Removing Front Door Trim on VN - VS

[Darren]

Tools Needed

• 250mm Shifter
• Medium Sized Flat Head Screwdriver
• Medium Sized Philips Head Screwdriver
• O-Ring Pick or Some Other Hooked Object
• Window Handle Remover

Other Material Needed

• Rag or Cloth
  
  Removing the door trim isn't as hard as it looks. I must admit I almost drove myself nuts the first time especially trying to get the window winder off but having done it many times since I reckon I can safely say I have almost perfected it.
  
  Anyway on with the How-To
  

1. Remove the door locking button - I find using an o-ring the easiest way in the world to accomplish this part. Insert the o-ring pick behind the red tab and gently pull back but not too much force otherwise it will break it and they do break very easily. I have found if you can get one side of the tab out that little bit further without breaking it the button will come off nicely otherwise attack it from the other side doing the same procedure and it will come off just as well. At times you may need to place a different object in the other side you aren't doing as they sometimes have a tendency to pop back in once you have a go at the other side.
   
2. Behind the door lock button you will find a phillips head screw with a washer on it, simply remove it being careful not to drop it down into the door. Once done it should look like a metal rod with a thread on it, if so head on to the next step.
   
3. Next is to try and get the metal clip off the window winder which can be easily removed by using a window winder remover tool available for about $2 or $3 from Super Cheap Auto Parts. If you prefer to do it the hard way use a hacksaw blade with some electrical tape around it so it doesn't damage the door trim and slide it into the small gap and push slowly until the clip flies off. I must warn you just about every time I do this they tend to very quick at springing off in different directions, just keep a close eye out for it.
   
   Once the metal clip has come off simply grip the handle and bring it towards you and while your at it grab the spacer which usually sits behind the handle.
   
   
4. Now that the window winder has been removed it's time to remove the arm rest where the electrical mirror switch is. You will see like a plastic cover which is easily removed either using an o-ring pick or flat screwdriver. Once removed disconnect the electric mirror switch and remove the two phillipshead screws (one at the top and one at the bottom). Once done the arm rest should pull away without too much trouble.
   
   * The next four steps are only applicable to the VR - VS.
   
   
5. On the VS there are 3 phillipshead screws located on the bottom which have to be removed using a screwdriver.
   
6. Removing the heating/cooling ducts is as simple as removing the transfer vent which is 1 phillips head screw. The transfer vent can be tricky to get out but don't go using too much force as it may break.
   
7. Now the next thing is to remove the vents, this can done with a flat screwdriver with a bit of cloth or rag wrapped around it to prevent any damage or at least minimise any damage as screw drivers can slip. Of course I use my favourite o-ring but use whatever you have access to. I have generally found you can get the left hand side out assuming your doing the drivers side. You have 2 lugs on each side of each vent so once one side is part way out either slide the screwdriver from the back to dislocate the other two or go from the front, I will leave that decision up to you.
   
8. Once the vents have been removed you have a futher 4 phillips head screws to remove.
   
9. Now the screws have been removed the outlet vent can be removed without too much trouble at all.
   
10. That's it, now it's a case of slowly pulling the door trim to the opposite side of the car doing a little bit of a time ensuring the trim comes away fairly evenly otherwise the chances of damaging the plastic lugs is very high.
    
11. Putting everything back together is reverse of what has been listed.

[fourstar82]

Would someone be able to post step by step pics for this, I'm having a little trouble with getting the bit around the door lock off. Would be very much appreciated!!! (car is a VS btw)

Andy

[Locksmiff]

You have to flick it forward, if it's the orange bit your reffering too.

[ben7]

Yeh i am too having trouble with the lock and the window winder.. pics would be great if at all possible please .

I need to take it off to change speakers over.. unless there is an easier way to change without taking off the whole door trim?? car is VR acclaim.

I am also having trouble getting to the back speakers. I realise ill have to take out the back seats to take off the shelf but i cant find a way to take out the seats.

I may end up just buying a workshop manual but any ideas would be great?

Thanks,
Ben

[KAL SPL]

To remove back seat you need to pull the base upwards at the back where the buckles are , then it will just fall out.
The side seats each have a 13mm bolt at the bottom then slide upwards and come out.
Shelf has 3 clips across front , 2 in the top and usually a child restraint bolt 13mm.
Then the whole shelf slides forwards exposing the speakers.

[deeranp]

[*]Remove the door locking button - I find using an o-ring the easiest way in the world to accomplish this part. Insert the o-ring pick behind the red tab and gently pull back but not too much force otherwise it will break it and they do break very easily. I have found if you can get one side of the tab out that little bit further without breaking it the button will come off nicely otherwise attack it from the other side doing the same procedure and it will come off just as well. At times you may need to place a different object in the other side you aren't doing as they sometimes have a tendency to pop back in once you have a go at the other side.

