How to- Install new exterior door handles.

**Mr. iNCREDIBLE** · 08-06-2007, 09:23 PM

So this weekend I decided before returning my 300 to the dealer showcase to swap out my chrome door handles for some nice new color matched ones that I got from Silva300 (swapped him even for the chrome ones) I had the door handles repainted when the car was painted last month, just hadn't found the time to do the swap.

I found it to be very easy, and was rather surprised at the ease.

on a scale of 1 -10 (10 being hardest) I would rate this a 4

Tools Required:

6mm socket
6 - 9 inch ratchet extension
1/4 inch drive ratchet
T-30 Torx (aka Star) bit
Flat blade screwdriver
Phillips head screwdriver

Step One: Remove Door Panel.

In my experience it is best to remove all the door panels first, I do this because if your hands greasy you will mark up your door panels trying to remove them. Also I recommend disconnecting the battery are you will need to disconnect the door panel wiring harnesses to remove the panel.

first remove the plastic push pin style "clips" I have found the easiest way is with a small screw driver pressed at a slight angle, only a small amount of pressure is required.

Once the tab is pushed in slightly if you tug gently on the door panel behind the clip it will pop out.

you will need to remove the black one (for the upper door trim) as well as the colored ones on the door panel in order to access the area required for removing the door handle bolts.

next remove all the phillips head screws, there are 3 at the bottom, one on the inner side, one under the door pull and one behind the interior door handle:

after removing all the screws, gently lift on door panel while pulling toward your body, not to hard, but enough to pop the upper inner plastic rivets.

disconnect all the wiring and place the door panel someplace safe.

here is a closeup view of the access holes you need to use to get to the door panel bolts. they have a clear plastic film covering them, gently remove the film to gain access, if you tear it (i did) no worries, before putting the door panel back on cover the hole with some clear packaging tape this will help keep water out of the interior of the door.

the back and front are basically the same in this respect, just the location differs slightly

here is a picture of the door handles from INSIDE the door, you can see the bolts that need to be removed, they are the 3 silverish ones you see.

in addition you will notice the white clip on the far right, this is the clip that holds the door handle rod in place, you need to pop the clip off and remove the rod from the door handle. The left side of the car has white clips and the right side has pink or blue.

another view

the door handles are held on with a 6mm bolt.

the 2 at the rear of the door handle, that is the part facing the rear of the car (area where a key hole would be) need to be accessed via the above mentioned holes.

using the ratchet and the 6" extension, slide it thru the holes to the bolt and undo the bolt, be careful not to drop the bolt inside the door, it's a pain to fish it out...

the front bolt is a little harder to get to on the front doors as the window brace is in the way. it requires you to go in from the lowest point in the door in order to have room to turn the ratchet.

you need to remove the plastic weather cover and slide your arm thru the hole closest to the ground, you can see the bolt thru the window on the inside of the door if you are sitting on the floor feet facing, or under the car. once your arm is up there it is very easy to locate and to undo, just be patient and careful.

once the bolts are undone you can remove the handle from the door, be careful not to scratch your paint.

install the new handles reverse of the removal, make sure you install them one the correct side, bracket UP like this picture:

now the back doors differ only slightly, because of the curve at the bottom of the door, the striker bolt is in a different place, so you have to remove the lock mechanism in order to get to the rear bolts.

it is held by 3 T-30 Torx Bolts.

use your Torx bit to undo the bolts, the unit will drop in and away, just let it, it is held in place by the door lock pin, so it can't go far, but just enough to get out of your way.

once you have completed all 4 doors, wash your hands before reassembling the door panels so you don't muss them up with grease.

reinstall the door panels the reverse of the above removal procedure.

it took me 12 minutes per door to remove old handle, install new handle and reassemble the door panels.

for a novice, expect 30 min per door....