A car needs several types of maintenance and repair throughout time. Changing a door is unusual, but it may be necessary.
Perhaps the door is rusty or too scratched. It could also be old and no longer open easily or be damaged from a crash.
Whatever the reason, removing and replacing your car door is not a complex process, and you don’t even need a large or expensive set of tools. If you don’t believe it, you will learn how to change a passenger door in this article.
Read also: Why is car maintenance important?
5 reasons to replace your car’s door
Although it is not a frequent repair, many reasons may require you to change your vehicle door.
Besides improving the safety of your vehicle, it also increases the value of your car if you intend to sell it in the future.
Check the main reasons why you should consider changing your car’s door.
Damaged after a collision
The most obvious reason to replace any part is when it is damaged due to a crash.
Replacing the door will help keep the vehicle’s structure sturdy and safe. In addition, it will return the car to its original, non-bumpy aesthetics.
Rust
If your car door has areas with rust, then you should replace it. Rust is complicated to repair. Over time, it can further damage the door and the car’s bodywork.
So, at the first signs of rust, change the door.
Scratches and dents
The doors, as well as the bumpers, are the parts that suffer the most shocks. Whether it’s an outcome of other cars’ knocks or walls, the doors accumulate scratches and dents over time.
Though it’s possible to disguise and, in some cases, completely repair these signs, some marks only disappear if you replace the door.
Improving handles and locks
You can change this part not only for aesthetic reasons. You may need to replace your car door handles and locks to improve vehicle security or prevent breakdowns.
Replacing your car door handles can make them easier to grip and less likely to break. This way, you won’t have to deal with problematic locks.
Read also: 10 Myths about cars: Part 1
Adding value to your car
Even if you don’t urgently need to change your doors, it can be profitable to replace them. You can change for a newer set in better condition.
This replacement can increase your car’s value, which means it can help you sell it in the future at a more competitive price.
Guidelines to change the door
As you saw, there is no shortage of reasons to change the door of your car. Whether for aesthetic reasons, safety or as a prevention of future problems.
Despite being sturdy, replacing a door is not a complex process. The procedure is even similar on all car doors, as well as on most car models. The only exception is the driver’s door because you need to remove the door lock beforehand.
It’s simple, and we will explain it to you!
As an example, we removed and changed the passenger door of the Mercedes-Benz W212. You need a screwdriver and a 13 mm bezel key to do this replacement.
Follow the instructions to change the door below:
- Start by disconnecting the car battery. Since you will be touching electrical wires, we recommend disconnecting the battery an hour before starting this repair.
- As a precaution, you should replace the door without its inner trim. If you have difficulties, watch our previous video.
- Disconnect the electric plug by pushing it back with the screwdriver.
- When the wires are visible, loosen the fittings that connect the electric cables to the door.
- Loosen all the screws that attach the door to the car body using the 13 mm bezel wrench.
- Lift the door out of its fittings and remove it from the car.
- Install the new door into the body fittings. Make sure that the door is securely placed.
- Locate the screws that secure the door to the body and tighten them.
- Connect the car’s electrical wires to the new door with the help of the screwdriver.
- Close the door and test its operation.
If you prefer, you can watch our video tutorial.
In case of doubt, we recommend that you visit a registered workshop.
If you are looking for a door for your car, you can find more than 60,000 on our website for more than 60 brands.
