Chevrolet
Camaro Interior Door Panel Removal Guide
How to take off the plastic interior door
panels in a sixth generation 2016 to 2021 GM Chevy Camaro.
2020 Camaro Door |
Screw Below Armrest |
Loosen Counterclockwise |
This automotive
maintenance tutorial was specifically written to assist owners of the sixth
generation (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021) GM Chevrolet Camaro in
taking off the plastic interior door panels in order to upgrade the OEM
speaker, add soundproofing material, fix a faulty electrical switch or
change a broken power window motor. The development and release of the 7th generation Camaro has been delayed, so the current sixth generation will probably continue into the 2022 and 2023 model years. Owners of other General Motors vehicles from Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac such as the Malibu, Impala, Bolt, Corvette, Trailblazer, Trax, Equinox, Blazer, Traverse, Tahoe, Suburban, Colorado, Silverado, Express, Encore, Envision, Enclave, Regal, Sierra, Terrain, Acadia, Yukon, Canyon, Savana, XT4, XT5, XT6, Escalade, CT4, CT5, CTS and CT6 may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful. The tools needed to take off the door panel include a small flat head screwdriver, a 7mm socket, an extension bar, a 1/4" drive ratchet and a plastic pry bar tool. The OEM front door speakers are also held in place with 7mm screws. The first two steps are to lower the power window all the way down and open the door. Locate the exposed black metal screw below the front edge of the armrest and just above the lower storage pocket. Loosen the screw by turning it in the counterclockwise direction with the 7mm socket, an extension bar and the 1/4" drive ratchet. |
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Remove Lower Screw |
Door Opener Handle |
Pry Out Trim Piece |
Set the screw aside
in a safe place. Move up to the chrome silver door opener handle. Locate the small notch at the top front corner of the plastic trim piece located behind the door opener handle. Insert the blade of the small flat head screwdriver into the notch and gently pry out the trim piece. |
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Trim Piece Removed |
Outer Plastic Trim Cover |
Pry Off Plastic Cover |
Try to avoid using
excessive force. The trim piece should pop out relatively easily. Then move to the black plastic trim cover attached to the outside edge of the switch panel surrounded by the silver trim. Gently insert a plastic pry bar tool in between the black trim cover and the silver trim. You could also use a flat head screwdriver covered with a thin micro fiber cloth to help protect the plastic from being scratched. I recommend using several plastic trim panel removal tools wedged in between the black cover and the silver trim to loosen the metal retaining clips. |
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Loosen Metal Clips |
Trim Cover Removed |
Five Retaining Clips |
There are five
metal retaining clips in total that have to be loosened before the cover can
be fully removed. Please take your time and be gentle to avoid causing any damage. Set the trim cover aside in a safe place. |
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Loosen Counterclockwise |
Top Screw Removed |
Center Screw - 7mm |
Loosen the screw
located behind the door opener handle by turning it in the counterclockwise
direction with the 7mm socket, a short extension bar and the 1/4" drive
ratchet. Set the screw aside with its corresponding trim cover. Move to the center of the door panel and locate the third and final screw just below the switch panel. (Do not remove the small Phillips head screws.) |
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Loosen Middle Screw |
Third Screw Removed |
Plastic Pieces & Screws |
Loosen the screw
below the switch panel by turning it in the counterclockwise direction with
the 7mm socket, an extension bar and the 1/4" drive ratchet. Set the screw aside in a safe place. At this point, you should have removed two plastic covers and three 7mm screws. |
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Outer Edge - Pry Out |
Release 3 Pop Rivets |
Pull Out Bottom Edge |
Move to the top
rear corner of the plastic door panel. Locate the rubber flap that is attached to the top rear corner of the door panel. Pry out the three pop rivets that secure the rubber flap in place with the plastic pry bar tool. Move to the bottom edge of the door panel. Insert a large pry bar tool in between the bottom edge of the plastic door panel and the metal door frame. Firmly pull out the bottom edge of the door panel to release the plastic pop rivets. |
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Dislodge Pop Rivets |
Lift Panel Off Frame |
