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TheRealMrEd -> RE: 2004 Freestar rear lift gate handle (7/5/2008 6:01:49 PM)
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This happened to me moments ago on my 2007 Freestar. Outer liftgate handle came off and liftgate would not open. User''s manual said to remove small square cover inside liftgate over latch and push little rod to the right (Left if you have power lift gate I have power locks, manual liftgate.). What they didn''t say was which little rod. The trick is that the first little rod you find that looks like it has been diconnected from a pushrod does nothing!
You can try feeling (looking with flashlight) for a steel cable wire (NOT electrical wire) and tug on it with your fingers to unlock the latch. If that fails you gotta find the little NYLON rod to the right rear of the cable latch tower just referenced a little sort of bent white nylon rod that has a sort of hole molded into the top side that also looks like it should be connected to a pushrod but isn''t. Push the nylon rod to the right and that should unlock the door. Once the door is opened (maybe even before not sure) remove the trim. This is only two phillips screms on the trim panel and two 8mm hex screws on the inner grab handle. Remove these and pull toward you at the bottom ( couple of places on sides where trim panel snaps into body pull free with fingers). Shop manual says undo trim around window first, but I didn''t; just use care reassembling and start the 8mm screws BEFORE the phillips screws when going back.
When trim panel is out of the way, you''ll eventually find the bar that slid over to disengage the handle hooks, push it to the side and reinstall the old handle. Voila!
Took about ten minutes, and I''m old!
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