Inner Door Seal Replacement - How To
Door seals are expensive/overpriced, especially the inner door seal on driver's door, which is the one that normally gets abraded, cut, worn/torn from getting used constantly.
Dealer charges around $220+ for this one door seal. I ordered the brand new, OE part # off Ebay for $107 (US$). Beware of those selling used door seals off cars older, or as old as your car, and steer clear of those.
Tools required:
Non-marring, plastic trim removal tools; I used a variety of sizes. Installing the new door seal it is beneficial to have at least one sturdy/larger sized trim tool to help with getting/keeping the interior trim pieces out of your working area and to help engage the seal fully on the door flange, where needed.
Standard Audi triple-square in 20-25mm size for fastener removal.
Problem Areas: The section on the mid/upper A-pillar is the most difficult to install, as the trim piece there is difficult to manipulate. Remember, and be mindful that there is a curtain airbag located beneath the upper A-pillar/roof trim piece, so be careful working in that area. All the rest was relatively easy.
Take note the only seam in door seal is centered at bottom of door opening. There are no pins holding the inner seal on; it's just a friction fit, metal reinforced channel that goes over the door flange to hold it in place. If it somehow gets pinched closed, like mine did in a difficult spot, then you stick a trim tool in it and open it back up so it will fit over the flange.
To remove the old inner door seal, which lines the driver door opening on the car:
Run the driver seat back for working room.
Use small trim tool to pry up the plastic cover in middle of the door trim plate located at bottom of door opening...pull up sharply on left side of it and work your way across, as there is a metal retention clip on extreme right edge of it you don't want to damage.
Remove the foam/sound insulator, and then there are two triple-square fasteners holding that bottom retention plate down to the body. Remove the two fasteners and keep them with related trim piece sub-assembly bits. Remove the triple square fastener holding the trim piece next to the emergency brake release lever (inside footwell).
That's it for fasteners.
I pried up/unseated the edge of the trim pieces all around the door frame; note that they are overlapping each other so release the one on top of the other first, etc., as you work your way around the door frame. Use trim tool to pop out the fuse panel cover/trim piece from side of dash (facing door), then there's a small vertical plastic trim piece that pulls out also, next to the door seal...it has retention clips.
Once there is a bit of gap, the old door seal will easily pull up from the seam channel and peel away like a banana peel that just keeps on going, and going, and going. That's the easiest part. It can be a bit unwieldy getting the new seal started as it is rolled up into a circle in the bag.
Start with the bottom alignment using the seam as a centering reference, then go left bottom corner and up the A-pillar, always compressing the 'spine' of the door seal that fits over the metal seam so it sits flat/flush over the seam, as you go. This is important as it correctly seats the new seal, but also keeps you in alignment with the metal door flange so easily go on as you move forwards, and you don't have to fight to make corrections in alignment, etc.
It's good to have some slack when doing that left side A-pillar, again because that is where there is little space to work with and the gaps are smallest. Be patient, use the proper tools, have enough light to see what needs to be seen in that small space.
Saving this draft for now, as have an errand to run - almost finished, here, but I'll tidy it up and check the details for ya'll .

Last edited by '10Q7TDI_Prestige'; May 10, 2022 at 08:07 PM. Reason: Ongoing details & tips additions (work in progress)







