1994-2004 Mustang Door Panel Removal
One of Mustangevolution’s own, Fast64, has put together this very detailed article on removing the door panels on 1994-2004 Mustangs. This is a fairly easy task, but the idea of it can be quite daunting for the first timer. Door panels are most commonly removed for upgrading/replacing speakers, mirrors, power window motors, power lock motors, and switches. We hope you find the article useful.
Tools Needed:
Flathead Screwdriver
Philips Head Screwdriver
Interior Panel Plug Remover OR Needle-nose Pliers
Time:
10-15 Minutes per door
Level of Difficulty (1-5):
1
Step One:
Start off by removing the switch panel on the door (it houses the lock and window buttons; if you are removing the driver’s side door panel, it also houses the mirror switch). Do this by inserting a flathead screwdriver into the flat spot at the top of the panel and lightly pry upward until the panel pops out. Then, pull the switch panel away from the door panel to pop the rest of the retaining clips loose. Don’t pull too hard though, because there are several short wires coming out of the back of the switch panel that could be ripped out.
Step Two:
After the switch panel is loose, flip it over and unscrew the two gold screws that you see. These screws hold the switches in place. After the switch panel is free, place it in a safe place where it won’t get scratched or broken.
Step Three:
Now that the switch panel is out of the way, you can remove the two black screws that were hidden behind it. These screws hold the center of the door panel in place.
Step Four:
Now you can remove the door cup (the trim piece around the door handle). To remove this, gently pry it out with a flathead screwdriver. Be very careful during this step not to scratch it the door cup. Again, store this piece in a safe place.
Step Five:
There is now only one more piece holding the door panel in place. This is a small, plastic plug on the side of the door panel to the side of the speaker (see picture for exact location). There is a special tool made for these plugs, however, if you do not have one just loosen the plug by running a flathead screwdriver under the edges of it then pull it out with a pair of needle-nose pliers.
The plug looks like this:
Step Six:
Now you should be left with the bare door panel:
Too remove the door panel, grab it on both sides and push it upward (towards the window) while at the same time pulling it outward (towards you). Make sure the switches do not get caught on any edges while doing this. The door panel should now be free and you can lay it in a safe place. You will now be left with this:
To gain access to the power window or power lock assemblies, you will have to remove the white plastic. The glue that holds the plastic on is very sticky and can make a real mess, so be careful when taking it off. To replace the door panel, just do these steps in reverse.
Note to those with manual windows:
There are two different ways to remove the window cranks on your car, depending on its year. The cranks on older cars are held in place by a pin; you need a special tool to remove this pin, which costs about $5.00 at your local auto parts store. It looks like this:
Slide the tool behind the crank so that the pointed edges inside the tool line up with the open edges of the pin, push the pin loose with the tool and then remove the crank. The cranks on newer cars have a screw holding them in place. To gain access to the screw, pull the knob off of the crank and then remove the crank’s cover. Then just remove the screw and pull the crank off.
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