A tip from one of the other blokes on this forum is head out to Holden Spares and get some of the red door lock tab things -- I paid $1.70 each. Then you just drive a self-tapping screw into the ones already in the car and yank 'em out using a pair of pliers. Saves about 1/2 hour of arsing about trying to remove them. Then you just whack the new ones in when you're putting everything back together.

/Deeran

[stevenfearne01]

another tip on how to remove the window winder. to easly remove the clip holding the window winder on. to save cash just grab a plastic bag slip the handel part of the bag in between the window winder and the spacer push down and rotate the bag. it pops off the clip easly.

[Patrio7]

well i'll probably be getting a new HU and some 6" fronts for my car tomorrow so if i decide to try to fit them myself i'll be sure to grab some pics.

i have access to a modest selection of tools but im wondering how long it would take an amatur like me to do [im ok with re-wiring its just i might take some time to follow these instructions, that or i'll leave it till sunday where i have two days in a row to get it done [sun-monday].....

i'll edit this post when i make it all happen.

[deeranp]

im wondering how long it would take an amatur like me to do

It took me 1 1/2 hours for the head unit, and about 1 1/2 hours for the front speakers.

I cheated and bought an ISO <-> Eurovox adapter cable from Aerpro, no
cutting and soldering of wires for me...

Good luck, and don't forget to post pictures when you're done!

/DP

[Patrio7]

oh wow, that all? you say adaptor, kind of like a cable to let you just pull the plug from the stocker and plug in cable then drop it straight into the head unit?

im sure ive seen something like that down at supercheap, will have to pick one up.

[Patrio7]

well i got myself a Pioneer DEH-2750mp

[ i know cheapie. ]

i had a gander though super cheap but their adaptor cable seems to be one that will run from say a system re-wire into a stock unit. was hoping somewhere would do a stock loom connecter into the back of my pioneer unit, just plug and play as it were.

also if i used a connecter screw down rack [you know the "strip" thing where you insert a bare wire in one side, screw it down, insert other spare wire into other side screw down] to wire my HU would i expect some bad sound quality?

-edit-

12Voltking? help? :P

[surfie_guy1]

It appears my central locking has died, not the entire system but just the master actuator in the drivers side front door.

So I've been reading on here how to remove the door trim...and am about to go out and buy a generic actuator from JayCar. Has anyone done this before, will a generic one fit/work/connect to the car, or do you need a genuine one?

[I LIKE COMMODORES]

I find it easer to get a thin rag & slide it behind the winder & the clip will get caught on the rag.

[BR377]

yes as above ^ use some material like a shirt or rag it works everytime and takes 10 seconds!

[HDT_aero]

a phillips and a flat head and a standard house key is all you need to get the trims off. if you poke your flatty into the lock clip and slightly pry it they just pop out (the bigger the better for that way) and a house key will fit nicley behind the window winder in order to pop out the jesus clip.

thats the bogans way ill definatley have to try the rag behind the winder trick next time thow

[Moylance]

surfie_guy1: What happened exactly? I've just bought a VR S1 Acclaim and the wireless remote doesn't work on the drivers door. Unlocks all the other doors though no problems.
Is that the problem you had and if so what did you do to fix it? Also my key doesn't really work until its fairly close up, I presume its the battery in the key? What can be done about this?

[sparra_gump]

Ah thanks for this, still had trouble with the lock but the window winder was fine.

Sparra_gump

[killuminati]

Would someone be able to post step by step pics for this, I'm having a little trouble with getting the bit around the door lock off. Would be very much appreciated!!! (car is a VS btw)

Andy

I took my drivers side one off, but i didnt take pics, but today i took off passenger side trim, and i took pics, so when i can get on my own computer i can upload the pics and post em

[killuminati]

Ok, i took these photos the other day, but i took them while putting the trim back on. Sorry about different size photos, dunno how the hell that happened

Tools Needed

• 250mm Shifter
• Medium Sized Flat Head Screwdriver
• Medium Sized Philips Head Screwdriver
• O-Ring Pick or Some Other Hooked Object
• Window Handle Remover

Other Material Needed

• Rag or Cloth
  
  Removing the door trim isn't as hard as it looks. I must admit I almost drove myself nuts the first time especially trying to get the window winder off but having done it many times since I reckon I can safely say I have almost perfected it.
  
