Interior Door Panels, Easy Or Hard To Remove?

waveydavey · August 17, 2012

Hi all,

I have an issue with the driver's door red light where i need to remove the lower door panel that has the red light in it.

Since i got the car that red light hadn't worked and as it wasn't anything major i only just got around to looking at it and replacing what i thought was a blown bulb. I removed the light only to find that it has no wiring connected to it!!! The vehicle history that Lexus pulled off the system for me shows that some work was done on the driver's interior door handle so i'm assuming when this was done the light was never connected back up.

Anyway i've tried feeling to see if the cable is near to the hole where the light goes but no joy so it looks like i'll have to remove the lower panel to try and find the cable and re-connect the light.

How easy is it to remove that panel? If it's a PITA i'll just live with the light not working. ;)

Cheers

Dave.

sjrainsford · August 17, 2012

In my Experience of Toyotas they should be quite simple to remove.

Normally there will be a few screws through the door handle inside, then one under a cover for the door opening lever. Perhaps one or two elsewhere then just a case of gently releasing the poppers holding it on all round the edge. They then pull off from the bottom and have to be lifted slightly to unhook over the window channel.

bluenose1940 · August 17, 2012

Hi all,

I have an issue with the driver's door red light where i need to remove the lower door panel that has the red light in it.

Since i got the car that red light hadn't worked and as it wasn't anything major i only just got around to looking at it and replacing what i thought was a blown bulb. I removed the light only to find that it has no wiring connected to it!!! The vehicle history that Lexus pulled off the system for me shows that some work was done on the driver's interior door handle so i'm assuming when this was done the light was never connected back up.

Anyway i've tried feeling to see if the cable is near to the hole where the light goes but no joy so it looks like i'll have to remove the lower panel to try and find the cable and re-connect the light.

How easy is it to remove that panel? If it's a PITA i'll just live with the light not working. ;)

Cheers

Dave.

Hiya, I had the same problem when I collected my car from the dealership. I pointed out that the light wasn't working and a guy from the workshop came to the car, eased the bottom of the panel away at the bottom adjacent to the light, put his hand inside, found the trailing cable and made the connection and wallah, light worked a treat! As sjrainsford says, just ease the panel at the poppers and the panel will come away, definitely no need to remove the complete panel though, unless of course you can't locate the cable. Hope this helps.

waveydavey · August 17, 2012

Thanks guys.

I'll give it a go in the next day or two. :)

Cheers

Dave.

matt-c · August 17, 2012

It's been a long time since I removed a Lexus door panel (I'm a windscreen fitter) - probably about 4 years! But from memory they are very easy. Just a couple screws in the door handle, one in the door catch release, and the rest of the door pad is on poppers. A flat blade scraper will help you get behind the pad in the bottom corner and pull it towards you till you hear and feel the poppers release from the door. As said you can then reach behind to find the cable, poke it through and then smack the pad back down (making sure the poppers are aligned first)