Removing Front Door Panels

[manda_crazy4]

I was wondering if someone would be able to help me out I have an 2009 (Mk7) Fiesta, and I'm not sure as to how to get the door skins off as to replace the Speakers. Any help would be great :)

[AntonyJ]

You should first invest in some plastic trim removal tools (about a fiver off ebay) and a set of Torx screwdrivers.

The panel is held on by 8 plastic clips, 3 bolts, plus 2 clips with a screw inside:

1. Carefully remove the small circular cover in the middle of the door release handle with a small screwdriver.

2. Very carefully remove the silver L shape cover on the door pull. This is a hard, brittle plastic held on with springy metal clips. Gently work a thin plastic trim removal tool around the edges and slowly work it loose.

3. Remove the small Torx bolt under the first cover.

4. Remove the 2 larger Torx bolts under the silver cover.

5. On the trailing edge/underside of the door panel are 2 small Torx screws. Remove these (they aren't firmly screwed in), then pry out the plastic lug they're screwed in to.

6. Using a trim removal tool work your way around the panel, pushing it in between the panel and the door. There are 3 recesses along the bottom edge to help you. Once you start to loosen it, get your fingers behind the panel and apply some more pressure. Eventually one of the clips will let go with a satisfying thump. The rest will soon give up their fight once they know that resistance is futile... :P

7. Work a trim removal tool under the front of the electic window switch panel. Once this lifts up, carefully ease it out of the hole. Remove the plugs from the back using a very small screwdriver to press in the lug gripping it in place. On the pasenger door, this will be facing you. On the driver's it will be on the other side. Note that the module in the switch on the driver's side "learns" the window opening, so when you reconnect it, the one-touch up/down won't work. You have to fully open and close the window, then it learns the up/down limits of the window. B)

8. Now lift the panel off the top of the door. It would help to have an extra pair of hands at this point as you need to support the panel while you finish disconnecting it from the back.

9. There are similar connectors to the windows on the back for the mirrors and the tweeter. Unplug these.

10. The cable to the door release has a small clip you can lift with your fingers. It then just lifts and pulls out. The panel is now free.

The speaker is held in with 3 large Torx screws. But first unplug the harness connector. On my car all the wires are black rather than colour coded as per the ETIS wiring diagrams. The connector is marked with a '1' and a '4'. The '1' is the positive.

You'll need to get/make some adaptors to fit the new Speakers. I made mine out of ply. The tweeters are completely non-standard, but you could fit some small tweeters (less than 40mm across) and fix them in place with hot glue. I've put my tweeters on the dash under the windscreen to get better imaging.

What sort of Speakers are you fitting?

[manda_crazy4]

Thanks so much for that :D . Not 100% sure as to what Speakers I'm putting in as I'm not sure as to the size which I need to remove the door panel first, the plan is to one day put a full sound system with sub and all in it but just starting with the Speakers first

[AntonyJ]

Thanks so much for that :D . Not 100% sure as to what speakers I'm putting in as I'm not sure as to the size which I need to remove the door panel first, the plan is to one day put a full sound system with sub and all in it but just starting with the speakers first

No problem.

The original Speakers are 17cm both front and back (the rears are "full range", not coaxials, and the fronts are components with a separate tweeter behind the grill next to the door release). The originals include a one-piece moulded plastic baffle that brings the speaker 1 inch away from the mounting. You can now buy moulded plastic baffles specific to the Fiesta that let you fit standard 17cm aftermarket Speakers. Or you could buy some generic MDF ones and drill them (get 3/4 inch thick ones), or make your own (which is what I did). You need an outside diameter of 192mm with an inside of 145mm. You'll also need some draft-excluder foam tape.

The Speakers I installed are Pioneer TS-E170ci in the front and TS-E1702i in the back. I'm running them off the head unit, not a separate amp, though I'm looking into that (not sure where I'd put the amp). At the moment I'm not planning to install a sub (again space is an issue, and the speakers I chose go quite deep for the sort of music I listen to).

I keep meaning to post a guide with photos, and maybe I'll get round to it now you've prompted me...

[Kasper-N]

I keep meaning to post a guide with photos, and maybe I'll get round to it now you've prompted me...

I could really use a guide... :)

Also if anybody know how to replace the rear Speakers on a 3 door, do tell me!