RON

Hi Guys,
My car got a big dent in the drivers door the other day, ever since I have noticed that there seems to be water getting through the door somehow and out of the bottom, it then drips onto the grey plastic sill cover and is there for you to see when you open the door, my question is: should this happen, or is it due to the door being damaged? I never noticed it before, or am I just paranoid?
Ron.
Sorry if this is in the wrong section, I couldn't work out where to put it.

MTR

Ron,
I recently got my drivers door well and truly stuffed in by another car, but it didn't leak afterwards. The door was replaced on insurance.

I suggest you remove the door panel, and check that the plastic film that is 'sealed' to the inner face of the door with a bead of rubberised type sealant around its outer edge, is still stuck to the door.
The sealant should not fully dry out, or at least it hasn't on my 18 month old car, and you can peel the plastic back, and readjust, the bead by manipulating it with your fingers, to create a complete run.

It takes about 5 minutes to remove the panel on a MY99/MY00

To remove the panel, you lift up the forward end of the window switch top plate, it is on a spring loaded type clip, then unhook it from the back edge, and unplug the loom.
Once that is removed you will see a Philips head screw on a metal bracket going into the door, remove this.
Look on the door for a small square plastic blanking plug, halfway up the door towards the back, flick it out. Remove the screw behind it.
At the front top corner of th epoanel, near your door mirror, you will find a small circular plug. Pull it out, and them remove the little black plug that it was fitted into.
Finally, prise off the plastic surround at the door internal door release lever. If you stretch it apart slightly top to bottom , it will disengage from the 2 male lugs on the top and then the 2 male lugs on the bottom of the lever assembly.
You DO NOT remove the big philips screw in the middle of the lever housing, that holds the lever assembly to the door.

Once all these have been unscrewed, unclipped etc you can very easily pull the door panel from thr door. It is held on with plastic pegs, which suprisingly don't appear to break.

The panel itself is made from plastic, and the pegs do not rip through the panel when you pull reasonably hard, like they use to on earlier Fords for example.

Refitting as they say, is a reversal of the above procedure.

I have removed my MY99 (same as MY00)drivers door panel twice, my friends rear door panel, and the rear door panel on my MY98, all without any drama at all.
It really does appear to be quite straight forward.

Cheers MTR

[This message has been edited by MTR (edited 16 November 2000).]

RON

Thanks MTR
I'm getting it back from the bodyshop soon so I'll check whether it's still leaking and check the film if it does. Mind you if it does leak I should be able to take it back to the bodyshop, as it's having a new door, and therefore they will have had to remove and replace the film.
Many thanks for all your typing.
Ron