DIY: Removing passenger side door panel (with pics)

This was done on my 2009 4 door car, but 2 door is similar if not exact.

Pic #1: You pull the passenger handle piece outwards as shown. You do NOT pull the window switch part up, as done on the drivers side. If a couple of those yellow clip things stay in the handle you pull off reattach them to the main handle before reassembly.



Pic #2: This pic shows the two torx bolts you uncover after removing the handle. These are 2 of the 5 torx bolts you remove for door panel to come off.



Pic #3: This pic shows the front torx bolt you remove, which is found under the tweeter sail panel:



Pic #4: This pic shows the area of the bolts along the bottom of the door panel. My 4 door has two bolts under the bottom. A 2 door would probably have 3 bolts in that location.



After all these bolts are out, you need to pop the door off. The rest are just plastic clips. These are very stiff the first time and it takes some force to pop them off. I grab the door panel, put my foot on the door corner and pull really hard. Once one comes off the rest are a bit easier.

Pic #5: When you have the door off, you will see it attached with 3 items. The 4" midrange speaker harness, the master window switch harness, and the handle pull cable. You can see the top handle cable which has a rubber sheath to prevent rattling.



Pic #6: This shows the master window harness. You unclip the purple lever, swing it down, than harness pulls right out.



Pic #7: Shows what the door panel looks like. Very spacious and empty compared to every other car I have done stereos on. Nice and easy if you are going to mat.



Pic #8: Shows the dynamat applied. This was to cure a tiny vibration and not a serious job at all. I did more than I planned, and this will quell a lot of the vibrations I was hearing.



The drivers side is similar, except the window switch top section is what you remove to get to the 2 center bolts.

Awesome! Thanks!

Still have the rattle by the alarm light area of top door panel.. Unbelieveable.. In other words, dont bother with this unless you are doing a proper full system.

Plac,

I did mine a little differently, I used memory foam for a queen sized matress and cut to fit for each door. I got the stuff in clearance at Target for $15, then cut it to fit with scissors. Since the stuff shrinks to fit, the doors look and stay on just a well, all rattles are gone and its quite a bit quieter inside the car.

Graymalkin2 said:

Plac,

I did mine a little differently, I used memory foam for a queen sized matress and cut to fit for each door. I got the stuff in clearance at Target for $15, then cut it to fit with scissors. Since the stuff shrinks to fit, the doors look and stay on just a well, all rattles are gone and its quite a bit quieter inside the car.

Click to expand...

very nice alternative! how did you get the foam to stick?

oh i also never posted that i removed all this dynamat since it didnt work. i wanted the car mint again since it helped nothing. the stock doors are already pretty well deadened for most stock cars i've done. The mat came off easily, then i waxed the doors to get them mint again before putting the panels back on.

damn i bet there is no vibrating with that SH!@

plac said:

very nice alternative! how did you get the foam to stick?

Click to expand...

I didn't need to do anything other than slip it up under the tabs at the top of the door card. I took all of the anchors off of the door and snapped the card back on carefully. Since the foam compresses so well and to less than 1/10th its normal size it seeps into the little crevices and such really well and doesn't push out or deform the card.

bumping my own thread, as im gonna remove my drivers door panel now, and drill out my main speaker. it will save a lot of time once my new components come in..

Did you buy a memory foam "topper" or a full mattress? If a topper, what thickness did you buy? Thanks!

Graymalkin2 said:

Plac,

I did mine a little differently, I used memory foam for a queen sized matress and cut to fit for each door. I got the stuff in clearance at Target for $15, then cut it to fit with scissors. Since the stuff shrinks to fit, the doors look and stay on just a well, all rattles are gone and its quite a bit quieter inside the car.

Click to expand...

Window switch problem in my gti

The pictures are not showing up? the shows a questions mark icon. Could you repost the pictures?

veestaar said:

The pictures are not showing up? the shows a questions mark icon. Could you repost the pictures?

Click to expand...

just fixed the pics. if you find any other threads of mine missing pics i can fix em.

bumping an old thread. PLAC, you mentioned even after the sound deadening stuff that you still had that rattle by the security light. I have the same issue. That rattle bugs the living crap out of me. I hate it. Even with just a little bass I hear buzz buzz buzz buzz!!!!
Did you ever get it fixed? I've read on other vw forums that we have to remove the outer door skin and get the window locking mechanism (the mechanism sits right at that red light, but on the outside.. the outer door skin). Apparently the locking mechanism is rattling next to the outer door panels. I'm getting ready to tackle this after Christmas

BTW thanks for posting those pics on how to remove the door panels.

Here is a link for removing the outer door skins
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?2984471-DIY-Passenger-Side-Door-Skin-Removal/page2

dude that was like 3 years ago, i cant remember that job anymore.

Anyone done this recently? Can you pop the upper and lower door pull pieces (passenger side) off from the front? Or do you have to take the whole door off?