Door Striker Replacement
- Thread starter jopoonmc
- Start date
you mean the part that's inside the door?
From memory..
First carefully pop off the aluminum trim around the door lock and seat adjustment switch area. Then remove a couple or 4 screws, wiggle and lift and remove the whole piece that holds the switches. Disconnect the switches and lay that piece aside.
Remove the carpeted area at the bottom of the door.. it's got push-clips holding it on at the bottom if i recall.. lift and wiggle it free. Disconnect it's entry lamp connection.
Pop off the speaker cover. Unscrew the support screw under there.
Then un-clip the whole door inner trim piece. It's attached with several plastic push-pins around the perimeter. (use a flat 1" x 5" x 1/4" thick steel bar for this. The bar is slightly bent about an inch from one end and it's end is notched, so it can get under the panel and lever these pins away from the door without ruining the inner cardboard door panel. I'd draw a picture but there may be one on the net.. A flat thin crowbar might be good enough.)
Lift the inner door panel off the door.
Unbolt the door handle.. lay that aside.
Remove whatever foam insulation and/or wind-screening there is on the door's metal body.
probably forgot something or other... but it's a big job and there's plenty of opportunity to forget things even if I wrote everything down here..
Raise the window for access to the striker plate. I dunno exactly how the striker plate mechanism is attached to the locking mechanism. Use a bright light to study what's in there. There might even be an electrical connection..
3 exterior phillips head machine screws hold the plate to the door.. remove those and it's all gotta come loose enough to twist the mechanism to unhook it from the door.
If those screws are too tight, use a hand-held "impact driver". (An impact driver comes with various screw-head bits and you hold it and hit it with a hammer. It gets tight screws started on their way out without stripping the heads.. about $12 at a tool store.)
Keep things organized and put screws back where they were so they don't get lost..
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Why are you removing the striker plate?
From memory..
First carefully pop off the aluminum trim around the door lock and seat adjustment switch area. Then remove a couple or 4 screws, wiggle and lift and remove the whole piece that holds the switches. Disconnect the switches and lay that piece aside.
Remove the carpeted area at the bottom of the door.. it's got push-clips holding it on at the bottom if i recall.. lift and wiggle it free. Disconnect it's entry lamp connection.
Pop off the speaker cover. Unscrew the support screw under there.
Then un-clip the whole door inner trim piece. It's attached with several plastic push-pins around the perimeter. (use a flat 1" x 5" x 1/4" thick steel bar for this. The bar is slightly bent about an inch from one end and it's end is notched, so it can get under the panel and lever these pins away from the door without ruining the inner cardboard door panel. I'd draw a picture but there may be one on the net.. A flat thin crowbar might be good enough.)
Lift the inner door panel off the door.
Unbolt the door handle.. lay that aside.
Remove whatever foam insulation and/or wind-screening there is on the door's metal body.
probably forgot something or other... but it's a big job and there's plenty of opportunity to forget things even if I wrote everything down here..
Raise the window for access to the striker plate. I dunno exactly how the striker plate mechanism is attached to the locking mechanism. Use a bright light to study what's in there. There might even be an electrical connection..
3 exterior phillips head machine screws hold the plate to the door.. remove those and it's all gotta come loose enough to twist the mechanism to unhook it from the door.
If those screws are too tight, use a hand-held "impact driver". (An impact driver comes with various screw-head bits and you hold it and hit it with a hammer. It gets tight screws started on their way out without stripping the heads.. about $12 at a tool store.)
Keep things organized and put screws back where they were so they don't get lost..
-------
Why are you removing the striker plate?
There are a few Torx head bolts on the car.. (sometimes called star-head). I think the largest of them hold the seatbelts to the floor.
They are one of a variety of a tamper resistant bolt-head designs, preventing less skilled people from loosening and removing bolts.
Manufacturers don't want doors flying open or seatbelts detaching during a crash.
Get a set at a local cheapo-tool store. A 3/8 socket set might be best for the bigger bolts.
Tiny ones are useful for some home appliances.. cell phones.. computer hard drive cases.. various things.
http://search.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/web/search.do?keyword=torx&Submit=Go
They are one of a variety of a tamper resistant bolt-head designs, preventing less skilled people from loosening and removing bolts.
Manufacturers don't want doors flying open or seatbelts detaching during a crash.
Get a set at a local cheapo-tool store. A 3/8 socket set might be best for the bigger bolts.
Tiny ones are useful for some home appliances.. cell phones.. computer hard drive cases.. various things.
http://search.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/web/search.do?keyword=torx&Submit=Go