'96 Civic - Problem removing door lock actuator

In trying to remove the power lock actuator from the drivers door on
my son's '96 Civic coupe, I was unable to detach the rod linking the
exterior door handle from the actuator assembly. I was able to detach
the other rods with little problem.

It appears that this rod should detach at the handle side, not the
actuator side. However, I was unable to find a clip or retainer that
would allow me to remove the rod. I removed the (2) 10mm bolts
holding the door handle/keylock assembly but was unable to pull the
assembly out (hoping that it would provide a clue to detaching the
rod) as it appears the keylock assembly is still attached to the
backing plate. Removing the E-clip and lever from the rear of the
keylock still did not allow the keylock / door handle assembly to be
pulled out.

Any clues or hints would be appreciated.

 

In my service manual for the '94 Civic it shows that the rod from the
actuator is connected to the outer door handle through some sort of
plug. It says to use a flat blade screw driver to pry this plug out of
the door handle. There is a UK service manual for the '95 Civic on line
at www.honda.co.uk/owner/civicmanual. Check page 20-7 at
http://www.honda.co.uk/owner/civicmanual/pdf/20-2.pdf. Here it says to
use diagonal cutters to pry out the plug. Your '96 may be different.