  Anyway on with the How-To
  

1. Remove the door locking button - I find using an o-ring the easiest way in the world to accomplish this part. Insert the o-ring pick behind the red tab and gently pull back but not too much force otherwise it will break it and they do break very easily. I have found if you can get one side of the tab out that little bit further without breaking it the button will come off nicely otherwise attack it from the other side doing the same procedure and it will come off just as well. At times you may need to place a different object in the other side you aren't doing as they sometimes have a tendency to pop back in once you have a go at the other side.
   
   
2. Behind the door lock button you will find a phillips head screw with a washer on it, simply remove it being careful not to drop it down into the door. Once done it should look like a metal rod with a thread on it, if so head on to the next step.
   
3. Next is to try and get the metal clip off the window winder which can be easily removed by using a window winder remover tool available for about $2 or $3 from Super Cheap Auto Parts. If you prefer to do it the hard way use a hacksaw blade with some electrical tape around it so it doesn't damage the door trim and slide it into the small gap and push slowly until the clip flies off. I must warn you just about every time I do this they tend to very quick at springing off in different directions, just keep a close eye out for it.
   
   Once the metal clip has come off simply grip the handle and bring it towards you and while your at it grab the spacer which usually sits behind the handle.
   
   
4. Now that the window winder has been removed it's time to remove the arm rest where the electrical mirror switch is. You will see like a plastic cover which is easily removed either using an o-ring pick or flat screwdriver. Once removed disconnect the electric mirror switch and remove the two phillipshead screws (one at the top and one at the bottom). Once done the arm rest should pull away without too much trouble.
   
   
   * The next four steps are only applicable to the VR - VS.
   
   
5. On the VS there are 3 phillipshead screws located on the bottom which have to be removed using a screwdriver.
   
   
6. Removing the heating/cooling ducts is as simple as removing the transfer vent which is 1 phillips head screw. The transfer vent can be tricky to get out but don't go using too much force as it may break.
   
   
7. Now the next thing is to remove the vents, this can done with a flat screwdriver with a bit of cloth or rag wrapped around it to prevent any damage or at least minimise any damage as screw drivers can slip. Of course I use my favourite o-ring but use whatever you have access to. I have generally found you can get the left hand side out assuming your doing the drivers side. You have 2 lugs on each side of each vent so once one side is part way out either slide the screwdriver from the back to dislocate the other two or go from the front, I will leave that decision up to you.
   
   
8. Once the vents have been removed you have a futher 4 phillips head screws to remove.
   
   
9. Now the screws have been removed the outlet vent can be removed without too much trouble at all.
   
10. That's it, now it's a case of slowly pulling the door trim to the opposite side of the car doing a little bit of a time ensuring the trim comes away fairly evenly otherwise the chances of damaging the plastic lugs is very high.
    
11. Putting everything back together is reverse of what has been listed.

[vs_wagon]

another tip on how to remove the window winder. to easly remove the clip holding the window winder on. to save cash just grab a plastic bag slip the handel part of the bag in between the window winder and the spacer push down and rotate the bag. it pops off the clip easly.

worked a treat... except the handle ended up have way across the garage - rotate with care

[GMH-DVL]

helpful thanx

[Patrio7]

Well after removing my stock paper cones and putting in my mates old VX papercones [ better construction and for free so why not? ] i managed to work out how to take my trims off but again the ellusive window winder was always the tricky part.

my method worked ok though i suppose it can be damaging if you slip. but here we go.

you'll need a large flat blade screw driver and a slim or medium sized one,

using the larger screwdriver you insert it down behind the winder handle and doortrim [ wind the window so the knob that you grasp is the highest point] from here you can twist the screwdriver to give yourself a better look at the clip

using the second screwdriver you need to prise off one side of the clip and then gently work the other side untill you see the head of the clip come to the edge of the bottom of the winder, from here it is very simple to hook a hook or the slim screw driver behind the clip and give it a little pry and it should come off without flying at some insane velocity. [ if you still have the handle in the original suggested position it'll fly into the door pod anyway ] from there the winder and if fitted, "washer" [ plastic ring ] should just merrily slide off.

i'll insert a picture just below here giving a rough exploded view of how its setup. once i get a hold of a camera of some sort i'll try to take step by step photos.

hopefully this assits anyone trying this out for the first time.

[wal]

hi wish i read this thread first friday took me 4 hours to get front trim off to change speakers then saturday 2hours for back doors.....i followed the gregorys manual which explains it basicly but if anyone plans doing check out this site first...ecxent pics guys......ps take a few panadol before you start your first door (lol)

[Infus10n]

door trims take me about 5 minutes.. if that

fairly easy once you know how to do it, watching someone else do it helps alot.

[wal]

next time if i have to will be easier