86 Honda Civic Wagovan - inside door panels

Hello,

My driver's side window is off track and I need to get the inside door panel
off to fix it. My question is - how do I do this? I took out all the screws,
including the one in the door handle and storage bins at the bottom of the
door, and managed to get the window crank off, but it is still firmly
attached all along the top of the panel. This is driving me completely
insane because the window is sightly open and, well, it's winter.

Thanks in advance for any help
levittd

 

Levittd,
Once you have removed all of the necessary screws, handles etc, you must pop
off the plastic clips (between the door & panel) along the bottom edge and
the sides. A little force may be required. Once the trim is unclipped, pull
towards you, and push up, as the panel is tucked over the top edge of the
door.

HTH
Greg.

 

I'm gonna add this to the FAQ.

If you're sure you've got all the screws and clips out, and if you can get
the door panel to swing from the top as though it were on a hinge, then...

just yank upwards, sharply and HARD.

There are metal spring clips at the top that grasp (rather firmly) a flange
at the top of the door.

Your efforts are probably complicated by slight corrosion, accumulated over
the years. Grab the door panel with one hand about mid-point, about where
the door latch striker is, or at the bottom--using that as your main yank
point--then place one finger under the window sill trim's rear edge and
amplify your yanking efforts thereby.

You want to pull sharply enough to break the panel free, but not bias your
efforts such as to cause the sill trim strip to come loose or the curved
upper portion of the door panel to crack. Yank evenly in both places and it
will pop free.

 

Most of the time you can just pop them off with your hands. That's all I
do. If you can get one corner free, the rest come right off.

 

You need a door panel popper tool such as this one,
http://tinyurl.com/66mmd, to release the plastic fittings that are holding
the panel to the door.

Eric