Postby ohollenbeck » Fri Jan 11, 2013 11:51 am
I've been searching the forums about this quesion, and without getting the detail I wanted, just experimented myself and was sucsessful.
I had seen references to prying out things, and I hate doing that, cause if your wrong or in the wrong spot, your breaking plastic things.
Luckly for me I was able to get the panel off without breaking anything, but it was close.
Let me explain how things are attached, and hopefully someone will benifit. This is for electric window/door lock pathy's
1 - There are only one item that is a friction fit to be pried off, that is the bezel ring around the inside door handle. A medium screwdriver and some careful prying around the edges and it will pop off. the handle mechanisum and the door plate behind it stay in place, you don't need to take them off.
2 - The electric window switch panel is semi friction fit on the rear end, the front end has a small metal hook that you disconnect by tilting the rear up to about a 45 degree angle. Carefully take a medium screwdriver and work it under the back end of the panel and pry it up until it releases. the front will still be held on, now while tilting up the panel in the rear pull back to disengage the front hook, now the window switch panel is out. Turn it over and you will see a white plastic tab in the center of the wire plug, depress it and then you can pull the wire plug off the switch panel.
If you have a manual handle, just take it off now.
3 - The Arm rest is covering two large screws that hold the door panel to the door. So you must remove the arm rest. Look down into the hand hold and you will see a small circle in the middle of the hand hold. Use a small prying tool like a small screwdriver or pick and remove this vinyl plug. Under it is the screw that holds the armrest in place, remove it.
With the screw removed, use a large flathead screw driver and pry the armrest to the rear, (it slides rearward to remove, but may need prying to start it moving, don't pry up on it, pry in front, moving it rearward).
Once the armrest is off, you will see two large phillips head scews holding the door panel to the door, now you can remove them.
4 - Now for the perimeter plastic holders, pick a easy to see spot about halfway down the rear edge of the door panel, put your large flat head screw driver under the panel and pry away slightly until you can see a little behind the panel. Look for the closest plastic holder near the edge, and get you screwdriver as close to it, or on it and pry it off. There are many of these all the way around, just take your time and try not to break them or pull them out of the door panel.
5 - Unscrew pull handle on door lock and now your ready to remove the panel.
6 - Pull the bottom of the panel away from the door making sure all the plastic pins are disconnected, and gently use the heal of your other hand to push, (tap), the panel straight up, and disconnect it from the door on the top side.
That should do it, reinstall in reverse.