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Door pannel fix

112117 Views 37 Replies 28 Participants Last post by  ZeGerman
This is a simple way to fix you sagging or lose door card. I spent about 10 min doing everything, the only catch is that you will need to let the adheasive cure or dry.

Removal: The pannel is fastened by clips and screws, there are 2 screws tucked behind the handle on the arm rest, simply pop the covers off and unscrew them, after that just pull the door card off and unplug the speakers, the speaker wires pull right out, don't be to aggresive though as you may damage them.

Things you'll need once the door pannel is off:
Pliers, and RTV silicone.

This is what it looked like before I took it off the car


This is what the repair did


Once I examined the door I found what the cause was. There is a plastic molding holding the door clips that was glued to the door card and had seperated itself due to many opening and closings.


Some of the clips were broken as well. I recomend purchasing new ones from the dealer, don't be a cheap wad. You should have these clips before the repair so that you can do everything at once. To remove the clips simply wist and pull them with pliers, they are notched and are designed to be done that way.



Remove the clips before you decide to apply the adheasive as this may cause some issues later on in the repair. To put new clips in, just twist them in with your fingers, it doesn't take much effort.


Next you simply apply the adheasive thoroughly. Cleaning shouldn't really be an issue, but if you decide to clean the area, use a mild soap and warm water. Push down on the plastic to spread the silicone around, you don't need to smooth it, let the plastic do the work for you, plus you don't get dirty.


Thats pretty much it for the repair, the next thing you'll want to do is apply pressure. I chose to use a piece of cylinder poly and laid my amp on it. You'll want to have adequate pressure to ensure a tight bond. When you add the weight, have the door pannel somewhere that will be out of ways harm. I chose the coffee table....:)


Let the RTV dry before you mount it back on the car. I let mine sit over night just to be safe. Simply reverse the removal process to re-attach the door pannel...and your finished
Hope this helps, it's super easy and cheap, it's not the most interesting thing in the world but I needed it fixed so I'm sure someone else does to. If you guys think I left somehting out then let me know but I think I covered everything.
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I think I need to do it too.

thanks someguy
Good job on the guide. I recently did this fix too when I replaced my door lock actuator. For those looking for an alternative adhesive I used
Scotia & Skirting Fixing Adhesive.


It is used for glueing skirting boards on - grips very tightly but allows a bit of flex. So far it is holding up well. If you are in the UK you can get it from B&Q.
great write up! I'm going to do this very soon! I'm still looking for a DIY on when the leather becomes loose on the door panels if anyone knows where that is....
Went thru all of the glueing, stretching of vinyl and clamping but door would not stay on anyway. The cardboard looking stuff inside the door had softened to where the clips just pulled out in a few places. We solved it by drilling a small hole thru the door panel and anchoring a 2" screw in a drywall anchor. Not ideal but doesn't look too bad and the doorpanel stays tight. to reglue the vinyl I used a blowdryer to stretch the material and then glued it in place with silicone. Looks WAY better than before.
Went thru all of the glueing, stretching of vinyl and clamping but door would not stay on anyway. The cardboard looking stuff inside the door had softened to where the clips just pulled out in a few places. We solved it by drilling a small hole thru the door panel and anchoring a 2" screw in a drywall anchor. Not ideal but doesn't look too bad and the doorpanel stays tight. to reglue the vinyl I used a blowdryer to stretch the material and then glued it in place with silicone. Looks WAY better than before.
Thanks for the tip, and a huge thank you for searching!!! Welcome to the 'Fest!
+10000000000000000000000000

on the searching thing. Almost all of the problems with these cars have happened to someone else, and were resolved!
It's easy to tell that the OP wasn't married at the time. Anyone married knows what would happen if you tried to glue anything around the coffee table, much less use it for the work bench.

:)
There is a clip panel at the TOP of the door as well. This usually separates, particularly when removing the door panel. Many assume (as I did, initially) that this was part of the door, as it separates so cleanly that you don't realize it was originally glued to the door panel.

Remove the interior window weatherstrip (pull straight up) and then carefully pull this piece out.

Then glue it in place to the door panel (it will fit like a glove in the right location). RTV silicone, like you used, is the best. I used a latex adhesive caulk (which I had laying around) and that worked OK, too.

IN short, the door is held in on all four sides: Front and rear with the clip strips (as you show), at the top with a clip rail, and at the bottom with the storage compartments.

Make sure all FOUR items are properly glued in place. Once reinstalled, re-insert the window interior rubber gasket, and if you align it carefully, it will fill in the space between the door panel and the window just like the day it left the factory.

Here are some more pictures at:

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/557789582nyYUxv

Goog Luck!

--Bob.
Where can i buy that top clip????? i broke mine taking it off:cry::cry:
I don't think you can buy them anywhere.
Allsher makes replacements, but I don't know if they sell them outside of their panel rebuilding service.

www.allsherinteriors.com
Anyone think to try one of the liquid nails adhesives? the thought just occurred to me as i was cleaning out my dad's stash of caulk/adhesives.
Sure, Liquid Nails would probably work. I used a hot glue gun on mine the first time around, which worked only for a little bit before coming unglued (pretty poor adhesion). Second time around I used JB Weld, and that stuff isn't coming off, ever.
i tried using Permatex Plastic weld but i couldnt get one of the pieces secured. i think the problem was that there a) wasnt enough epoxy left and b) it was hard to get into the places it needed to be.

I'm hoping just globbing something in the area will allow it to adhere.
Very cool, simple, cheap, and beneficial fix. Thanks :)
btw what brand adhesive are you using?
I've tried two grades of Liquid Nails, 3M #77 adhesive, DAP super contact cement and a couple of other glues, including Gorilla Glue. NONE of them kept the covers on the pressed fiber backing but most of you don't have near-100 degree heat and humidity that's unbelieveably high much of the year. Good luck.
Does anyone know of any other ways to keep the door panel on. My clips just pop right out and are basically useless.
Once those top railings are done, they're done, and they're next to impossible to replace. Only options are to try to find some used ones that aren't cracked (good luck with that...), or maybe to contact these guys:

http://www.allsherinteriors.com/3_Series_E36_Cpe_Door_Panels.html

They refurbish E36 door panels, and use carbon fiber top railings, but I don't know if they will sell you them individually. I also see that you have a sedan and I think they only do coupes & convertibles. Worth a try, though.

EDIT: are you referring to the top railing, or the individual push-through clips which line the perimeter of the door panel? The individual push-through clips can be purchased cheaply online.
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