How To Replace Front Interior Door Handle 2003-13 GMC Savana
Created on: 2013-09-24
How to repair, install, fix, change or replace a broken or snapped off interior door handle on GMC Savana or Chevy Express model years 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, and 13.
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step 1 :Removing the Door Panel
- Pry off the door pull trim piece with a flat blade screwdriver
- Remove the six Phillips head screws inside the door pull
- Pull off the door pull bracket
- Pry off the door handle bezel with a flat blade screwdriver
- Remove the two Phillips screws from the door handle
- Pull off the upper door panel
- Disconnect the door lock wiring harness
- Disconnect the window switch wiring harness
- Disconnect the mirror switch wiring harness
- Pry off the mirror base trim piece by hand
- Pry out the door panel by hand
- Lift the door panel up and off
- Carefully peel off the water shield
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step 2 :Removing the Door Handle
- Punch out the door handle rivet with a hammer and punch
- Drill out the rivet with a drill and 1/4" drill bit
- Pull the handle forward and out
- Unclip the latch rod from the latch mechanism
- Unclip the latch rod from the door handle
- Unclip the lock rod from the door handle
- Pull out the remains of the rivet with pliers or a hammer and punch
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step 3 :Installing the Door Handle
- Clip the door handle onto the lock rod
- Clip the latch rod onto the door handle
- Clip the latch rod onto the latch mechanism
- Push the door handle into place
- Thread a bolt through the rivet hole to hold the door handle
- Tighten the bolt
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step 4 :Installing the Door Panel
- Put the water shield into place
- Lift the door panel into place
- Push in the door panel clips
- Connect the door lock wiring harness
- Connect the mirror switch wiring harness
- Connect the window switch wiring harnesses
- Push on the upper door panel
- Insert the two Phillips screws into the door handle
- Push on the door handle bezel
- Push on the mirror base trim piece
- Put the door pull bracket into place
- Insert the six Phillips screws into the door pull bracket
- Push on the door pull trim piece
Tools needed
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Coarse Threaded Bolts (to replace rivets)
Hammer
Flat Blade Screwdriver
Phillips Head Screwdriver
1/4 Inch Drill Bit
Center Punch
Drill
Brought to you by 1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet.
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 inside front door handle. We're going to do the driver side front. This procedure is basically the same for any inside door handle on these GMC Savanas as well as the Chevy Express vans. You'll need the new handle from 1AAuto.com, flat blade screwdriver, Phillips screwdriver, hammer and punch, and a drill with 1/4 inch drill bit.
Start by using a flat blade screwdriver and you can pry out on the outer panel of the door pull. You can see those clips that hold it in, they just pull right out. Now, you can remove the inner panel by removing six screws: three small ones there, a larger one there, another small one there, and a larger one there. We're going to fast forward as we remove all those screws. Use a flat blade screwdriver again and pry on the panel. It's right behind the door handle. That comes out. Then behind there, there are two more Phillips screws. We'll fast forward here again as we remove those two screws. You do have to push in quite hard to keep the screwdriver in the screw to get it started.
Now you can pull on that upper panel and it unclips from the door panel. Then unclip all your accessories in the back; power door locks, power windows, power mirror, et cetera. There's a tab that you press and pull the connector off. Now at the top corner, you want to pull on that trim panel and it pulls right off. Start at the top corner of the door panel, pull firmly and there are a series of clips around the outer edge of the door panel that hold it into the door. You work your hand to each clip and pull firmly and they release and then you can lift the door panel up and off. We'll fast forward here as we pull the water shield back. Do this carefully. You don't want to rip or tear the water shield. You want to be able to reuse it. Pull it back enough so that you can easily get to your inside door handle.
Now you want to use a hammer and punch to knock out the center of that rivet. Use a drill and a 1/4 inch drill bit to drill out the center of the rivet until it comes off. Now pull out on the handle and forward at the same time, to free it from the rust of that rivet and the handle comes out. Now, the rod that has that mesh protector on it, just reach down near the latch and push and it will unlatch from the latch mechanism and you can take that rod off. You can rotate the handle forward and off the other rod.
Before installing your new handle, you have to get the rest of that rivet out so you can put a nut and bolt thought that hole. We'll use some pliers and try and trim it and squeeze it down a little bit and then use our hammer and punch and punch it the rest of the way through.
Take the new handle and put it on the rod that's still on the door that goes in the lower connector. Then put that rod back into its spot, higher up. Then, we attempted to film this, but we're just going to locate the lever on the latch mechanism in there and get that rod lined up and then push it into place. Now we're going to use a small bolt and a nut to re-secure it. Put the handle back into the slots and then push it back to lock it in place. Then Don's reached in through and he's putting a bolt through the hole where the rivet was. Once it's through, you put a washer and a nut on the other side.
We'll hit the fast forward button here again as we put that water shield back in place. Make sure you feed the harnesses through correctly and get everything back in place correctly. Installing the door panel is a reversal of the procedure. There are clips on the panel that go around the outside. You want to first make sure all your harnesses come through, hang the door panel up and make sure it goes down on the window ledge and then set the clips by using the back of your fist or your palm.
Speed things up a little bit here. Take your accessory panel and make sure you clip all your accessories into place: power door locks, windows, and mirror. Then line it up on the door and clip it into place. Replace the two Phillips screws that are in behind the door handle and then put the trim bezel back on and clip it into place. Put the upper door trim panel back in place just by putting the tab in at the bottom and pressing it in.
We'll speed up here again as we put the bracket in place as the door pull that holds the other piece of outer trim. If you're just taking a door panel on and off, you probably don't need to remove all those small screws. You probably needed to remove the two big ones, but this is the way we did it this time. We're putting those large screws back in place and then put all the other small screws back in place to hold it all together. Last but not least, snap that upper panel back in place.
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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