How To Remove Door Panel 1997-2003 Pontiac Grand Prix
Created on: 2010-02-01
Watch this video to learn how to remove the door panel on your 97-03 Pontiac Grand Prix. It's the first step to window, lock, latch, and other repairs.
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step 1 :remove the handles, window cranks and/or trim plates
- Use a flat blade screwdriver and a cloth to pry up the switch plate.
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step 2 :find and remove the anchor screws near the door pull
- Use your Phillips screwdriver to remove the screws.
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step 3 :Locate, detach the clips or pins that attach the panel to the door
- take care not to break those pins or the panel itself.
- Use a putty knife and a rag to protect your paint.
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step 4 :Disconnect all the harnesses.
- Disconnect the wiring from the door panel, and it should now be completely disconnected.
Tools needed
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Flat Blade Screwdriver
Phillips Head Screwdriver
Putty Knife
Cloth Rags
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In this video we remove a door panel on a 98 Pontiac Grand Prix. This process is generally the same for most vehicles. You remove the handles, window cranks and/or trim plates, find and remove the anchor screws near the door pull. Locate, detach the clips or pins that attach the panel to the door and take care not to break those pins or the panel itself. Then you disconnect all the harnesses. Some reasons you may remove the door panel are if you're replacing the door panel itself; your exterior mirror, your window regulator, your window weather strip, your outside door handle, your inside door handle or the door itself.
The tools you'll need to do this job are a plain screwdriver, a torque driver or Phillips screwdriver, depending on your vehicle and a door panel clip removal tool or a household putty knife will do as a substitute. The first step in removing the door panel is to remove this plate here. What you can do is with your screwdriver pry out right there and push up and pull this out and then that unlocks from there. From there, now you want to disconnect all these accessories. You can use your thumb, it has a little thing that you push in with your thumb right there; all of these ones. If your thumb doesn't work, again, use a dull screwdriver. Be careful not to push too hard and break any plastic. Push in on these and pull here. Push in on these two.
You've pulled that off and you have your wires disconnected. The next step on this car, once you've got this plate off is the two small plastic covers here that you pry out and then you want a torque bit. You can see in there and see the screws and remove the screws. Now if you don't have a Grand Prix this is how most cars work. Most cars have a couple of good strong screws that hold the door panel in right around the pull handle. They take the force of pulling on the door.
You've removed the screws. Now what you need to do is all along the outside there are little clips that push into the sheet metal. You have two choices; if you have access to a nice clip tool like this, use it, or you can use a putty knife that you can get at any hardware store and a screwdriver. What you want to do is in the front, push the putty knife in and slide it until you hit something. I hit something right here, so now I'm going to give it a good tug. Actually this door panel came off pretty easy. Then I'm going to slide my hand down, I can feel the next set and slide my hand around until you feel all the clips. If the clips are not coming easily, you can do the same thing with the tool. Slide it under, slide it until you come to the clip, then pull. Slide under and do the back here.
This is supposed to work. It's supposed to go around the pole. Now the door handle broke loose. Slide that, pull the wires out, unclip the speaker lead and then unclip this light lead and you'll see the light go off when I remove it. Here's the door panel, here's your clips and you can see these clips have kind of had it. I'm going to replace those clips before I reinstall the door panel.
Thank you for watching. We hope this helps you solve your automotive problem. Remember to check out www.1AAuto.com for all your parts needs, whether it's a classic or your everyday car or truck. Thanks.
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