and it hasnt messed up the inside of the door

 

[Riad]

Think its just a case of replacing the handle mate, If its anything like the megane sport they come of easy and can be replaced easy.

Whilst your at it get them handles sprayed black!

 

[Revels]

If your keycard etc still works, then I'd say the rest of the electrics are still in the door. Pop the door card off and have a look, just a replacement handle needed I expect.

Report it to the Police too.

 

[TheRedEyeJedi]

If your keycard etc still works, then I'd say the rest of the electrics are still in the door. Pop the door card off and have a look, just a replacement handle needed I expect.

Report it to the Police too.

cheers --- i cant open the car by just putting my hand over the drivers side sensor.... im guessing its because the handle has to be there to complete the circuit and open the lock..... but yes I can lock and open the car fine from passenger side or boot using keyless system

is it just a case of removing the door card to get to the handle? Having had both my clios under warrenty and getting the stereo done by a fitter I have never actually taken the door to bits on one of these... im guessing its pretty straightforward to do

 

[Revels]

I'm not sure mate, but I'd imagine once the door card is off, it's fairly straight forward. But it will just be a few torx screws.

They might have got disturbed and run, planning to come back. Any damage to the door?

 

[TheRedEyeJedi]

Think its just a case of replacing the handle mate, If its anything like the megane sport they come of easy and can be replaced easy.

Whilst your at it get them handles sprayed black!

Im gonna spray handles and badges black at some point .... but I kind of need to fix this quick so I cant be arsed with spraying ect right now.....will be done soon though

 

[TheRedEyeJedi]

no further damage as far as I can see- everything else looks perfect. It was parked outside a mates house in a pretty ok area- loads of houses overlooking it and right out side where I was- happened about 11-12pm last night. Kind of makes me think it was just drunken idiots causing damage but it seems a strange thing to do

 

[EllD90]

My passenger lock barrel once worked it's way loose and came out, it didn't affect anything - central locking, keyless entry etc..

 

[The Boosh!]

A new keyless entry door handle is fairly cheap from Renault mate. Not as bad as you may think!

 

[Daniel]

On two of my 197's, on two seperate occasions, the passenger I was collecting at the time pulled the passenger door handle clean off when trying to get in the car.

They are really poorly designed.

 

[BoroGTI]

no further damage as far as I can see- everything else looks perfect. It was parked outside a mates house in a pretty ok area- loads of houses overlooking it and right out side where I was- happened about 11-12pm last night. Kind of makes me think it was just drunken idiots causing damage but it seems a strange thing to do

I would say its just some complete idiot causing vandalism, it does seem a pretty strange thing to do but then again people like this are strange! on a slightly different note i once got a car broken into and it had no interior, no stereo, nothing, it was basically a dash board, steering wheel and 2 seats, so what they were after i'll never know

 

[Tunst]

The alarm prob did go off but they are quiet on the 197 (or nashys was on his R27) dont know if its the same for the 200.


As said mate the handles are actually quite cheap.

 

[lbrench]

you dont need to take door cards off to take the handle off, there should be a grommit on the door insde of the door shut, take the grommit out and Put your finger in the hole and undo the clips and open it with the tab the handle pulls on

 

[l0rd]

BTW, I wouldn't drive it. Anything happens, your insurance will be void. This is because a door handle from the outside is an MOT check. If you do not have a handle, your MOT is void.

 

[AK]

BTW, I wouldn't drive it. Anything happens, your insurance will be void. This is because a door handle from the outside is an MOT check. If you do not have a handle, your MOT is void.

200s haven't Been out long enough for an MOT?

 

[l0rd]

True!

My bad, but in any older car, you would be in trouble.
I don't know how the insurance would do to this situation of a new car.

 

[Daniel]

BTW, I wouldn't drive it. Anything happens, your insurance will be void. This is because a door handle from the outside is an MOT check. If you do not have a handle, your MOT is void.

How so? If my car passes an mot in june but the tyres go bald in november, my MOT is still valid? :S

 

[ForceIndia]

How so? If my car passes an mot in june but the tyres go bald in november, my MOT is still valid? :S

Not the way it works. Iirc if you have a fault which would void an mot, they can void insurance if it contributes to the accident. Not quiet sure how a door handle could cause an accident mind.

 

[l0rd]

Not the way it works. Iirc if you have a fault which would void an mot, they can void insurance if it contributes to the accident. Not quiet sure how a door handle could cause an accident mind.

It wouldn't. All door handles inside out need to be operational.

Eg. (Knock on wood)

You get heart attack while driving and have a minnor accident. No handle, means no one can open the door to assist.

 

[MikeoftheQuays]

I've never heard of this but it kinda makes sense. However I wonder if it applies to everything. I mean, sure in the case of bald tyres it makes sense but everything else? From what I understand a decat means you fail your MOT. Does this mean a decat invalidates your insurance?

 

[lemonnobby]

I bet the internal bit of the door where the handle sits is damaged you should look in the hole and see a white tab pul this back and it should open the door. if its not there or hanging back the inner part is broke and the very easy to break. as for someone said there easy to get out there not as the rear bit has to be out first and the white tab has to be removed. the door panels and getting to it is not the best design at all i would leave that well alone.

 

[Daniel]

Not the way it works. Iirc if you have a fault which would void an mot, they can void insurance if it contributes to the accident. Not quiet sure how a door handle could cause an accident mind.

You're not listening to me Brown Dick.

The MOT cannot be 'voided'. Once its issued, its issued. I was getting at that rather than the fact the car is now deemed as un-roadworthy.

 

[Gumby]

BTW, I wouldn't drive it. Anything happens, your insurance will be void.

That is the biggest load of shite I have heard in a long time.

 

[Da]

The sensor is in the handle, by the way, not the door. The black square you can see is a refelctive plate which your hand blocks to unlock the car

So on that basis the car should be as safe as if the handle was still there, I'd just be concerned about water getting in through the 'hole' that's left.