1997 Accord Door Panel Removal


  #1  
Old 11-15-05, 09:27 AM
T
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1997 Accord Door Panel Removal

The window on the driver's side of my 1997 Honda Accord will not move any more. For about a year, it would go up slowly but go down quickly, and now it just doesn't move. I have been told by two different mechanics that it probably needs a new regulator. I found one for $50 online, but when I tried to get the door panel off, I could not. I was able to get the bottom of the panel loose, but there seems to be something preventing the top from coming off.

Has anyone taken the panel off the driver's side door? Any tips you can give me for this, and/or for replacing the regulator would be appreciated.

Thank you very much.
 
  #2  
Old 11-15-05, 08:54 PM
Carpoor
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Thumbs up Panel removal

There are several things that have to be disconnected before the panel will come off, so don't force the panel off. First there is a trianglular plastic piece in the corner nearest the windsheild. Pop it off with a screwdriver. Just below it on the panel itself is a plastic snap plug usually same color as the door panel. Pop it off. Next there is a screw in the middle of the panel where the door lock switch, window switch, and door handle are located. You have to remove the screw, unplug the two switch plugs and then where the door handle wire connects you have to take a screwdriver and lift the lever up to disconnect the wire or thin piece of metal whichever you prefer to call it. Once you have done this, this entire piece will come off. Next, down in the bottom of the door handle pull there is a screw that has to come out and the door handle pull will come out. One more disconnect and you will have it ready to lift off. That being the switch connector for the small lamp light at the bottom of the door. When you pull the panel up and off you're going to see a plastic shield completely covering the inside. This will have to be slowly removed so that it can be replaced one you have finished installing the regulator. Now that you have it stripped look at your new regulator and you should be able to figure out how to take the old one off and put the new one on. The motor mounts with three screws on the left of the regulator and there are four screws #10 holding the regulator on. One important thing to do is roll the window down so that you can take the two bolts holding the glass to the regulator off from the two wholes about half way down the door. There are also two wholes at the top of door. Whenever you have disconnected the glass, replaced the motor and regulator, screw the glass onto the new regulator through the wholes near the the middle of the door. Do not tighten the screws yet. It is very important that once you have placed the bolts through the plastic piece connecting the window itself to the regulator roll the window all the way up which will seat the window where it should be. Then tighten the bots from the two wholes at the top of the door frame. One more note ; when you are reinstalling the piece with the door handle on it you have to push the metal rod back down into place and there is a small plastic piece that can be rotated to run parallel with the rod going to the door lock. Take a very small screwdriver to do this. Just put everything back together and you your door should be as good as new. You can buy a can of spray silicon and spray liberally along the tracks where the window slides up and down and this should extend the life of the motor. Good luck. Let me know how it comes out.
 
  #3  
Old 11-15-05, 09:01 PM
Carpoor
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One more thought

Before trying to replace the regulator and motor I would spray the liquid silicon up and down the tracks first to see if it wouldn't loosen up the track. Over a period of years the tracks that the glass runs on becomes brittle, grimey dired out and and this causes a lot of friction between the glass and the track it runs on. So try that first .It is a little more expensive than WD-40 but it works wonders. Think it's by Dupont.
 
 

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