How to Remove the Window Handle of a '93 Ford Escort Wagon

If you have the version of this vehicle with the manual crank windows, you may have to work a little harder to control the in-car ventilation. But the upside is that you'll have a much easier time making at-home repairs to your window mechanisms than if you had automatic windows. The following steps outline the procedure for removing the window-crank handle from any door of a 1993 Ford Escort Station Wagon.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Removal tool

1. Shop for a special tool designed for removing interior window-crank handles. These are widely available at most auto-parts stores, as are the standard metal C-clips that are used to attach window-crank handles to their gears. You might consider picking up a few of these clips in addition to the tool, just in case the one on your car becomes bent, broken or lost during the removal process.

2. Open the car door and slide the wrench-shaped end of the tool behind the crank handle. Push down until you can feel the crescent part of the tool surround the handle stem. While you do this, be careful to avoid scratching the door panel or tearing any door upholstery. If one side of your tool is flatter or smoother than the other, that side should go against the door.

3. Secure the tool in place by holding it with one hand while you slowly turn the crank handle back and forth with your other hand. The point of playing with the handle is to grab the C-clip that holds the handle in place with the wrench end of the tool, ultimately popping the clip out of place and freeing the handle. This step is mostly a matter of trial and error, and it often takes some patience to catch and dislodge the clip. When it eventually does come loose, you may feel the clip pop through the tool handle, and you may hear the sound of it plinking around inside.

4. Grab the handle at the base, not at the end, and pull it straight off the door. If it doesn't slide off easily and you're having trouble grasping the handle tightly, use the corner of the tool as a pry bar to loosen the handle a little bit around the edges. You should be able to lift the handle away from the door enough to pull it straight off.

Tips & Warnings

• You might find yourself spending 5 or 10 minutes trying to catch the C-clip with the window tool, but it's important to maintain your patience and not force the handle. Doing so could strip the gears in the window mechanism or cause part of the handle to break.
• The C-clips can sometimes pop off with great force, and they will occasionally fall through a crack and down into the door cavity. These are easily replaced with universal equivalents available at any auto-parts store.

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