Pull Off Upper Lip |
Continue pulling
out the pop rivet friction fasteners all along the bottom edge and both
sides of the door panel. Lift the plastic door panel up and off the upper lip on the metal door frame. |
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Outer Edge - 3 Fasteners |
Tilt Away Top Edge |
Door Handle Cable |
Tilt the top edge
of the door panel towards yourself to access the back side. Locate the white plastic retaining clip for the cable that operates the door opener handle. |
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Pull Clip Off Bracket |
Swing Out Metal Cable |
Lift Ball Out of Socket |
Push down the
release tab on the white plastic clip to open the jaws. Pull the retaining clip off the black plastic bracket. Swing the metal cable out and away from the door panel. Lift the metal ball at the end of the cable out of its socket. |
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Two Electrical Connectors |
Broken Plastic Peg |
Fix With Glue or Discard |
Locate the two
electrical connectors further down on the back side of the panel behind the
switch panel. Slide out the small red locking tab on the gray plastic connector and also the black plastic connector. I noticed that a black plastic peg on the back side of the door panel had broken off when I pulled it off the door frame. It didn't do much to secure the door panel, so I just discarded it. You could choose to use some super glue to re-attach it. |
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Slide Out Red Lock Tabs |
Push In Release Button |
Slide Out Power Plug |
Push in the release button on the black plastic electrical connector and slide it straight out of its socket. | ||
Push In Release Tab |
Remove Grey Plug |
Set Aside Door Panel |
If you have trouble
pushing down the release tabs on the electrical connectors, use a flat head
screwdriver to fully depress them. Disconnect the grey plastic power plug. Set the plastic door panel aside in a safe place. |
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Metal Door Frame |
Slide Out Rubber Strip |
Remove From Metal Clips |
It seems like all
new GM vehicles have the same type of new door panel that has rubber
weatherstripping and metal clips that must be removed and re-attached to the
door frame before the panel can be re-installed. Grab the rubber flap at the rear edge of the door panel and slide it out of the track. Avoid using excessive force and don't bend the rubber strip. |
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Weatherstrip Removed |
Pry Out Metal Clips |
First Clip Removed |
Once the
weatherstripping is removed, you have to pry out the six metal clips
attached to the back side of the door panel. Use the plastic pry bar tool or a flat head screwdriver to pop out the clips. Try to avoid bending the clips or cracking the plastic door panel. |
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Continue Removing Clips |
Six Metal Clips Total |
Lower Clip Into Slot |
Once all six clips
have been removed, lower them down into the slots on the metal door frame. (In the picture above, I only have five clips shown. I forgot to get the sixth clip in the photo.) |
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Six Clips Secured |
Clips Fully Seated |
Slide In Rubber Strip |
Take a look at the two pictures above to see how the metal clips should be placed into the slots on the upper lip of the metal door frame. Carefully slide the rubber weatherstripping over the metal lip on the top of the door frame and into the channel on each of the six metal clips. |
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Pull With Pliers |
Rubber Strip In Place |
Outer Flap - 3 Pop Rivets |
If necessary, you
can use a pair of needle nose pliers to continue sliding the rubber weather
strip into place. Line up the three plastic pop rivets on the rubber flap at the rear edge of the weatherstripping with their corresponding holes in the metal door frame. |
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Line Up Friction Fasteners |
Secure Side Pop Rivets |
OEM Door Speaker |
Push the three pop
rivets on the rear of the rubber flap back into their holes. Now that we are done doing all the extra steps of removing the weather strip and metal retaining clips from the plastic door panel and re-attaching them to the metal door frame in order to be able to successfully re-install the door panel later on, we can actually move on to upgrading the OEM speaker. The OEM (original equipment manufacturer) front door speaker is situated at the front bottom corner of the metal door frame. Push in the release tab on the black plastic electrical connector and slide it straight out of its socket. Remove the two 7mm screws that secure the speaker in place by turning them in the counterclockwise direction. The OEM front door speaker can be replaced with aftermarket car speakers in the following sizes: 6 1/2", 6 3/4" and 6"x9". You might need a mounting bracket or a wiring harness adapter depending on the speakers you choose. I highly recommend applying some Dynamat sound deadener to the door frame and the back side of the plastic door panel to help stop vibrations and rattles when you crank up the volume. |
