Door panel disaster
 

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.

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.

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?

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.

There's a clip On the back side in the center of the door that can be a major pain in the butt...especially if the person who previously worked on it didn't put it back together properly. It's likely this is what you're stuck on. You can pop the top clips one at a time, then one they're loose, give the panel a quick tug firmly upwards....the piece I'm talking about will separate from the panel frame.

Dude - I TOLD you getting the top edge of that rear door panel to clear was a royal pain. You replied you had done plenty of them, so I had a coke and a smile and shut the _ up.

It'll clear. You gotta get all creative in there and not bust stuff, but I've had it off a few times, no ill effects. But no, it doesn't just unclip and lift off.

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............

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.

:thumbup::thumbup:

(just chill if necessary first, and don't do the yank when you are already frustrated and pissed, though)

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