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Removing a Door Panel
Removing a Door Panel
Originally contributed by Kenneth Potter
Published by 1996 328ti
12-03-2005
Default Removing a Door Panel

This is fresh in my mind since I just did this again Sunday to install m final Chrome pieces. Here's how to remove a ti door panel. The usual disclaimers apply, as I am in the middle of drinking *a* Molson XXX :-) You'll need a Torx-head screwdriver (T20?) or a set of hex-key like Torx keys (is that what you call them? Tim Taylor? Anybody?), a piece of masking tape labeled "tweeter", a long twist tie, a really small headed flat head screw driver, and something soft to kneel on. Let's do the driver's side door. First thing, remove the cover around the inside door handle. Pry up the end towards the rear of the car with your fingernails, then slide it forward. It should come right off. The first fastener you'll need to loosen is a Torx screw that's in a hole just below the grab handle. Make sure you tool is firmly seated in the screw before turning it. You don't want to strip the head on one of these little buggers. This screw is a little over a half-inch long. After it's out, set it aside in a safe place where you can remember where it goes. It'll be the shorter of the two screws when you have them both out of the door. Next, you need to pop off off the plastic panel where the mirror control is (procedures relating to this control are the only difference between driver's and passenger's side panel removal) with that tiny screwdriver. Be careful not to mar the plastic. you may want to shim something underneath the screwdriver so you don't hurt the soft plastic surrounding the control. After you loosen the control, carefully pull it out of the handle, then disconnect it. Don't worry about labeling it because its a pretty unique harness. Set the control aside. The second screw is at the top of the handle, visible through the whole you just removed the mirror control from. Unscrew it with the Torx, but be careful not to drop it down in the door. The screw is a little over an inch long. You may want to keep an index finger on the side of it as you remove it so it doesn't fall. Now comes the fun part. Using your fingers (or if you're brave and not worried about scratches, a tool) pry the bottom edge of the door panel away from the steel part of the door. The panel is secured by re-useable pop-rivets (for lack of a a better name) made of plastic that scure horizontally into holes in the steel part of the door. These fasteners are along the bottom and front and rear edges of the panel. Pry them all gently out. Carefully, carefully, lift the door panel straight up. Remember, its still secured by metal slide-type fasteners at the top of the door panel (along the bottom of the window). If any of these fasteners come off the door with some rubber trim, don't worry, they go back in place easily. As you're lifting the panel off, don't lift it too far, because you don't have more than 4 or 5 inches of slack in the speaker wires. Tilt the panel so you can see the wires, then disconnect the tweeter's (smaller speaker) wire. Put the masking tape "tweeter" label on it. Disconnect the other speaker wire. The panel is now free. You have access to the speakers, handle, and locking and window mechanisms. Don't break anything :-) As usual, installation is the reverse of removal. However, I recommend attaching the twist tie to the mirror control harness to easily thread it back through the correct whole in the panel, as that harness' wiring has very little slack. Have fun!
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