AudiForums.com - 2006 audi a8l door panel removal

Quote:

Originally Posted by auditech79 (Post 1181658)

The bentley manual will have better instructions on how to remove it than we can give you. If you really need to remove it today you need to pop off the wood trim, remove the screws behind that, remove a little panel under the handle then remove those screws, and there might be a screw at the bottom of the panel. Then its just a matter of pulling it towards you, working it from the bottom first then work your way up. The little clips that snap the panel to the door frame break all the time, so don't feel bad if you break a couple of them. The dealer stocks a ton of those clips, so its not a big deal.

Dear Auditech79.... it is very much appreciated regarding your post however this did not help me because it is not accurate pertaining to an 2005 - 2006 Audi A8L rear door panel. It is vaguely similar but as we know, being vaguely close is not any help if a screw or attached point is still not discovered while trying to take a panel off. Your instructions are not for a 2005 to 2006 (possibly 2007 as well) A8/ A8L.

I just took mine off today after having a few articles that were somewhat helpful but not completely because they were either for a A4, or A6 or an older A8.

So I wish I had a short video to accompany this but here is the step by step to explain what you do.

1) You will need a Plastic or Nylon Trim Stick. It looks like a letter opener actually. They are around $8.00 at an Auto parts or Windshield Glass repair shop. Personally I gently used a letter opener and a sanded down paint stir stick. I was gentle and it worked.

2) Remove the small tweeter grill at the top inside of the door panel near the the handle with window opener in it. It pops out easily. Careful not to nick or notch the lip or edge while twisting your trim stick.

3)You will see a bolt behind where the Tweeter grill was. It is an 8mm socket needed. Remove that bolt.

4) You now have to remove the wood & Aluminum trim that runs across the panel near the top 2" down from the window lip. The wood and aluminum strip are one complete unit and come out together. Slip your trim stick under one end or the other ( I started at the end closest to the car hinge. Go in from underneath at the bottom left corner. Pry it out about a quarter inch and keep sliding the trim stick down the trim piece across the bottom while prying out all the way along as you go. I used a paint can stir stick to stick into the gap i created at the starting corner so that it would not pop back in again. Use your fingers to gently pry as you systematically move down the trim pulling it away from the door panel. It will pop off with a bit of effort.

5) Now remove the 4 screws that are hidden under that trim. You will need a 8mm socket I believe it was.

6) Now look down at the pocket door that is the lower half of the door panel. I use this door to hold CD's or an umbrella etc. It's the 15" long door that pulls out a few inches when open. (***LEAVE THIS POCKET DOOR CLOSED AT ALL TIMES while removing the panel). A couple inches in from the left you will see a semicircle notch at the inside top edge of the lower pocket door. There is a bolt sunken in a couple inches or more. You need to remove that screw/bolt. It's also a 8mm but you will need a deep socket for that one. You leave the pocket door closed so that you do not loose the nut on that bolt as it will fall into the pocket door instead of behind if you had it open while removing the screw/bolt.

7) Now you are ready to pry the panel off and directly out from the door itself. Start in the middle of the lower lip of the door panel. Get your trim stick in there and then your fingers. I used a couple paint stir sticks to slide into the crack I created while pulling the panel out a quarter inch at the start. get a crack started across the bottom. Start at the middle and work outwards left and right from there.
AT THIS POINT I NEED TO MENTION..... you will seemingly be pulling this thing with a very large amount of force.
Almost seems like you may break something you have to pull so hard. Don't worry. You really have to yank on this panel at the bottom to get the clips to release.

Get your two hands and fingers into the cracks you opened up. Spread your hands out a bit so one is to the right lower lip of the panel and the left hand on the lower left side.
Than give it a few good sharp tugs directly straight out towards you away from the door.
It will snap free and don't pull any more after you hear it snap free. Now work the clips free up each side of the door.
They will come free with some effort and relatively strong tugs straight outwards away from the door.
Now for the top clips they are snapped into a aluminum channel. Gently pull the bottom of the door panel which now is free of the clips and pull the panel out around 6 - 8 inches and also lift slightly up on the panel towards the sky while gently forcing it up and out. It will come free of the channel along the top.

8) Now while still holding the freed panel (you can only move it around 6" away from the door before the wires and plugs prevent you from pulling it away any farther). You now need to lift the cable attachment that goes to your door latch. It slides out of the grooves in the door panel and slide the hook easily off the panel side with your fingers. That is very easy.

9) Now you need to unplug the right side plug that is the last wires holding the panel to the door itself near the bottom in the middle. The pressure clasp for this plug is behind the plug as you are looking at it from the front. It is between the plug and door itself. Get your fingers in behind to squeeze the clip towards the plug than pull the plug down towards the ground and it will unhook. You need a good bit of strength to squeeze the pressure clasp in enough to free the plug.

10) That's it. The panel is now free and you can access other components of the door. Personally myself I needed to replace a busted speaker grille. Which was very easy.

11) When putting the panel back on...you will need to pull the clips out of the door itself and slide them all back into the clip posts that are on the door panel. For me....two stayed with the door panel and the rest I had to use a fork shaped tool to pop / pry them out of the door holes and slide back into the door panel.

Then you plug the lower wire plug back in while holding the panel with the other hand and your knee.

Then you hook the cable back on and slide the cable connector back into the panel grooves.

Then you just start with the panel snapping it back into the top aluminum groove where they popped out of. You will need to slide the panel slightly left or right to line up the panel to the part of the door where it meets up properly. You will see what I mean when you are at that stage. the panel will sit itself into the indentations of the door at the very top right and left and you can see when it is too far left or right and not seated properly.

Then while holding the lower panel lip out 6 - 8" push the top clips into the channel until you hear then snap in.

Then push the panel in down each side left and right than the lower lip last. You will need to gently bang the palm of your hand all the way around the edge of the panel until it snaps into place. They will be no gaps between the panel and the door frame when it is seated properly.

Audi quotes an hour labor to replace the speaker grille at a rate of $125.00 per hour (Burlington Ontario Audi). I could do the whole job in 40 minutes tops. Maybe 20 now that I have done it before.

By the way I broke no clips or anything in fact.

Hope this helps guys. Feel free to email me if you run into any problems. Taking pictures with your smartphone and sending to me will help me see what trouble you may be having.

Cheers