How to Replace Exterior Door Handle 2001-06 Dodge Stratus
Created on: 2011-10-27
Check out this video to learn how to replace the outside door handle on your 01-06 Dodge Stratus.
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step 1 :Removing the Door Panel
- Pry off the trim piece inside the door pull with a flat blade screwdriver
- Pry off the trim piece inside the door handle with a flat blade screwdriver
- Remove the three Phillips screws at the bottom of the door panel
- Remove the Phillips head screw at the back corner of the door panel
- Pry out the door panel with a door panel clip tool or putty knife
- Lift the door panel up and off
- Disconnect the door lock wiring harness
- Disconnect the door lock rod from the door handle
- Disconnect the window switch wiring harnesses
- Carefully peel off the water shield
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step 2 :Removing the Exterior Door Handle
- Pry off the red clip from the door handle lock rod in the lock assembly
- Pry off the red clip from the door handle lock rod in the door handle
- Remove the two 8mm bolts from the door handle
- Slide the door handle up and remove it from the door
- Remove the door handle rod from the door handle
- Pry off the retaining clip from the lock
- Remove the lock from the door handle
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step 3 :Reinstalling the Exterior Door Handle
- Insert the retaining clip into the door handle lock
- Press the lock into the door handle
- Insert the door handle rod into the door handle
- Insert the door handle into the door
- Tighten the two 8mm bolts to the door handle
- Clip the door lock rod into the door lock
- Clip the door lock rod into the lock assembly
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step 4 :Reinstalling the Door Panel
- Put the water shield into place
- Connect the door lock wiring harness
- Connect the window switch wiring harnesses
- Lift the door panel into place
- Push in the door panel clips
- Insert the Phillips head screw to the back corner of the door panel
- Insert the three Phillips screws to the bottom of the door panel
- Push on the trim piece inside the door pull
- Push on the trim piece inside the door handle
Tools needed
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Socket Extensions
Flat Blade Screwdriver
Putty Knife
Phillips Bit in a Ratchet
8mm Socket
Door Panel Removal Tool
Ratchet
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Hi, I'm Mike from 1A Auto. I hope this how-to video helps you out, and next time you need parts for your vehicle, think of 1AAuto.com. Thanks.
In this video, we're going to show you how to replace a front outside door handle on this 2004 Dodge Stratus, same as any '01 to '06. Tools you'll need for this repair include a small flat blade screwdriver, a Phillips screwdriver, a putty knife or door panel clip tool, and an 8mm socket with a ratchet and extension.
Use a small flat blade screwdriver, and down in the pull cup here, pry up a little trapdoor, there's a little Phillips screw in there. Then, in behind your door handle, there's another Phillips screw in there. Then there are three Phillips screws: one there, there, and then one on the back edge here. I'm just going to fast-forward as I use a Phillips screwdriver and remove six screws in all. This triangle here you can just pull out and off. Now all you need is a putty knife. You want to get it down in behind the door panel here, slide it down, and pull it out. Then start to pull the pins and then the door panel comes up. Right here is your lock harness. There's a little button, press on that to disconnect it. Then, on your latch rod, there's a clip. Reach in behind with my finger, pull that clip off, and then the rod comes up and off. Then, lastly, down here is your window harness. There's a button right in the middle. You really got to push that button, work the harness out, and then your door panel is off.
Once your door panel is off, you want to check these aqua clip pins here because there could be pins stuck inside of them. Use a pair of needle nosed pliers to pull the pins out. Reinstall them on the inside of your door panel. I'm showing this in fast motion here, but you want to carefully pull back your water shield. You want to avoid ripping it as this provides sound deadening as well as protection from water and stuff for the inside of your vehicle.
We're going to go inside the door here and then you can see. Let's see, you can't see, but there's a rod with a little red clip on it. Reach in, push the clip off, and pull the rod out. Then do the same thing: reach down, pull that clip off, and take that rod out. Now there's an 8mm bolt right there, and then one you go in at an angle and get right there. I've got an 8mm socket with an extension and a ratchet.
Here's our old handle and our new handle from 1A Auto. We sell both the smooth kind that you can paint to match to the car - as well as the textured kind.
You'll want to switch your latch rod and your lock rod. The latch rod is just like the bottom. Flip that clip off, pull it out, put it into your new handle, and clip the rod on. To help with this latch, take a small screwdriver and pry that clip out. Your latch comes right out.
Take your new handle and take your latch. Your new handle, you might need to pry out on this clip a little bit, get it to come out, clip it in, make sure you push the retainer all the way back in. Now it goes back in. As you're putting it in, make sure you push this rod back behind the window channel. Then you pretty much put it up and in and it clips in place. Now I'll just take my bolt with my extension and socket and a flashlight, shine it up in there and get it started. Same thing here, shine your light up underneath, put the bolt in, and get it started. Then, this rod, you're going to have to pull down a little bit on your mechanism, push the rod in, and then reach in and lock it on. I'll just take this and stick it back a little bit to make sure our door's unlocked. Put our water shield back in place and we're ready to put the door panel back on.
To put your door panel back on, first reconnect your power window switch. Make sure it clicks. Bring it close and reconnect your power door locks. Take this rod, put into the hole, slip the clip right around, and flip it on. Make sure your lock goes through. There is a larger locating tab, it goes into a big hole, once you've got that, make sure your pins go in. Cheat back, make sure all the pins go in correctly. Now it's just a matter of replacing all the Phillips screws. We'll speed up as we replace all those screws and those one down in the door cup, behind the door panel. There's also three at the bottom and then one at the back.
We hope this video helps you out. Brought to you by www.1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet. Please feel free to call us toll-free, 888-844-3393. We're the company that's here for you on the Internet and in person.
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