Interior door trim removal
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Driver School Candidate
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From: OR
Interior door trim removal
We own an '07 RX400h with a badly-scratched aluminum switch trim piece (the trim that surrounds the door and window switches) on the right-side door. I just bought the car, and haven't yet purchased the service manuals.
Can someone provide the basic steps for removing this piece of trim? I assume it involves removing the interior door panel first, but I'm not quite sure where to start with that, and don't want to scrape anything up. I can provide a picture if necessary.
Thanks in advance from a relative newcomer to the Lexus fold.
-rob.
Can someone provide the basic steps for removing this piece of trim? I assume it involves removing the interior door panel first, but I'm not quite sure where to start with that, and don't want to scrape anything up. I can provide a picture if necessary.
Thanks in advance from a relative newcomer to the Lexus fold.
-rob.
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 3
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From: OR
That helped, indirectly 
. I found some door disassembly instructions, and thought "it can't require all of this to replace a simple piece of trim."
So I looked at my replacement part more closely, saw where the clips were on the side, then inserted a (taped over, thin) flat-bladed screwdriver near the bottom left (as seen from above) clip position on the installed piece of trim.
A bit of pressue led to a click sound, and the trim piece then popped up enough that I could then free the rest of it quite easily. I unplugged the two wiring harnesses, popped out the two switch assemblies, put them in the new piece, connected the wiring, and snapped it into place.
Took about two minutes once I figured out what to do. If anyone else happens to be doing this and wants a pic, I can provide.
Thanks again for the pointer.
-rob.
. I found some door disassembly instructions, and thought "it can't require all of this to replace a simple piece of trim."So I looked at my replacement part more closely, saw where the clips were on the side, then inserted a (taped over, thin) flat-bladed screwdriver near the bottom left (as seen from above) clip position on the installed piece of trim.
A bit of pressue led to a click sound, and the trim piece then popped up enough that I could then free the rest of it quite easily. I unplugged the two wiring harnesses, popped out the two switch assemblies, put them in the new piece, connected the wiring, and snapped it into place.
Took about two minutes once I figured out what to do
. If anyone else happens to be doing this and wants a pic, I can provide.Thanks again for the pointer.
-rob.
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 3
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From: OR
OK, here are a few pix. I snapped the part itself (well, the old one ), a close-up of the tab, a close-up showing the taped up screwdriver against the tab (out of the vehicle), and then one showing about where I inserted the screwdriver for the mounted piece of trim.
Once I pressed it in there, I heard the tab click, and I then moved the screwdriver up a bit towards the next tab, and it popped, too. I then slid it down to the bottom of the trim piece, and pried up a bit. That's when it popped free.
-rob.
), a close-up of the tab, a close-up showing the taped up screwdriver against the tab (out of the vehicle), and then one showing about where I inserted the screwdriver for the mounted piece of trim.Once I pressed it in there, I heard the tab click, and I then moved the screwdriver up a bit towards the next tab, and it popped, too. I then slid it down to the bottom of the trim piece, and pried up a bit. That's when it popped free.
-rob.
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Driver School Candidate
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From: AL
If anyone is looking for good pry bar tools for interior work try Harbour Freight. They have a 4 pc. Pry Bar Installer set for about six dollars. These are coated with nylon and will not scratch the interior.
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