2005 Nissan Altima Door Handle Removal
Once I start assembling the car I seem to find out the procedures that I was suppose to follow to disassemble it. In my earlier post I wrote about the problems I ran into while trying to remove the door handle on my 2005 Nissan Altima. Yesterday as I was assembling the car, I found out that I didn't have to take the door completely apart to remove the handle.
Here is an easier way to do this.
1. Remove the interior door panel.
2. Remove the electric window switch panel from the interior panel and hook it back up to the wiring harness.
3. Peel off the round stickers covering the openings in the door "guts" cover plate. One towards the front of the car and one towards the back, about the middle of the panel vertically. The stickers may be the same color the panel is so you will need to look closely.
4. Adjust the window so you can see the screws through the round openings, by opening or closing the window.
5. Remove the screws, but make sure you are holding the glass from the top in case it will want to slip down.
6. Once the screws are out, pull the glass out, rear first.
7. Remove all the screws that hold the cover panel in. Those are the ones around the edge of the panel. Should be 4 on the top, one on each side and 3 on the bottom. (I am writing this from memory, so there may be 3 or 4 on top and bottom. I just went through this yesterday, it's still fresh in my mind but can't recall the number of screws, sorry).
8. Pull the panel bottom first, straight out about an inch or so and then slide the whole thing down to clear the window slider rails.
9. Now you should have a clear way to remove the front screw of the door handle.
10. To remove the back screw, stick the socket through the opening in the door body right above the lock. You are going to have to guide the socket with your hand through the rubber seals and to the screw. Guide it back out when the screw is loose because the socket will get stuck trying to get back out through all the rubber weather stripping.
11. You will notice that the handle won't want to come right out even with the screws out. You will need to push it from the inside, top first.
At least this is an easier way than what I had to go through not knowing how this thing is put together.
Good luck.
Here is an easier way to do this.
1. Remove the interior door panel.
2. Remove the electric window switch panel from the interior panel and hook it back up to the wiring harness.
3. Peel off the round stickers covering the openings in the door "guts" cover plate. One towards the front of the car and one towards the back, about the middle of the panel vertically. The stickers may be the same color the panel is so you will need to look closely.
4. Adjust the window so you can see the screws through the round openings, by opening or closing the window.
5. Remove the screws, but make sure you are holding the glass from the top in case it will want to slip down.
6. Once the screws are out, pull the glass out, rear first.
7. Remove all the screws that hold the cover panel in. Those are the ones around the edge of the panel. Should be 4 on the top, one on each side and 3 on the bottom. (I am writing this from memory, so there may be 3 or 4 on top and bottom. I just went through this yesterday, it's still fresh in my mind but can't recall the number of screws, sorry).
8. Pull the panel bottom first, straight out about an inch or so and then slide the whole thing down to clear the window slider rails.
9. Now you should have a clear way to remove the front screw of the door handle.
10. To remove the back screw, stick the socket through the opening in the door body right above the lock. You are going to have to guide the socket with your hand through the rubber seals and to the screw. Guide it back out when the screw is loose because the socket will get stuck trying to get back out through all the rubber weather stripping.
11. You will notice that the handle won't want to come right out even with the screws out. You will need to push it from the inside, top first.
At least this is an easier way than what I had to go through not knowing how this thing is put together.
Good luck.
