How To Remove Door Panel 1995-2005 Pontiac Sunfire

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In this video, we'll show you how to remove a door panel on this 1997 Pontiac Sunfire two-door. The procedure is generally the same for any two-door or four- door. Just some of the screws and placement and things like that will be different and if you have some options like door locks and things like that, that may have some differences also. Tools you'll need are Phillips screwdriver, a 7mm socket and driver, a putty knife, and a window crank removal tool, or you can, as I say, check out our manual window crank removal video to see the home method using paperclips.

To remove a door panel on one of these Sunfires or Cavaliers, first, we're going to remove a series of Phillips screws, one up here and this whole trim panel comes off. Then down underneath, one there, one there, there, and there. Then underneath the armrest, there's two 7mm bolts there, and there. We'll start by taking those off. I'll start by removing those. Now this is a two-door Sunfire. If you have a Cavalier or a four-door, the number of screws in the position may differ slightly, but it should be basically the same. You might only have three of these Phillips screws.

Once you have those off, you're going to remove your window crank if you have manual windows. This is the correct tool to do it. If you want to see kind of a way to do it without using this tool, just check out our other videos for manual window crank removal. Now we're going to take off this trim panel here. It just kind of pries at the top and then carefully pull on it. If you had power door locks, you would remove the door lock or disconnect the door lock switch at that point. Now you want to take your putty knife. I wrap it in a cloth to keep from scratching the paint. You basically kind of want to pull and insert it down here, then slide it up and then give it a good pull. Pull on the door panel to save time. Same thing in the front. Now pull the panel out and up and it comes off.

Now on some of the later cars, the speaker comes with the door panel, so you just want to be careful and disconnect your speaker. Just so you can get a look on the two-door panel. This is a little hard. This is the back of the panel, towards the back of the car. Here's all your pins that you're prying. When you have this putty knife, you basically want to slide it right up into here and then pry like that. Make sure you pry it against these pins so you don't break the plastic on the door. Then here is the front ones. At this point, you can remove your water shield and get to the inside the door if you need to. If you wanted to replace your inside door handle, you'd drill out this rivet and then the door handle slides forward and comes off, and you disconnect it from the rods. Your speaker, I'm going to put the door panel back on, just pretty much reverse of the procedure.

You put the door handle on. Get it down around the door handle here. Basically just press the top up and over. Make sure you get the top hung up on here. Once you have the top and then you just make sure the pins are lined up. Reconnect your power door locks if you have them. This, you want to slide in the front here first and then press it in. The two 7mm bolts. Search out the holes a little. Top trim panel, put it down like that. Last up, clip your retaining ring back in, put your washer on, and put your window crank back on if that's what you have.

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