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| By: Pinch on Sat, 29 Nov 2008 00:26:58
| | Door Panel Removal
Ok, the most important thing to remember when taking anything off your car is patience. Depending on how old your car is, parts may be brittle and are likely to crack under strain. Remember, once you're done working on your car, it has to go back together (unless you're after that "customized" look ;).
That said, here are my 2 cents on things:
First off, take a minute to inspect the panel. Run your fingers along the edge of the panel and give it some light pulls just to see if/where it is loose and try to get an idea of the locations of any fasteners holding it in place. In this step you are not trying to actually take anything apart, you're just doing some recon. You'll want to look in some of the not so obvious places as well. For example, arm rests almost always have some sort of screw that goes all the way through the arm rest into the metal of the door itself. That will likely have to come off. Sometimes, manufacturers hide screws behind things like the cover for the light that turns on in the door when it is opened. Ok so you've looked at the panel and now have a basic idea of how things work. It¡¦s time to start disassembly.
I usually start with the window/door lock controls. If you have power windows with the controls built into the armrest, remove the screw(s) holding the control assembly and pull lightly on it. If it gives under the pressure, pull it out until you can reach the wiring harness (which is usually a bundle of a bunch of wires that clip into the assembly) and disconnect that. If they're not in the arm rest, or you just don't want to remove them, you may wait on this.
You will just have to disconnect the harness once the panel is free. Just be careful not to forget about it as the window/door lock assembly is usually insanely expensive and if you just pull the door panel off without disconnecting it you're probably going to damage it.
Ok if you have manual windows, there is a spring clip holding the crank in place. They make a tool to remove this clip, but you may not have one available. I will assume you don't, so a flathead screwdriver will suffice.
Now, the clip itself is roughly "C" shaped and usually faces the knob on the crank (the part you grab to turn the window). Gently press on the door panel near the crank and you may be able to take a peek at the clip to get a better idea of how this works.
Next insert the screwdriver along window crank (i.e. if the crank were at "12 O-Clock" your screwdriver would also be at "12 O-Clock", and push against the clip to pop it off. Place your hand against the panel, opposite your screwdriver to catch the clip as it will likely launch out of there rather quickly.
Once it's removed, just pull the crank away from the panel and re-insert the clip (so you don't lose it) into the crank. Ok, so you'v'e got the crank, arm rest, and/or pwr controls removed as well as any screws you could find.
Again, try to pull (lightly) on the panel and see if you can see what's goin on in there. You are looking to see whether the remaining fasteners are push pins or directional fasteners (meaning, are you going to just pull the door straight out, or up first then out.
If they're the push pin type, you can either use a panel popping tool or that same screwdriver you used earlier if you don't have one. Slip the screwdriver in between the panel and the door as close to a fastener as possible and give it an assertive but not excessive push.
These fasteners usually yield to this type of pressure, but are reluctant to drawn out force. Work your way along the panel and remove the remaining fasteners in this manner until all have been released. Now the panel should come free from the door. If it doesn't unclip any remaining harnesses or remove any screws you may have missed.
In some vehicles you have to remove the door handle (inside) as well. For many Toyota/Honda applications, remove the screw holding the handle assembly in place. It will now slide one way (push towards the door, and then slide it along the panel), and come free. All that's left is to disconnect the rod from the assembly. This can be a pain, but is not too bad once you get the basic idea down. The basic idea is that the rod rests in a hole and is held there by some sort of plastic clip. The rod should just pull straight up out of the hole once this clip unfastened.
In some Dodge and GM vehicles the handle is held in place with a single 10 mm bolt. Lift up on the handle a bit and look into the slot and you will see it. This may not be necessary, but it may make the panel removal a bit easier.
Well hopefully that covered most of the issues with door panel removal. If a panel is being stubborn, don¡¦t hesitate to consult the internet or any other reliable resource for advice. More than likely, somebody is having or has had the same problem you have and can offer insight.
Pinch
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