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HOW TO REMOVE A DOOR PANEL FROM A FORD EXPLORER

Applies To: FORD EXPLORER (2003)

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2003 Ford Explorer

Pull Tip: Be sure to pull up on the door panel to release the clips; if you pull out on the panel, you may damage the clips.

Estimated Pull Time: 15 Minutes

Recommended Tools

  • Plastic Trim Tool Plastic Trim Tool
  • Pocket Screwdriver Pocket Screwdriver
  • Socket Socket
  • Ratchet Ratchet
  • Ratchet Extensions Ratchet Extensions

Instructions

  • Print
  • 1

    Remove the door handle trim

  • 2

    Remove the switch bank by pulling up and towards the front of vehicle

  • 3

    Disconnect three connectors behind switch bank by squeezing in to release locking mechanism

  • 4

    Loosen 7mm bolt behind where switch bank was

  • 5

    Loosen 5.5mm bolts at bottom of door panel

  • 6

    Pull up and off on door panel to remove

  • 7

    Remove power mirror switch using pocket screwdriver

  • 8

    Remove panel from vehicle


Video Transcript

The tools that we're going to be using for removing the door panel are plastic trim, stick pocket screwdriver, either a hand ratchet or cordless tool, an assortment of different size extensions. Whatever works best for you in a 5.5 millimeter socket in a 7 millimeter socket. Now, in order to get the door panel off, you've got a process of different trim pounds that have to come off first. If you pull the switch bank, you're going to break it in this order. What we need to do first is remove the panel right behind the pull handle. All you gotta do is your plastic turn.

Stick on your an edge to get up under, pop it loose. Go around the perimeter and you've got it off. Slide it out of the way. And now we can actually move on to removing the switch bank. Just grab the front edge. The backside has a finger that goes under. If you pull up here, you're going to break it. The best method is to grab right here or outward slightly left up. Now you're going to slide it forward and clear that finger. Now we've got access to the connectors on the back side of the switch. On the backside of the switch assembly, we've got a total of three different connectors that we've got to release, and there's a locking mechanism that we've got to squeeze in on here will squeeze it off and move on down to the next one. The one up front is a little tight to get to, but if you slide it out of the way slightly, you've got access to it. Now of close. You can see that locking mechanism that I'm talking about that you need to squeeze in on. Like I said, it's the same for all three connectors.

Now that we've got the switch assembly on the way, we've now got access to a 7 bolt that we've got to remove. Now there are two fasteners along the bottom edge of the door panel that we've got to take off. And they're both 5.5. Now this particular style door panel, we don't have any plastic fasteners on the back side that snap in. So if you tried to pull out and release it, you're going to break it. This one just lifts up and off. And then we've got a connector on the backside of the parameter switch that we're going to have to unplug and just grab it at the bottom right here on the handle and gently lift up and make sure you clear your handle. Same time, we're going to pull the wires through for that one to switch on the backside of the Premier switch. We've got one connector. We've got unplug now using a pocket screwdriver. We're going to work between the body of the switch and the connector slide lock out of the way and pull it off.

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