Find Switches Latches Regulators Behind Door Panels of Cars Trucks SUVs

Hey, in this video, we're going to talk about door panels, what's behind them, how it works, and different ways to take all types of panels off.

So, to remove this door panel on this particular generation GMC, we have locations behind this plastic. You'll take a trim tool and just pop that off. And there's two mounting bolts, they're a 10-millimeter socket. That's the good thing is that it's the same socket for any mounting bolts. Then you'll go behind the indoor handle here, there is a little tab, you'll put a small screwdriver in there or part of the plastic trim tool, pop that cover off. There's another bolt back there. You're going to remove the rearview mirror triangle. It's just clipped on there. So, you'll take a tool, pop that off. I like to take the main switch out because I like to disconnect the electrical...for me it's easier then I can just put it aside. On the door switch, the electric lock switch you're going to remove this little tab, just pull that out, and then slide that up. And then you're going to take your trim tool, pop it in there, and just give it a great pop all the way around. And the panel is going to come right off.

So, there's all different types of door panels and they do all come out in different ways. Some will have just one or two mounting bolts, and you'll have to pull the whole door panel straight up because it has plastic ears in the back. That's a Ford trait. Some of the imports have a lot of mounting screws. They'll have them on the side and underneath, and then mounting on the main handle. You'll have to pull the main handle out. There's always usually a mounting screw behind a trap door, hidden door, shall I say, panel right behind the inside handle. Every door has insulation behind it from the factory, whether it's foam or the old days used to be cardboard, a thick plastic. It's important to put it back, even if you tear it, then tape it with package tape or duct tape. It keeps the sound barrier out. And sometimes it keeps a lot of moisture out too from the backing of the plastic panel.

So, inside the door, they're all pretty much the same. It all depends on if you have electric window motor, manual window motor, but they all have window regulators, whether there's a motor attached or just the crank gear. They always have window guides. They have to have window guides. So, there'll always be a front and back window guide. Then you have your version where there's two metal pieces that actually do an X and rotate. Then you have the type that have cables and they have a cable in an X form and they run around in a gear inside the actual motor. So, once the installation is completely out of your way, you can see the assembly and how it's set up on this particular vehicle. So, we have the window motor right here. These are the cross cables that go inside the gear and spin and it pulls it up and down like up and down pulley. These are the window guides. This would be the guide closest to the door jamb. And then we have the guide in the front. There's four mounting bolts usually on this style. We have one up here, one here, one down there, and one here. You can just slightly loosen the top ones up. As you can see, it's slotted. Take the bottom ones completely out and pull the arms up, and then the regulator will come out. After you dismount the motor, it's got one mount here by the looks of it and here. To access the external door, handle the one outside here, we have two plastic covers that pop out, and then once you pop them out, you should see way down and you can see the mounting bolts.

So, to access the external handle, you would take the plastic little boot out here, and you can go straight in with a socket and extension, take this one out, and then further down the door panel here, and take that one out. So, outside the actual door latch here is three mounting screws on this surface, and then these two right here. Then you have to undo the plastic clips that you see there on that linkage. This is the actual outside door handle rod right there. And then you have the manual lock rod right there. And on this particular model, to access the speaker, it is held on by one bolt on the top here, take that off. And then there are fingers that are holding it down, slide it forward, and disconnect the electrical connector. Now, to replace the side mirror, you actually do have to take the whole panel off. And the reason for it is the electronic wire that goes all the way down to here.

So, without this panel off, you wouldn't be able to access the clips that hold it in in three locations. Take that foam out of the way. And there's always three mounting screws right here. Dismount it. So, once you unplug it, dismount the screws, and guide the electrical wire through the access hole. Here is the internal handle, the inside handle to get out of the door. And this is how it works, this whole mechanism, just a sliding cable. Clips down in goes into this latch. This cable is not sold separately, it is part of the latch. So, when you're calling around for parts, you're going to have to get the whole assembly. Inside this particular door there is an inside door panel impact sensor for the airbags. Anytime you see a yellow connector, don't disconnect it. Only safe way to ever disconnect those is make sure the battery has been disconnected for a minimum of 30 seconds. I like to wait 5 minutes because safety is...why not, right? Who wants to deploy one. Probably won't happen, but there is always that slight chance that it can happen.
So, I hope you found this video helpful, maybe even a little fun, learned something. Don't forget to subscribe, ring that bell, turn on all notifications because we have 1,000 videos like this and some in real deep depth and some short ones. Have fun. Be safe.