How to Replace Exterior Door Handle 1997-2003 Chevy Malibu
Created on: 2011-09-26
How to repair, install, fix, change or replace a broken or snapped off exterior door handleon Chevy Malibu model years 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, and 03.
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step 1 :Disconnecting the Battery
- Disconnect the negative battery cable with an 8mm wrench
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step 2 :Removing the Door Panel
- Pry off the bezel behind the door pull with a flat blade screwdriver
- Pry off the power window switch plate with a flat blade screwdriver
- Disconnect the wiring harnesses from the switch plate
- Pry off the mirror base trim panel with a flat blade screwdriver
- Remove the Phillips head screw from the door handle
- Remove the 7mm bolts from behind the door pull
- Pry off the door handle panel with the screwdriver
- Disconnect the lock switch wiring harness from the door handle
- Pull the door panel off by hand
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step 3 :Removing the Door Handle
- Pry the clip from the lock rod
- Remove the lock rod from the door handle
- Remove the lock rod from the yellow clip on the door lock actuator
- Remove the 10mm bolts from the door handle
- Pull the door handle up and out
- Remove the rod from the door handle
- Pry off the retaining clip on the door lock with a flat blade screwdriver
- Remove the door lock
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step 4 :Reinstalling the Door Handle
- Insert the door lock rod into the door handle
- Insert the retaining clip on the door lock
- Insert the door lock into the door handle
- Insert the door handle into the door
- Tighten the 10mm bolts to the door handle
- Push the lock rod into the white clip on the door handle
- Push on the yellow clip on the lock rod
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step 5 :Reinstalling the Door Panel
- Put the water shield into place
- Install any missing clips into the door panel
- Route the wiring harnesses through their respective cavities
- Push the door panel into place
- Reconnect the wiring harness to the switch panel
- Push the switch panel in
- Reconnect the door lock wiring harness to the door handle
- Push the door handle in
- Reinsert the Phillips screw into the door handle
- Reinsert the two 10mm bolts behind the door pull
- Push the bezel behind the door pull back into place
- For more detailed instructions, please see the 2001 Malibu door panel replacement video
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step 6 :Reconnecting the Battery
- Reconnect the negative battery cable
Tools needed
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Socket Extensions
Flat Blade Screwdriver
Phillips Head Screwdriver
8mm Wrench
7mm Socket
10mm Socket
Ratchet
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Hi, I'm Mike Green. I'm one of the owners of 1A Auto. I want to help you save time and money repairing or maintaining your vehicle. I'm going to use my 20-plus years experience restoring and repairing cars and trucks like this to show you the correct way to install parts from 1AAuto.com. The right parts installed correctly: that's going to save you time and money. Thank you and enjoy the video.
In this video, we show you how to replace an outside door handle on this 2001 Chevy Malibu. It's the same as any '97 to '03 Malibu. Tools you'll need are pretty basic: flat blade screwdriver, Phillips screwdriver, and 7mm and 10mm sockets with ratchet and an extension.
Take an 8mm wrench, disconnect your negative battery cable. This is more just to protect your battery from running down while you have the door open. We're going to fast-forward through removing the door panel. If you want to see this in regular speed, you just check out our other videos, but there's probably enough here to figure it out. Remove the switch, unplug it, remove the bezel around the door handle, a couple of other bezels and pull the door panel off.
Now, pull your water shield back. Right inside, there's the back of the door handle, you can see right here your lock rod is in a clip. What you want to do, somebody's already broken this clip, but use a screwdriver, put it in there and press on those teeth. While you're doing that pull the rod out. Then down here, you'll see a yellow clip. The only thing hard about this is actually filming it, you just reach in to the outside of this clip. I'm just pulling with my finger, pull it open, and pull this rod out. Then, once you have those disconnected, there's a 10mm bolt there. Then through this hole here is another 10mm bolt. Reach in here with this hand, reach up from the bottom, and then reach in with my screwdriver and pull that lock rod out.
Now, with a 10mm socket, and extension and a ratchet, these bolts come out. Now the handles pulls up and out just like that. If you're switching over to a new handle, you just pull this rod out like that. The other thing you want to do is transfer the lock over. There's a little clip right here, just pull up on it and then the lock comes out.
Here's a new handle from 1A Auto. You can see it comes molded in black plastic. I am going to put my original back on, because it is still in fine shape. I just want to show you that the new one's going to work great. It comes with a little bit of a different clip, but it doesn't really make a difference. You just put the rod on, bend it down, and then your lock snaps right in just like on the other handle. It'll go right into place. Again, black plastic, so you can if you have a broken door handle, you can replace it as is, it'll fix the broken door handle. If you want to paint it to match, find an automotive parts store with a good paint department, they can probably match the color of your car pretty well. Put some paint in an air-charged spray can, you can paint it yourself to match.
I'm going to take this back out and show you how to reinstall with the original handle. One important note is when we were putting this rod back in, make sure it goes on the outside of this lock rod. What I like to do next is just take the bolts, thread them in, and get them hand tight. Now take our lock rod, and in place of that broken clip I put a plastic zip tie in there. Now you just tighten up those bolts. Now make sure our door is unlocked.
Like in the beginning, we're going to fast-forward through putting the door panel on. Make sure you pull those harnesses through, and then everything goes back in reverse order. Then, in addition to this, just make sure you reconnect your negative battery cable and you'll be all set to go. If you want to see replacing this door panel in regular speed just check out our other videos.
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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