1997-01 Toyota Camry Lexus ES300 Front Driver & Passenger Side 2 Piece Exterior Door Handle Set TRQ DHA33069

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In this video, we're going to show you how to replace the front exterior door handle in this Toyota Camry. This one is a 1998, but the procedure is pretty much the same for ‘97 to 2001 Toyota Camrys.

You'll need a new front exterior door handle from 1AAuto.com, a 10 millimeter socket with a ratchet and extension, flat-blade and Phillips screwdrivers, and a small pick tool.

Using a small pick, remove the plastic trim that should be inside the bezel here covering this Phillips head screw, as well as this and this plug in the door panel. Our arm rest is a little stretched out here. Normally, you'll have to take a flat-blade screwdriver, place it underneath, pop up the trim panel, pull it back, move the switch housing from the door, and disconnect the electrical connectors. You'll also want to release the top of this black cover behind the mirror with a flat blade screwdriver, pull out, lift up to release the lock tabs on the bottom. Remove with Phillips head screws from the door panel, three on the arm rest, one on the handle bezel, one here closest to the dash and two underneath with a number two Phillips screwdriver.

Using a flat-blade screwdriver, reach between the bottom of the door handle and the bezel, pop it out, do the same thing on the top just above the lock, open the handle, pull the bezel out. Pop out the bottom of the door panel, lift up and remove the panel from the door.

Using a number two Phillips head screwdriver, remove the screw at the back of the door handle. Rotate the interior door handle to release the metal latch rods from the handle in the lock. The upper is going to be for the lock and the lower for the handle. Remember that for when we reinstall. Remove the three Phillips head screws with a number two Phillips head screwdriver: here, here, and here. Begin to carefully pry back the weather shielding inside the door panel. Pull the wiring harness through the shielding before you finish removing it. Place the shielding somewhere off to the side where it won't get wrinkled or torn.

Reconnect the window switch. Turn the key to the run position. Before removing your window switch, make sure the window is up so you have access to the door handle once the panel is removed. Disconnect the latch rod from the back of the door handle by flipping up on the plastic retainer. Using a flat-blade screwdriver, pry the latch rod out of the handle. That plastic clip that you see on the latch rod should stay in the exterior door handle, but ours is broken. Use your finger to remove the safety latch on the lock rod and push the lock rod out of the door handle.

There is a 10 millimeter bolt in this whole and this whole. We're using a quarter inch drive socket and ratchet with a 10 millimeter socket in order to get around the stuff inside the door and loosen those two screws. Lift up on the door handle, pull out to remove it. After you've removed your exterior door handle from the door, flip it over.

Remove this 10 millimeter screw here from the bottom. That secures a lock cylinder into the handle. Once that screw is out, you can remove the lock from your handle. Replace anything that you may need to, be it that you need to change the tumblers or the cylinder as a whole. Reinstall it into your handle. Be sure to line up this hook at the top, as well as the slot in the bottom. Your handle is ready to go back in the vehicle. Reinstall your exterior door handle. Slide this upper assembly in and up. Slide forward to allow the lock into the opening. Line it back up and lock it into place. Reinstall your 10 millimeter screws. I like to just get them started to make sure that everything is going to line up properly. Once they both started, so you know everything lined up, bring them down tight. Reinstall the lock rod into the whole in the bottom of the lock cylinder and snap the while plastic clip into place. Reconnect the latch rod into the back of the door handle and snap the retaining clip back into place. Reinstall the water shield to the inside of the door before reattaching the panel.

Reinstall the three Phillips head screws and the lower metal cover. We'll get one started while we line up the other two. Once we're all lined up, we'll tighten it down the rest of the way. Reinstall the lock rod into the top and the handle latch rod into the bottom. Reinstall the hooks on the back of the latch into the door. Slide back to engage them. Reinstall the Phillips head screw into the back of the latch only. While there is another whole in the center of the latch, that's where our bezel attaches. We'll have to wait until we reinstalled our door panel. Make sure that both rods move properly, ready to reinstall the door panel.

Reinstall your door panel. Hook this channel into the top of the door, line up the plastic clips into their appropriate holes. Make sure that your door lock and window switch wires are pulled through the panel so they don't get locked behind it. Pop the panel back into place and reinstall your hardware. Reinstall the two Phillips head screws at the bottom, three in the armrest. The screw at the top-end side edge of the panel and its plastic cover.

Reconnect the electrical connectors on your lock and window switch. Slide the front tab onto the panel and snap the back and sides into place. Open the handle, slide the hook on the back of the bezel into the square hole. Snap the rear tabs into place, reinstall your Phillips head screw. Snap the crew cover into place, and now we have a nice, new handle and bezel assembly in our door. Reinstall the back of the mirror cover, hooking this tab into the square slot, snapping this one into the plastic retainer there. Reinstall the plastic cover for your armrest grip.

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