Hi All,
I have a 2002 Bonneville with a power rear window that won't roll up, ugggh. I wanted to dig in and check the motor and wiring, but can't see an easy way to remove the door panel. I can pop off the piece around the handle, but can't figure out how to pull off the whole panel without destroying it. Can anyone offer any suggestions to remove this panel?
Thanks in advance, Alex
I imagine it is like my Buick. You can pry a corner and pull it out. You can also pull out the trim around the door handle and, IIRC, there is a screw behind it. Once you get everything clear, the panel lifts up.
In my case, I never use the rear windows so instead of fixing them, I just propped the window closed with two sticks of wood. First the left one went, then one day I accidentally hit the button for the right window and that broke also. Now they are both propped closed.
Many of them go when the to thin cable breaks or comes off the drive system. Cheaply made and troublesome. I had three of them fail on two different cars inside of six months.
The outer perimeter of the door has about 10 -12 plastic fasteners that look like christmas trees. The farther they are pushed in the tighter they grab. They are genrally best pried out by using a fork like tool with a v-notch that can get under the ears of the clip to force it from the hole in the door. Pry the clips so they come out of the metal door frame - not the cardboard backing of the door panel. You can rip the carboard and then the clip won't twist back into the carboard.
Keep in mind there may be hidden screws. Some are hidden behind the red safety reflectors, speakers, courtesy light assemblies, There may also be some through holes in the door pull levers or under a plastic retainer in the finger depressions on the armrest pull. I'm not sure which type of door pull you got but I gave you the basics. You might want to pull the ashtay out too & look through there as well.
If you got lights or speakers on the rear doors you'll have to unplug the wire harnesses, as well to remove the door panel.
After all the screws are out and clips freed from the steel door frame lift up on the door panel, Its helps to have the window down a bit. You may have to give it a good bump from the bottom - especially if this is the first time its being removed.
Any clips that stay in the door frame pull them out and twist them back into the backside of the door panel - if the hole hasn't been to destroyed. Once you get the door panel back on, line up the tips of the clips with the holes in the steel frame of the door & just give the door panel a bump with your fist all the way around the preimeter of the door panel. Then run the crews back in.
Good Luck
Harryface
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