Door panel
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 431
From: United States
RE: Door panel
Flat screwdriver and patience. LOTS OF PATIENCE.
It's really not that bad, just tedious. Make sure you get all the handles and such off first. Look for any "hidden" i.e. behind a little plastic tab bolts and then you should be able to take a flat screwdriver and pop the panel off one connector at a time. Since you didn't specify what you have...
Most newer cars have the plastic "ribbed" connectors that push through the metal of the door. They pull pretty easy. Older cars use a wire setup to hold them on and the panels are made of cardboard. Real easy to mess up. Just be patient and use the screwdriver to help you find each connector and then pry up. Should just pull right out. The door panel will then have to be lifted up to remove it. If you feel anything "holding" back off and recheck for hidden screws. Most of the plastic the door panel is made of is brittle and breaks if you yank on it.
It's really not that bad, just tedious. Make sure you get all the handles and such off first. Look for any "hidden" i.e. behind a little plastic tab bolts and then you should be able to take a flat screwdriver and pop the panel off one connector at a time. Since you didn't specify what you have...
Most newer cars have the plastic "ribbed" connectors that push through the metal of the door. They pull pretty easy. Older cars use a wire setup to hold them on and the panels are made of cardboard. Real easy to mess up. Just be patient and use the screwdriver to help you find each connector and then pry up. Should just pull right out. The door panel will then have to be lifted up to remove it. If you feel anything "holding" back off and recheck for hidden screws. Most of the plastic the door panel is made of is brittle and breaks if you yank on it.
Thread Starter
1st Gear Member
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 70
From:
RE: Door panel
after i take the panel off, will i be able to get to the button that turns the light on when the door is open?(whatever that button is called)anyways, the reason i need to get to it is that this button fell into the door,so now the light is always on,i pulled out the fuse for now so the battery won't die, but without the fuse my speedometer and radio don't work,so i feel like i'm riding a bike or something
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 5
RE: Door panel
On a 94 or newer stang. The door panel comes off quite easy.
There is an interior panel clip on the front edge of the door panel. pull it out with removal tool, needle nose pliers (by sliding under and prying up,) or with a flat head screwdriver. Once that is off, just slide the entire panel upwards off of the door. If you have a Mach 460 stereo, you will need to remove the tweeter FIRS.T. I am not sure how you do that, as i do not have mach 460.
If you want to get to that light button, you will have to remove the water protectant plastic from the door, it is really sticky and it should stick back to the door whenever you are done....just pull it off from the front of hte door first, for however much you need room to fit your hand into...When you reach your hand into the inside of the door, you should be able to feel it dangling down. I am pretty sure it is a bung type fitting. So you either need to screw it into the hole in the door, or take off the nut that is one it and stick the button back through the hole and screw the nut back on it.
That is about it.
When taking the panel off....make sure it is level when you pull it outward, that way you know all hte clip hangers are level and out of the according holes.
-Aaron
There is an interior panel clip on the front edge of the door panel. pull it out with removal tool, needle nose pliers (by sliding under and prying up,) or with a flat head screwdriver. Once that is off, just slide the entire panel upwards off of the door. If you have a Mach 460 stereo, you will need to remove the tweeter FIRS.T. I am not sure how you do that, as i do not have mach 460.
If you want to get to that light button, you will have to remove the water protectant plastic from the door, it is really sticky and it should stick back to the door whenever you are done....just pull it off from the front of hte door first, for however much you need room to fit your hand into...When you reach your hand into the inside of the door, you should be able to feel it dangling down. I am pretty sure it is a bung type fitting. So you either need to screw it into the hole in the door, or take off the nut that is one it and stick the button back through the hole and screw the nut back on it.
That is about it.
When taking the panel off....make sure it is level when you pull it outward, that way you know all hte clip hangers are level and out of the according holes.
-Aaron
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 5
RE: Door panel
Also, take the door handle bezel out (just snaps out) and take the door cup bezel out (the part tht holds the window and lock buttons on a power door/ non-power door : the part that you pull the door shut with) There are two screws behind that, that need to be removed.
-Aaron
-Aaron
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 431
From: United States
RE: Door panel
Word to the wise...that sticky stuff they put the plastic on with is a pain in the butt to get off if you get it on you. Also be careful when you pull the plastic, as Aaron said it's really sticky, so sticky you'll rip the plastic if your not careful.