How do you remove the door panel on a 1995 Dodge Neon to change the speakers?

Answer 1

I just did this today, for a manual-window crank system.

Tools you'll need: Two pairs of pliers, Flat-head screwdriver, star screwdriver, small pry-bar, an old rag, drill and smaller metal drillbit (if you bought 6 1/2" speakers), electrical tape and wire-cutters (depending if your new speakers have a two-wireplastic connector, or if they need to be spliced in.

REMEMBER: Always remove your battery's negative-terminal connector before doing any electrical work on your car. All you need is two pairs of pliers. I found a pair of Vice-Grip and Needle-nose worked best to power through the rust that had accumulated on the nut and bolt. It may take a little effort, but you'll eventually work it off. Just tuck it in behind the back of the battery, and make sure it won't pop out and touch the terminal at any point.

1) pull on the inside door handle. Behind that there is a torx screw. You can actually remove this easily with a flat-head screwdriver.

2) where the small arm-rest is, there's a small alcove, and inside is a star-head screw.

3) Using your rag, shimmy the edge between the handle and the small circular guard. Using a see-saw motion, work your way around the handle. BE CAREFUL. What you're waiting to happen is for the rag to catch on a small 'cir-clip' that fits into a slot on the handle, and clamps it against the small gearshaft.

http://www.blueridgemiataclub.org/technical/windows/imagesImage05.jpg That's a good image for you to understand what it looks like. Now keep a watchful eye out for where the cir-clip may go, cause you don't want to lose that. If you actually go slowly enough, you'll just have it pop off the handle slightly, and you won't have to scramble around looking for it.

Once the cir-clip pops off, you just have to pull the handle straight out. There should be very little resistance.

4) When you've removed the two screws and the window-crank, take your pry-bar and GENTLY work your way around the door, popping out the small white clips that hold the plastic panel to the frame. You'll have one at the top-side corners, one at the bottom-side corners, and three along the bottom.

Now your doorwill only be held up by two things. The first is where is sits beside the window, in a designed groove. There's a small metal clip holding the rubber and plastic together. To separate these, you just have to pull the door panel upwards while holding down the rubber liner. Not difficult.

5) DO NOT pull the door panel away yet. If you look behind the panel, there will now only be the door-handle connector rod that is hanging on to the panel. You'll see a small plastic clip that appears to be encircling the rod, but it doesn't. It's just a U-clip, and the part that faces the door is open. Just push it towards the outside of the door, and it will swing free. Now just pull up gently where the rod connects to the panel, and the panel will now be free.

6) Remove the three screws areound your stock speakers. Once those are free, it will fall out, so be careful. Remove the plastic connector clip that holds the wiring to the speakers.

As a note, in my own 98 Neon, there was only a brown and a Red wire, and a Green wire. The RED wire is the Negative, and the GREEN wire is the Positive. I was expecting the wires to be different colours on each side, but this was not the case.

7)If you bought a 6 1/2" speaker set for the front, you'll have to drill new holes for the speaker to attach to. Really, I doubt you'll be able to find 7" speakers anyways. So hold your new speaker against the hole, and make sure all the slots for screws will be on the metal. Use one of the old screws just to scratch the paint, and mark off where you'll drill the new holes. PLEASE make sure the drill bit you're using is slightly smaller than the diametre of the screws you're using. >.<

8) After you've drilled your new holes, connect your speaker wires to the stock wiring using either a twist-and-tape method, or the electrical-connectors. After those are connected, make SURE that the wires are neatly stored in the door-frame, and as compact as you can make them. Remember that the manual-window cranks might catch one part of the wire and rip the connection. Then you'll have to do this all over again just to re-attach the wire. (happened to me, actually. Hind-sight is 20/20)

9) Screw the new speakers into the door.

10) Now, if you failed to remove all the white plastic plugs, remove them from the frame now, and clip them into their proper slots on the panel. You can just use a pair of the pliers from when you dis-connected the battery's negative-terminal connector. Try not to squish them when you're pulling them out.

11) In this order now: re-connect door-handle rod and plastic U-clip, fit the door-lock button through the hole at the top, and make sure the top of the panel is resting on the designed space for it next to the window.

12)Give the panel a quick smack from the top to push it into the designed space in the rubber. Now you just have to push the white plastic bits into the holes. An easy smack over each of them will suffice.

13)Take the window-crank handle and cir-clip. You'll have to push the cir-clip into the little slots on the handle. I found it easiest to take the cir-clip in the needle-nose pliers, and push it on like that. Now place the circular-plastic bit over the gearshaft, and place the handle onto the gearshaft. A quick smack will be enough to set the handle on properly.

14) Put back the torx-screw behing the inner door handle, and the other star-screw int he arm-rest alcove.

And congrats! Now do the other door. For me, a complete amatuer, it took me 35 minutes for my first door, and 25 minutes for my second door. So if you follow this, you should be able to get both doors done in about 1-1 1/2 hours. Just remember that after you complete the second door, you've got to re-connect the battery's negative terminal connector.

-Doug Elliott, 1998 Dodge Neon, Aug 06/08 entry