N_Jay

It looks like it is just as easy (and maybe even easier) to remove the hinges from the body instead of from the door when doing a door swap. (especially if the front fenders are already off).
Pros and cons anyone?

Anyone sharing their experience swapping doors would be helpful.

Thanks in advance.

N_Jay

Anyone??

Anyone???

Bueller?

georgeb944

My experience has been that the Bentley Manual method of removing the door is preferred.

N_Jay

OK, so I am 1/4 the way into the door swap job.

Read the Bentley manual a few times and it seems you have to pull the interior trim to get the back door harness.
I am doing the back doors first since I think there may be some rewiring needed to fit 2002 front doors to a 2000 car. (No passenger side seat memory on the 2000, but there on the 2002).

So I start working on the trim and it is fighting me, especially since the instructions are very unclear. (Interior trim tell you to look at seat belt removal first and seat belt sends you back to interior trim.)(Grrrrr)
Well, in all the tugging and pulling I get the trim off where the front door plugs in, so I figure, let me get to that one first.

Now, I remember something about it being better/easier to take the rubber bellows off with the fitting to the body, instead of pulling the bellows off the fitting.
Well there is no way to see the inside of the front door bellows from where the connectors are, so out comes the glove box.
Hmmm, even with the glove box out, you are looking at solid metal, so I just pull the bellows off the fitting and fish the wires out. (Crap, there are a lot of wires! 4 plugs full)

Now that I have the trim off, after figuring out how to remove the grab handles and all the other hidden screws, and there is the connector for the rear door. It is part of the grommet for the bellows, so I start unclipping it from the body, and I go to pull the plugs (2) out and No go.
After a careful looing at it, I pull the bellows off the grommet and the plugs are on that side! (There is no reason to remove the grommet form the car, there for no reason to remove the interior trim, therefor no reason to remove any of the hidden screws.
On to the left side, both doors prepped for removal in about 15 minuets!

Thinking I have to hang the doors and then with the door panel off, examine the wiring and make any changes needed.
Guessing the rear should need none, and the left front is 50/50, but I am sure the right front need at least the seat memory stuff disconnected.
Something fun to do tomorrow (After a thermostat change on a 2000 Saturn for mother in law.)

N_Jay

Starting to lose faith in my Bentley!

Have not dine the front door swap yet. I started with et rear since I figured it would be easier.

So, you DO NOT need to take any interior parts apart to get the rear door or hinges.
You do need an assortment of torx T45 bits to get the hinges and some you can get with the door open and others you have to close and get from the front.

In general, you need a good, strong and short bit that attaches to at least a 10 inch handle to get enough force. I torx bit and a box wrench work with a cheater bar to help.

Next, you DO NOT remove the upper bolt on the lower hinge. This bolt holds only part of the hinge that stays with the door, then when you go to rehang the door the upper part of the lower hinge lines everything up and make it easy to get the bolts started.

Tomorrow is RT Front door day, probably Left rear also, and if all goes well, the LT FR will be last as I have to transfer the lock cylinder.

thezone

WHAT SIZE ARE THE HINGE BOLTS ON A 2006 AUDI TT Quattro?
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georgeb944

Perhaps you should ask on the correct forum...