Ok. I just did the sedan handle installation and here’s a writeup:
TOOLS NEEDED:
flathead screwdriver
phillips head screwdriver
10mm socket
ratchet
extension
10mm wrench
First, you need to remove the trim.
there are a couple screws you need to remove.
there is one holding the plastic tray behind the inner handle.
you must remove the tray as well by taking it out as you hold the handle out.
there is one on the part of the trim that sits in the door-jam.
there is one behind the rubber handle on the trim, covered by a rubber piece that pops out to reveal the screw.
there is one at the top of the rubber handle as well.
then there is one of those shitty plasic trim screws near where the hinge is, by the vent.
After you get these screws out, grab the bottom of the trim and pull it towards you. the bottom will swivel out.
now grab the rubber handle and pull directly up, parallel to the window.
it might not go at first, but it will. yank hard. its held on by metal clips.
behind the door trim there are two wire harnesses. one for the power locks and one for the power windows. disconnect these and put your trim somewhere where it wont get scratched up.
Now that the trim is removed, you will see a plastic cloth covering the inside of the door. it is fastened by two clips and some gummy stuff. mine was all cracked and dried out so i just ripped it off.
if you look inside of the door, you will see a rod connecting your lock cylinder on your handle to the lock mechanism. it is connected by a white clip. i couldn’t get this off too easily so i just dremmelled it off. you won’t be needing it.
After that is remove, look in the small hole at the top left of the door.
there is a bolt there that holds the handle in place.
take out your ratchet/extension/10mm socket and put it through the hole and unscrew the bolt.
now take out your 10mm wrench, and stick your arm in the long rectangular hole at the bottom of the door. you need to remove the second bolt holding the handle on. to get at it, you have to squeeze your hand behind the glass.
Now that you have both bolts removed, push on the handle from the inside of the door so that it pops out a little. once it pops, go around to the outside and yank it out. it’s kind of hard to get it out, just swivel it towards you until it pops out.
now get the handle off of the rod by turning the handle around and around until it comes off.
take the metal piece that was connected to the rod out of the handle and screw it back onto the rod. attach your new handle, with hole already drilled (see teg tip), to the rod by popping the metal piece into the white clip on the handle. now put the handle back in. BE CAREFUL when doing this. i chipped both my handles and some of the paint on my car, but i fixed it with touch-up paint and it’s not really noticeable.
now just screw the bolts back in and your handles are done.
you’ll notice that you now have a rod attached to the locking mechanism and is no longer attached to your lock cylinders (because you have none).
to get this off, i just dremmelled off the white clip that held it on. you don’t need it anymore anyway. you can leave the rod there, but it rattles against the frame and is annoying.
AND YOU’RE DONE!
any questions, feel free to ask.
aim: diamantematto
email:diamantematto@aol.com