Cracked door armrest needs fixing - need advice.

[tangierc]

Folks I have a 2000 Proteg ES and things have broken down a bit over time. Thanks to these boards I've fixed some of them. I want to know if there's a way to repair the damage (attached) or in this link (). It came from resting my elbow there and then it was a small crack and grew over time. I tried not putting my elbow there anymore, but probably unknowingly did. The whitefish stuff around the crack it the glue from duct tape I put there a while ago to cover it up.

Hopefully this doesn't require an entire replacement of the door panel. I've heard of vinyl repairs, but don't know where to go and how to do it.

I'm in the Los Angeles area if anyone has insight.

Thanks.

 

[firelizard]

No junkyards in the area? Would be an afternoon project with hand tools and patience, and you can practice on the junkyard car.

 

[Spiced MSP]

wish I could help. I have the same crack on my door too

 

[meGrimlock]

the door trim is a combo of plastic, vinyl, pressed board, and fiber glass. if you were to repair the crack it would involve sanding, gluing the crack back together, dremeling the cracks so you can fill in the cracks, sanding the filled areas flush, and repainting. you'd still have to retexture the panel to match the other doors or retexture all 4 to match the repair job. i'd recommend replacing the whole panel, its completely painless and is kinda common in the For Sale sections in a lot of forums.

 

[IshSonP5]

Same thing happened to me, I just bought a used door panel and replaced the top half. good as new. I only used the top portion of the panel 'cause my bottom half was in better condition. Check some forsale threads on here, there are a few with door panels.

 

[tangierc]

Hey thanks everyone. I wasn't sure how to even begin - what terms to search for, etc. I am a bit concerned if this is something I can do myself. Not afraid to, jut more concerned about the wiring for the windows, door lock mechanisms etc. If anyone has leads to instructions non how I'd replace the door panel please let me know.

I just replaced the steering wheel with another OEM from a user on these boards and the instructions were great. It was easier than I thought actually. This seems more complex though.

Guess I'll search for sale boards for door panels.

Thanks.

 

[meGrimlock]

the door handles, window buttons, electrics, etc will usually screw off or pop off. some stay connected to the door. if you search for the protege factory service manual, you should find a link to where it is hosted (its copyrighted so im hesitant to post a direct link). section 09-17 tells you how to remove the door panel. i'd recommend getting some interior trim removal tools, a set of hand tools that will make your job easier, but basic hand tools will get the job done as well. remember to cover the edge of the tools with a cloth or a lot of tape as it will help prevent damage during removal.

if you've ever watched the british programme wheeler dealers you'll see the kind of effort required to repair a cracked or damaged panel correctly. its definitely doable and im sure there are a lot of shortcuts and tricks you can use, but for my time and money its worth it to just replace the whole thing. good luck

 

[tangierc]

thanks. I think I'll follow your advise meGrimlock and just try to find the panel. Someone already offered one for sale, but it was the passenger side an snot in grey like my interior.