Door panel disaster

Multibeemer · #1 06-23-2013, 02:43 PM

Ugh... I'm trying to remove the right rear door panel from our 2003 X5 so I can remove the door lock mechanism, which has stopped working. I followed the video I found on youtube to the letter - I removed all three of the T20 torx screws, unhooked the door latch connector, and went around and successfully removed all of the plastic door clips without damaging any of them. But when I tried removing the top part of the panel by pulling straight back (as opposed to pulling upward as you would on a front panel) to release the five metal clips, disaster struck. With great effort, I got a few of them to release, but the panel is stuck tight right at the trim piece that separates the main window from the quarter window (I tried posting a picture, but despite shrinking it down to a miniscule 114KB, the site is telling me it's too large - definitely not my day...). So tight, in fact, that I tore the panel! Aaaarrrrgggghhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've removed and replaced at least a dozen door panels, most recently as part of the window regulator replacement on the drivers side front door of the X5, and nothing remotely as bad as this has ever happened. Has this ever happened to anybody before? Any tips on how to get the door to release its death grip on the panel so I can get on to the task of troubleshooting the door lock mechanism? And any ideas as to where to get a new panel that won't cost an arm and a leg? Thanks.

Multibeemer · #2 06-24-2013, 10:35 AM

Wow, 102 views, but no responses. Nobody has ever had any problems removing their door panel? The problem is that I can't get a good look at how the metal clip is gripping the panel. If I could, maybe I could figure out what kind of tool to wedge in there to release it. I'm hoping a place like Fibrenew can repair the damage I've done to the door panel, so I don't want to make it any worse than it already is.

SlickGT1 · #3 06-24-2013, 10:47 AM

I would help, but I have no clue why you are stuck, or where you are stuck. The panel comes off no problem usually. Did you get the screw out from behind the wood trim? What about the screw in the latch handle?

Multibeemer · #4 06-24-2013, 05:04 PM

Yep, got all three torx screws. I agree, this is usually an easy job, but one of the five metal clips that holds the panel along the top has a death drip on the panel. I was pressing against the door with my foot, and tugging on the panel with everything I had, which caused me to break the stupid thing. VERY FRUSTRATING.

civdiv99 · #5 06-24-2013, 07:00 PM

Yep. Exactly what I went through.

Now, I do sincerely wish I remembered the sequence of events to do this. I do remember that it is a case of having to come out away from the door at that juncture, complicated by the fact that the lip of the panel must come straight up in order to release the clip in order to come away from the door in order to be able to come up and release the clip........wait, you already discovered that.

You need to put something flat and skinny in there so you can get the panel to come up without getting all balled up in there.

Crap, you prolly already concluded that, also.

Ok, I guess the best I can do sitting here at work is commiserate with ya and shit.

Not helping, I know............

Quote:

Originally Posted by Multibeemer

Yep, got all three torx screws. I agree, this is usually an easy job, but one of the five metal clips that holds the panel along the top has a death drip on the panel. I was pressing against the door with my foot, and tugging on the panel with everything I had, which caused me to break the stupid thing. VERY FRUSTRATING.

civdiv99 · #6 06-24-2013, 07:07 PM

You are talking about this part right here, aren't you?

You can see on mine in the pic a little bit of distortion from prying this past that window divider a couple of times in the past. I debated removing that deep plastic divider that houses the window shade, but in the end I just carefully worked it up/out to clear. As you can see, even though there is a bit of wrinkle in one little corner, it does clip back down straight and tight.

You have to get the other clips popped, and then without distorting the panel, gently work the edge out away from that pillar so it'll clear vertically and the clip will release.

I did suggest to you in your previous post about the mechanism that a helper in this part of the operation was usually pretty useful, as well as during re-install when you are juggling this fitment and other stuff.

civdiv99 · #7 06-24-2013, 07:15 PM

Nice Slick, make the dude feel like everyone else just did it with their free hand whilst drinking a beer..................

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlickGT1

I would help, but I have no clue why you are stuck, or where you are stuck. The panel comes off no problem usually. Did you get the screw out from behind the wood trim? What about the screw in the latch handle?

Multibeemer · #8 06-25-2013, 04:02 PM

Thanks for all the reponses. At least I feel a little better about the fact that getting this panel off seems to sometimes be a pretty challenging undertaking. Removing door panels is one of my least favorite things to do on a car, because I'm always afraid of breaking the fragile clips, or messing up the holes in the panel that the clips attach to, but I've never actually broken a panel before. It's insane that removing a door panel can be this difficult and dangerous (to your wallet, anyway)

The thing that has me thrown for a loop is that the youtube video I was following was very explicit about NOT lifting upward on the panel. The guy even retracted his statement earlier in the video to lift upward, with an emphatic admonition that this is only to be done on the front panels, not on the rears, and then pointed to the clips to explain why. He also said to start from the rear to release the panel from the upper clips and move forward, which is what I did when I had my mishap. I suspect this job is a lot like the CV boot job - a small percentage of very fortunate X5 owners can release their axles from the outer connection, providing easy access to the outer boot, while the rest of us poor slobs have to remove the axle from the inner connection, which is five times more work. But I digress...

OK, I'll struggle with this wretched panel some more. I'll see if I can find a tool I can wedge in there. Hopefully I can find someone (like Fibernew, maybe) who can repair the 3" tear I put in the panel. But I have a lot of other car projects underway, so the X5 may be a 3-door vehicle for a little while.

SlickGT1 · #9 06-26-2013, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by civdiv99

Nice Slick, make the dude feel like everyone else just did it with their free hand whilst drinking a beer..................

I too forgot how I did it, but I had no issues that I can remember. Maybe it's the fact that I have a 2006 and the mounting is revised. Maybe its the fact that I knew from the start that you cannot lift up, as it would hit that shade. Watch with my luck, something will go wrong on the pass side, and I will not be able to take it off.

Thanks for the JINX there Civ. lol.

papasmurf · #10 07-06-2013, 12:03 AM

You have to remove the little window's shade before removing the door panel. I bet that's your hang up.