How to Replace Exterior Door Handle 02-10 Mercury Mountaineer

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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 the driver side exterior door handle on this 2003 Mercury Mountaineer. It's the same part and similar process on these Mountaineers from 2002 to 2010. The items you'll need for this is a new exterior door handle from 1AAuto.com, a 7 and 11mm socket and ratchet, a flat blade screwdriver, and a 90 degree pick.

You want to make sure that your courtesy lights don't stay on so you don't drain you battery. Just make sure you turn those off. Pry out from the bottom of this panel with a flat blade screwdriver. Then just slide the panel towards the front of the vehicle and off the door handle. Then lift up on the front of your switch panel and then slide it forward and up. Then push the tabs on these harnesses and disconnect them. For this last one, you're going to want to use a flat blade screwdriver and push in on the tab and pull it free. Your switch panel is free. Now you want to remove this 7mm bolt and these two 7mm bolts right here. We'll just fast-forward as Mike does that. Pry out the switch and then just pry out the tab on the harness and disconnect the harness. Then feed that back through the door panel. Lift the door panel up and then pull it back. Push the tab on this harness to disconnect it, and your door panel is free.

Peel back this top corner of your water shield and you can see that Mike uses a razor blade to help separate the adhesive. Now, reach in here and just open up this yellow clip and it helps to use a pick tool as you can see. Then, you just pull the rod from that clip and then remove this 11mm nut and this 11mm nut right here. We'll just fast forward as Mike does that. Now, open up your door handle so that you can get the lever outside of the door and then you just pull your door handle free and pull the rod up and out.

I've got my socket and ratchet extension on the inside and you can see I took the door handle off, but the studs stayed here. I'm actually just going to take a set of locking pliers, lock them on to the studs. Just wipe down the area where the door handle goes. Something you don't want to do is shut your door while there's no door handle, but if you happen to, just look down in and find that yellow clip that you unhooked the rod from, and reach down. Let's see here. Just press it with your thumb and open the door up.

Here's our original door handle. At 1A Auto, we sell the chrome door handles. We also sell just a regular black handle that you can paint to match. Obviously, the black door handle, if you have a broken door handle and you just want a handle that works, you can mount the black one on as is and it's fine. If you did want to paint it to match, you can be as crude as just going to the hardware store and finding some paint that's a decent match for your color, paint the handle. You would want to take the gasket off when you paint it. If you want a closer match, you can go to an automotive paint store and purchase paint that matches closer and finish it that way.

We're going to put this chrome handle on. Just take your rod, twist it, and pull it out. Take the new handle and then, again, twist it and put it in and then put your handle down in. You want to put the front in and then push, pull the handle out and push the counterweight in there. Then, line up the stud, put it in, and make sure the gasket is lined up correctly. Take your lock and bend it down off of that rod, so now it's free. Now, you can put it up in place and on the stud for the door handle. Now, the lock's in place and we'll put our first nut on here. You're probably won't be able to see this but I'm just going to take the nut for the front one, the door handle, and put that on as well. We'll just fast forward as Mike tightens up those two 11mm nuts. Make sure your lock rod is in and then just pull it in to the lock. Then put your handle rod back in place and now push up on the rod a little bit, and down on the latch. Push it in and lock it in place. Just make sure your door's unlocked.

To replace your door panel, just reconnect this harness, and make sure you push the harness for your mirror switch through. Then push the door panel into place and slide it down. We'll fast-forward as Mike replaces those three 7mm bolts and tightens them up. Reconnect this switch and push it back into place. Then reconnect your switch panel and slide the back end first. Then push the front end down. Then slide this panel back over the door handle and push those tabs back into place. Then push in the front. You're all set.

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.