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Remove Stuck Pop Rivet |
Pop Rivet Removed |
Replace Stuck Rivet |
Check to see if any
of the grey plastic pop rivets are still attached to the metal door panel. Use a pop rivet removal tool or a flat head screwdriver to pry out the stuck pop rivets. Re-attach the pop rivets to the back side of the plastic door panel. |
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Hold Panel Near Frame |
Door Opener Cable |
Lower Ball In Socket |
To replace the door
panel, hold it near the door frame and tilt the top edge towards yourself. Lower the metal ball at the end of the cable for the door opener handle into its socket. |
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Slide Cable Into Slot |
Cable In Bracket |
Push Clip Into Place |
Swing the metal
cable towards the door panel and slide the cable into the slot on the black
plastic bracket. Push the white plastic clip on to the black plastic bracket until it "clicks" securely into place. Double check that the door opener handle is securely attached before moving on to the next steps. |
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Push In Grey Plug |
Red Locking Tab |
Slide In Red Lock Tab |
Push the grey
plastic electrical connector straight into the lower socket. You should feel or hear the power plug "click" securely into place. Slide in the red lock tab to secure the connector in place. |
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Push In Black Plug |
Slide In Red Lock Tab |
Slots On Plastic Panel |
Push the black
power plug back into the upper socket. The connector should "click" into place. Slide the red locking tab back in towards the connector. Line up the metal clips on the upper lip of the door frame with the slots on the back side of the door panel. |
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Metal Clips & Plastic Slots |
Push - Snap In Metal Clips |
Line Up Pop Rivets |
Push the slots on
the back side of the door panel over the metal retaining clips on the upper
lip of the door frame by the rubber weatherstripping. Line up the plastic pop rivets on the back side of the door panel with their corresponding holes in the metal door frame. |
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Firmly Tap In Fasteners |
Spin In Top Screw |
Line Up Lower Screw |
Firmly tap in the
friction fasteners all along the bottom edge and both sides of the door
panel. Spin in the top screw behind the door opener handle in the clockwise direction. Spin in the lower screw below the armrest and just above the storage pocket in the clockwise direction. |
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Spin In Clockwise |
Screw Secured With Tape |
Spin In Middle Screw |
Loosely attach the
middle screw to the socket with a piece of electrical tape or painter's tape
so that it won't fall off in the well. Spin in the middle screw just below the switch panel in the clockwise direction. |
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Tighten Clockwise |
Secure Lower Screw |
Top Screw Tightened |
Tighten the three
screws in the clockwise direction with the 7mm socket and a 1/4" drive
ratchet until they are snug. Try to avoid over tightening the screws to prevent from breaking the plastic door panel. |
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Line Up Trim Piece |
Pop In Plastic Piece |
Line Up Trim Cover |
Push the plastic
trim piece back into place behind the door opener handle. Line up the five metal retaining clips on the back side of the switch panel trim cover with their slots on the door panel. |
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Push To Secure Cover |
Side Cover Secured |
Door Panel Replaced |
Push the trim cover
back into place. Make sure all five retaining clips are fully seated and the cover is flush with the door panel at every edge. Sit inside the car, close the door and verify that the door opener handle, power window switch, power door lock switch and speaker are all working properly. Be sure to write down the speaker upgrade or any other procedure in your vehicle's service records. Please
check out all of the
2016-2021 GM Chevrolet Camaro DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides. |
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