We remove the trim on the doors of the Lada Kalina - what is the complexity of the process?

Car door trim, officially referred to as a door card, is most commonly removed to access the power window mechanism for repair or lubrication. Much less often, this operation is carried out to install speakers, install noise and vibration isolation, replace facing panels, or perform body work. But in any case, sooner or later, almost every car owner has to dismantle the door trim. At the same time, many of them, without resorting to the services of a service station, do it on their own, since this operation is quite simple and within the power of most motorists.

Dismantling of the rear and other door trim on the "Lada Kalina"

When removing the trim, the division into front and rear doors is no coincidence. Although at first the process is identical for them, then some differences begin to appear.

What tools are needed

To unscrew the fasteners and remove the door cladding, simple tools are required in the form of:

• Phillips screwdriver
• flat and long screwdriver;
• sharp awl.

Step-by-step description of the process

The first three steps are the same for both the front and rear doors:

1. Use your fingers to unscrew and remove the latch that blocks the door lock from the inside.
2. Using a Phillips screwdriver, you need to unscrew the 4 self-tapping screws that secure the sound speaker.
3. Then it should be removed and the wires disconnected from it.
   

   Removal of the door latch, speaker and their disconnection is mandatory for all doors

To dismantle the cladding on the front right door, it is necessary to release the decorative panel from 8 clips, 2 fastening screws holding the inner handle, and 2 self-tapping screws located under the plastic pocket. Then follows:

1. Using an awl, pry off the plastic plug, under which there is a screw in the door handle. Remove the second plug in the same way and unscrew both screws (3).
2. Pull the handle opening the doors towards you, then unscrew the fastening screw, remove the lever and then the entire handle.
3. Unscrew 2 self-tapping screws (2) under the plastic pocket at the bottom of the door.
4. Using a flat screwdriver, pry off the lower right part of the decorative panel (5) to disengage the first catch. Holding the panel in your hand, use your fingers to release the remaining clips.
5. After separating the panel from the door, disconnect the wiring connecting the electric lift button and its mechanism. To do this, pry off the detachable tongue with a screwdriver and remove the block from the button block.
   

   To remove the lining of the front passenger door, you need to remove several fasteners

The decorative panel is removed from the driver's door in the same way as from the passenger door. However, there are also small differences:

1. To facilitate removal of the casing, it is necessary to remove the plastic panel that covers the rear-view mirror adjustment lever.
   

   On the driver's door, among other things, it is necessary to remove the rear-view mirror panel
2. One of the armrest mounting screws should be found under the cover (2), while the other (4) is recessed into the recess of the handle.
3. The door opening handle is located above the armrest and is detached by unscrewing the fastening screw.
4. The plastic panel can be easily removed with your fingers.
5. The rear-view mirror adjustment panel is dismantled using a flat screwdriver prying it from below. If the vehicle is equipped with electric mirror control, the adjustment lever is replaced by a plug.
   

   Here you need to release these fasteners

Removing the trim from the rear doors, which is secured with 10 plastic clips and 2 fixing screws, proceeds as follows:

1. First of all, the handle of the mechanical window regulator (7) is dismantled, for which the plastic half-ring (5) is pushed with an awl, which fixes the lever on the axis. After removing the half ring, the handle can be easily removed.
2. 3 plastic plugs are removed from the door handle (2) and the fastening screws (1) are unscrewed.
3. Using a flat screwdriver, the lower distal part of the decorative panel is pulled back, after which the first retainer is released.
4. Then the rest of the clips are released from the panel supported by one hand with the other.
   

   To remove the upholstery on the rear doors, you need to release these fasteners

And in order to remove the door card from the Lada Kalina trunk lid on the station wagon and hatchback, which is held by 4 clips, 2 special clamps, 2 fastening screws on the handle and 2 brackets hooked onto a metal protrusion, you must:

1. Unscrew the 2 screws with a Phillips screwdriver and detach the handle.
2. On the glass side, place a flat screwdriver under the panel and unlock the latch.
3. Disengage the clips with your fingers, pulling the panel along the perimeter.
4. Remove the trim, the latter releasing the clips near the luggage lock.
5. It should be borne in mind that the panel is detached from the side of the glass, since if this is done from the side of the lock, then the clips can be damaged.

Tips from car enthusiasts and expert advice

Dismantling the door card, being a demanded operation, fits into the optimal action algorithms based on the experience of numerous motorists and auto repair specialists. At the same time, in addition to general recommendations, advice is also useful, taking into account the specific features of removing the door trim, associated with climatic conditions, the age of the car and similar variations:

1. In cars over the age of five, plastic clips dry out and become brittle. Therefore, when separating the trim from the door, part of the clips inevitably breaks. Hence, the advice follows before this operation to attend to the acquisition of a certain number of new retainers, based on the fact that there are almost 40 of them on the front and rear doors.
2. In regions with low winter temperatures, it is extremely undesirable to dismantle the upholstery in the cold, since the plastic of the clips becomes brittle and therefore easily destroyed under its influence. It is best to carry out this operation in a heated garage.
3. In summer, there are no temperature restrictions, however, it is not recommended to remove the trim from the doors in windy weather, since it can cause a lot of dust in an open interior.
4. Although the speakers are attached to both the door skin and the metal part of the door, experts advise that when returning the skin to its place, if the acoustic devices were previously attached to the door card, attach them to the door metal. Here it is necessary to adhere to this rule: the speakers should be mounted on the door itself, and not on its skin.
5. When prying off the door cladding with a flat screwdriver, it is imperative to put a soft material under it so as not to damage the paint and varnish surface on the metal.
6. Removing the door trim is recommended to be paired with the subsequent installation of noise and vibration isolation, after which the car acquires more comfortable qualities for passengers and the driver.

Video: the process of dismantling the door trim on the Lada Kalina

How to remove door skins, Lada Kalina.

On average, the dismantling of the door trim of a car takes time within 10 minutes. However, the simplicity of this operation is adjacent to the need to exercise caution in its implementation. Haste in movements and carelessness can provoke not only the destruction of the latches, which is quite easily compensated, but also the more dangerous scratching of plastic facing panels or the paintwork of metal doors. With due care and accuracy, removing the door trim on the Lada Kalina is available even to not very experienced motorists.