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In this video, we're going to be working with our 2012 GMC Acadia. We're going to show you how to remove and replace your exterior door handle on your front driver's door. This information is going to be the same for the front passenger door.
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Here are the items you'll need for this repair: T30 Torx bit, ratchet, socket extension, T25 screwdriver, flat head screwdriver, pick
Locate this notch in this cover panel inside of the door handle. Pull down. We're using a 90 degree hook pick here, but you could also use a trim tool or a small flat blade screwdriver. We'll also remove this cover inside the interior door latch. Again, there is a specific notch for you to pull from. Pop that panel out as well. This screw and the two behind the first cover we removed come out with a T30 Torx socket, a ratchet, and an extension. Lift up on your door lock. Using that same pick, we'll go in and release this panel to remove the actual lock.
On the bottom of the door panel, you'll find this notch which is designed for a plastic interior trim removal tool which is available from 1AAuto.com. You could also get this done with a pair of flat blade screwdrivers if you tape them up to try to protect the paint and the plastic panel, but these are the best solution for it. You want to push this up in between the panel and pry out until the plastic clip pops. You'll be able to see more of them as you pull more of the panel off. Get the forked end of the tool on either side of the pin and pry out. Be sure to hold the panel out, otherwise when you're moving around looking for these pins, and they could fall back in and make you have to start over. Once you have a few of the pins out, you may be able to just reach back and pull the rest of the panel out by hand.
Once all the clips are released, you can lift up, release the door latch cable by pushing up on the leg at the bottom and prying down on the one at the top, pulling the cable through the opening. You can then get the bare cable out. Slide it through the notch. Rotate it around, and pull the ball out of out of the release. Disconnect the electrical connectors through the door panel. It's the bottom green and bottom gray. Remove this clip retainer. This is another place where an interior trim removal tool comes in handy. We'll have to remove the clip from its retainer here as well and the gray one below it. Disconnect these as well. You can now set the door panel off to the side.
Then we'll use our trim removal tool or you could use a pair of side cutters to get back here and pry or a screwdriver, but this is the best way to do it without damaging the panel. Pry out on the two clips: one there and one down here at the bottom. Once the foam is out, we can remove this weather shield. The adhesive they use here can be pretty tough, so sometimes it's nice to take a razor blade and just cut right down the middle of the adhesive.
Once you get it going, it's a lot easier to remove. Reconnect these two connectors that go to the window motor and regulator on our door panel. We'll turn our key on in the vehicle and roll the window up. Inside the door panel, we have our latch rod here for the door lock and for the door handle. We'll have to disconnect these in order to remove it from the door. Remove the access hole from the back side of the door panel, at which point you can reach through here and access the tabs for the lock rod retainer. We'll reach through and push those down with a small flat blade screwdriver and remove that rod from the holder.
Once the tabs are out of the way, you can push the rod out of the open. Then down at the bottom of the door handle rod, pop this tab open, and remove our rod from it. Now our handle is free to come out once you get the bolts off. From the same opening we removed our lock rod from, there is a T25 Torx screw that we'll remove with a T25 Torx screwdriver. Once the screw is backed out far enough, but not necessarily removed fully. Open the door handle and remove the rear portion of the cover.
Partially open the door handle and pull back until it pops out. Loosen the T25 screw at the front. Once that's loose in the back side of the door panel you can slide the screw forward and out of its opening. Push in, and slide forward. Don't lose this gasket. You can remove the interior portion of the handle from the inside. Now, while it is possible to change this cylinder inside of the vehicle, this clip right here that retains the cylinder into the back of the door latch assembly can be very brittle and sometimes when you pop it out because it's spring-loaded, they can go flying and get lost and broken. With it outside, you can pop it out with a little more precision. You may have to remove that screw all the way. Once the clip is out, the cylinder is easily removed.
Reinstall the lock cylinder and the snap clip. Go ahead and put that T25 Torx screw back in a couple of threads if you had to remove it. You can now reinstall the latch assembly into the door. Reinstall the handle into the door. Slide the screw with the front back into place. Push the rest of the handle through. You can then tighten down the front screw here. Use the alignment tabs on the gasket to lock it into place in the rear. Make sure it's on there nice and flat. We'll then lay the exterior door handle in on an angle, and push it forward until it locks into place. Lift it up and set the rear portion back in.
Reinstall the lock rod into the plastic clip simply by pulling it in until it clicks in there. Reinstall the bottom of the door handle rod and to its clip and lock it back. Move the handle a few times to check for proper operation. Reinstall the access plug into the side of the door. Reinstall the weather shielding inside of the door. Just pat down along all the edges to make sure that adhesive sticks back together. This stuff's pretty resilient so as long as you don't tear it up too bad removing it, it sticks back together nicely. Then we'll take our foam insulator here, line up the pins, and push them right back into place.
Reconnect your electrical connectors. Remember that these two here have to be snapped back into their spots on the door before we can reconnect the mirror sides. Reinstall the door latch cable into the opening at the back of the handle. Pull the cable out, and then set the retainer back in. Lift your door panel up over the lock rod here. Once the panel's lined back up, snap all the retainers back into place. Once the retainers are all clipped back in, you can reinstall your three T30 Torx screws. Reinstall the plastic covers. These ones have tabs on the bottom that need to be set in first, and then you roll the clips at the top over until they snap. The one behind the door latch simply snaps straight into place. Slide the lock cover over as far as it'll go. Snap the latch back in.
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