This 2008 Ford Taurus
had eight screws securing the plastic
door panel to the metal door frame.
I used a rigid putty
knife (with masking tape on the blade to prevent
scratching) to pry on the top of the side view mirror cover. Then I unhooked the
plastic cover from the
bottom.
I pressed in on the lock tab for the wire connector and pulled the connector apart.
This wire goes to the small speaker in the
mirror cover.
View of back of side view mirror cover.
If I wanted
to remove the side view mirror, I would press in
on the lock tab on the wire connector and pull
the connector out.
Then I would use a 10mm socket to remove the
three mounting nuts (red arrows).
Caution: Have someone hold onto the side view
mirror if it fall it can cause damage to the
outer door painted panel.
I used a
small flat screwdriver to open the cover behind
the inside door latch handle.
Then I removed Phillips screw under the cover.
I slid the
plastic trim forward and maneuvered it off the
door release.
Looking straight down into the armrest:
With the small flat screwdriver, I lifted up the
small cover at the bottom of the inside door pull
handle.
Then I used a
5.5mm (or 7/32") socket to remove the screws from
the bottom of the door pull handle.
Using the flat putty knife (wrapped in masking
tape) I carefully pried up
the cover in several areas until it released.
Caution: This plastic cover and can
break or crack easily, so pry carefully.
I pressed in
on the wire connector lock tabs and pulled the
wire connectors out.
Red arrows show the wire connector lock tabs.
View of back side of switch cover.
Each
electrical connector has a different shape, so
there's no risk of mixing them up when
re-connecting.
I removed a
Phillips screw from the upper corner of the door
panel, near the mirror. This screw is on the
raised edge of the door panel.
Below that screw, I removed another Phillips
screw along the edge of the door panel.
At bottom of
the door panel I removed two more
Phillips screws.
The last screw I removed was at the upper rear
corner near the door lock button.
I used a
rigid putty knife and started prying at the
bottom area of the panel to release the snap
clips. Then I worked my way up the side of the
door panel, prying every couple of inches.
When all the snap clips were released,
I pulled slightly outward, then lifted the panel
upward over the metal lip at the top (and the lock button).
I reached
behind the door panel
and released the wire
connector for the power door lock.
Then the
door panel was completely separated from the
car.
View of back side of plastic door panel.
View of metal
door frame.
Removing Rear Door Panel:
The 2008 Ford Taurus rear door is similar to front door.
I used a
small flat screwdriver to open the flip cover
behind the door latch handle.
Using a Phillips screwdriver I removed screw
under the flip cover.
I slid the
latch cover forward and maneuvered it off the
latch handle.
With a small screwdriver I removed the screw cover
from the bottom of the inside pull handle.
I used a
5.5mm (or 7/32") socket to remove the screw from the bottom of
the door pull handle.
Then using a tack puller, I carefully pried on the pull handle switch cover.
I unplugged
the wire connector for the window
switch.
Using a short-handled Phillips screwdriver, I
removed the screw on front edge of the
door panel, near the top.
Below
that screw, I removed another screw from the
front edge of the door panel.
At the rear edge of the door panel, I removed the Phillip
screw at the top...
...and then below
it I removed another screw.
Then I removed two more screws at the bottom of
the door panel.
Using a
rigid putty knife, I started prying at the bottom
of the door panel to release the snap clips and
worked my way up.
