2007~2015 CX-9 A-Pillar Trim Removal tips?

:
2009 Mazda CX-9 GT
They don't pull or lift out. Any tips? Mitchell's is very vague and one listing says "pull" while another says "lift", then another says you need to turn the upper clip?

Just need it out of the way to run some wiring and re-route an old wire I ran across the air bag.
 
I got mine off by pulling the door weather stripping partially off and pulling the trim from the door side. I think the upper clip turn referenced is for the retention clip that keeps the trim from becoming a projectile when the airbag deploys. I spent 10-15 very frustrating minutes trying to rotate the clip to remove it so that I could access everything more easily before saying ‘screw it’ and just working around the trim piece without fully removing it.
 
I got mine off by pulling the door weather stripping partially off and pulling the trim from the door side. I think the upper clip turn referenced is for the retention clip that keeps the trim from becoming a projectile when the airbag deploys. I spent 10-15 very frustrating minutes trying to rotate the clip to remove it so that I could access everything more easily before saying ‘screw it’ and just working around the trim piece without fully removing it.
Thanks Gremlin. I took a look again last night, and ended up just routing my wiring without removing the panel. It was a pain, but it is done.

I am still baffled on how the panel comes off. I pulled up and no go. I pulled out and no go. I was able to pull the top part out about .5"-.75", just enough to barely see in behind.

It is more of a "how the frick does it come off" now. LOL
 
Post #11 in this thread has instructions for installing a rearview mirror camera kit. Those instructions include a step to pull the A-pillar trim.


I did this install 12 years ago and I still remember that it sucked. Getting that trim piece off was not straightforward...
 
Post #11 in this thread has instructions for installing a rearview mirror camera kit. Those instructions include a step to pull the A-pillar trim.


I did this install 12 years ago and I still remember that it sucked. Getting that trim piece off was not straightforward...
Thanks for that. Still doesn't help. I pulled the panel in every direction and nothing. There must be a trick to it.
 
I was considering doing the same. However, mine's a 2017. Would I encounter the same issue as with the gen 1 CX9s?
 
I was considering doing the same. However, mine's a 2017. Would I encounter the same issue as with the gen 1 CX9s?

Yes. When I ran the dashcam wiring for my 2018 down the A-pillar, I just "loosened" the cover and worked around it. I think the retention clips that hold the trim piece in place are a similar design to the 1st gen. The retention clips hold the A-pillar cover in place when the curtain airbag is deployed, which forces the airbag to deploy down along the window instead of into the cabin. The clips also prevent the cover from becoming a projectile that is launched into the cabin when the airbag deploys. If you want to remove the cover completely, you'd have to unclip the retention clips, or cut the old ones out and replace them with new ones.

Here's a write up I did with some pictures that might help:
 
Replying to this since I found it using a google search without finding any answers...

To remove the trim A pillar, pull it away from the pillar until it stops. Loosen the remaining clips towards the front of the windshield (I think there were two) and then pull the entire assembly along the length of the pillar (towards the back of the car). There first clip that you loosened slides out of the fitting in the trim and the clip remains in the A pillar. It's designed that way to open when the airbags deploy but then stops to direct the airbag curtain down away from the windshield and towards the side door glass.

To reinstall, I was able to get the clip out of the fitting in the A pillar, but I'm not quite sure how I got it out. I might have twisted it slightly while pulling and it just popped out. You'll need to remove it to put it back into the trim before refitting back to the pillar... there's no way you'll get it to slide back in to the trim without removing the pin from the pillar first.
 
Back