Dynomite98 Posted March 12, 2004 Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 I have a 1998 Eldorado and the door panels have become very loose. How can i fix this? Or do i have to replace them? Andrew Morris Dallas, Texas 1998 Black Eldorado: full custom Borla exhaust Custom intake 1500 watt Hifonics amp 3 12inch Boston Acoustic G2 subwoofers I-pod integrated 18 inch Lexani Krystals with Z-rated tires E&G classics Billet grill BMW E36 Angel Eye Headlights Ported SS heads Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted March 12, 2004 Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 Try pushing it down. The only thing that holds the door panel is one screw and some plastic clips. Pushing it down would get it seated properly Make sure that the clips on the bottom are going in the holes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted March 12, 2004 Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 A '98 and it's loose? It must have been removed once or twice. No you don't need to replace it. Probably just replace the nylon thingamajigs around the perimiter. They look somewhat like a fat nylon ringshank nail. The large head slides into a slot in the inside of the door panel and the shank is placed over the hole in the door itself and then you just wack the panel over that spot and drive it in. Very precision work Once they are removed they get somewhat stripped and sometimes broken. They are expendable and probably should be replaced though I have reused them many times. Other than that just tighten up any mounting screws, there's usually one or two hidden somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jinxed45 Posted March 12, 2004 Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 I had the same problem with the 97 Eldorado.. means the plastic clips aren't hooked on, or they're broken. All I did was take a drill and put some screw in unnoticable spots.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted March 12, 2004 Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 I noticed the same problem on my 97 Eldorado last summer. Most of the clips along the bottom perimeter of both doors were broken leaving the inner door panels loose. I called the dealer to discuss options for repair and the dealer said the clips could be replaced with a repair kit the dealer has, but their experience was that these replacement clips also broke after a relatively short period of time. What I did was purchase a roll of 3M two sided automotive trim tape and use this to secure the lower trim panels. It has remained secure since, and if it ever needs to be removed, it shouldn't cause a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pushinthelac Posted March 12, 2004 Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 Yes i had the same thing happen to mine, i had to replace the plastic clips, no big problem at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfredgee Posted March 12, 2004 Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 I had this problem on my 1996 ETC, the original plastic hooks that hold the panel to the door have most likely been broken. The dealer has a repair kit from Kent-Moore that uses new metal hooks which are bonded in place of the plastic ones. I had a dealer perform this repair on the drivers side door and it has worked great so far. What I would do is remove the door panel and take a look, if the hooks are gone, drop the panel off at the dealer for repair. This will cut down the cost since they won't have to take it apart. Also, while the panel is off, reach inside the door, you might find the old hooks and you can try epoxying the thing back together. I did this with the passenger side with some popsicle stick and fiberglass reinforcement. It has held up so far since it is rarely used, but think the dealer method is still the best. Cheers! Alfred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cpk Posted March 12, 2004 Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 You can buy some of the plastic panel clips at the parts store under the Help! brand name (the stuff in the red packaging). They usually aren't cheap, but sometimes getting the right part is worth spending some extra dough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIMDTS Posted March 12, 2004 Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 Just pull the panel away from the door be careful not to tear the door panel They make a special tool to remove the door panels for this You can do it with a screw driver but be very careful When you see what type clip holds the panel you can purchase the clips at an auto parts or the best place is usually a auto paint shop they usually stock these clips.The door panels tear easy if you don't remove them properly then you will have a problem installing the new clips GM used a couple style clips It may be easier to just stop in at a body shop and have them do this or at an auto trim shop. If you tear out the holes the clips set in you will have a problem with the new clips.It's not hard to do you just don't want to tear the panel removing it or installing the clips. By the time you purchase the tools to and clips to do the job it would be about the same price to have someone do the job.Should be very inexpensive fix. Good Luck Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted March 12, 2004 Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 By the time you purchase the tools to and clips to do the job it would be about the same price to have someone do the job. If you buy the tool and do it yourself, you'll ALWAYS have the tool and the experience as opposed to a paid bill. Just my "Tim the Tool Man" mentality comming out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfredgee Posted March 13, 2004 Report Share Posted March 13, 2004 Eldorado door panels do not require any special tools, they are held by the hooks and two phillips heads screws (One under the window switch and one under the back corner of the map pocket). The key is to remove the screws and lift and then pull away or else you will break more hooks. There are no push or trim clips on the door panels. Cheers! Alfred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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