97 Es300 - Replace Drivers Front Door Myself?

[odessit]

Hit and run accident - and drivers side front door is not looking good anymore (even though everything works).

Should I try to replace the door myself (found one which should be the same color from 99 ES300)?

Or let body shop deal with this? I have high deductable so insurance paid only $100.

I am not mechanic, but took inside of the doors apart in my landcruiser to replace speakers. According to Haynes id does not look too bad. Main gotcha as I see it is to whether I want to replace the lock or deal with two sets of keys.

Does anybody have experience with this? Thoughts on the best approach?

Cheers!

[1990LS400]

Doors are pretty heavy. It's at least a 2-person job without the special jig that body shops use to hang doors. I had my drivers door removed last year to change the hinges that had probably been improperly bent before I bought the car years ago - my guess it was an attempt to reduce wind noise. The door removal/reinstall was fairly inexpensive - I'm guessing only about $100 for my car but I was having a lot of other work done due to hitting flying debris on a freeway.

[gbhrps]

odessit,

A door change can be a DIYer, if you've watched someone who knows what they are doing change one in your presence. I've done several in the shop, using a floor jack covered with a carpet remnant (to not scratch the door bottom) by myself, and with a helper, and with both (much safer and easier). Try YouTube for any videos on changing doors to get an idea of what you're up against.

The easiest way to do the wiring changerover is to pull the kick panel by the parking brake, and undo the wiring harness that feeds the door. You'll have to pull off the rubber gaiter that covers the wiring harness from the door to the car body, where it enters the car body, and then separate the plug from the body of the car. (Obviously, disconnect the battery ground wire before any of this.)

If you're going to change out the lock cylinder from your old door, make sure the window is fully up before you cut the electrical supply. Pull the inner door panel, disconnect the small wiring harnesses to the lock, as well as the 2 rods (pop their clips off the rods and pull the rods out of the clips. Remove the two 10 mm nuts that hold the door handle in place and remove it.

(Hint: place a small piece of masking tape over the end of the socket before you push the socket on those 10 mm nuts. That way when you undo them, they'll stay in the socket, saving you having to try and find then down at the bottom of the door when they fall out.)

Once removed, you can fiddle with the spring clips that hold the center lock cylinder in place, and insert the key, and turn the key to line the key and cylinder pins up so the innerds come out with the key when pulled. You'll do the same with the new door and swap your original into it. This is safer for the door if done on the car, but you can remove the door and change the locks with it on the bench if you cover the bench to protect the paint.

Remove the hinge bolts on the BODY of the car, while the door is supported, and remove the door.

Put the new door in place, insert and tighten the 8 bolts, and test the door opening, closing, and gaps front, rear, top and bottom. You may have to do this several times, until you finally get everything adjusted correctly. Only then do you do a final tighten down of the bolts.

Then deal with the door harness gaiter hookup to the body, and test all switches (connect the battery), before you replace the inner door panel, and pat yourself on the back. Good Luck!

[odessit]

Thank you for information.

I found the door of the same color from ES300 99 (mine is 97). I know it will not be perfect color match anyway, but should be ok for now.

The new door seems to be in good condition. Unfortunately, the wire harness is cutoff so I will need to use my original harness.

I took the new door apart and after some fiddling was able to get the wire harness out. This was my test run - if I can not do this - no need to take my working door apart.

But... it seems like Toyota changed the wire harnesses in August of 98. 97 wire harness is part# 82152-33700 the one in my new door was 82152-33870. Does anybody know what are the differences? I will put them side-by-side to look at connectors, etc. It does not look like there are any additional devices in the door.

I really do not want to go through taking every door component from the old one to remount on new one.

Also... Should I try to re-use tar/glue for weathershield or should I put a new bead on it? Where would I get this tar/glue?

I do not think I will venture into changing the lock. Looks like more than I want to tackle. I got a key for the new door and remote should work. Worth case - can always open passengers' door first.

[odessit]

Does anybody have wiring diagram for left front (driver side) power window motor for 99 ES300? This is one of the differences in wire harnesses and I am using old wire harness from 97 ES300. The connector to power window motor (I assume that this is the motor) has more wires in 99 ES300. Mine only has two.

Swapping them seems like a royal pain. Or am I missing something and it is easy. Still plenty of time to do this if I can find good instructions.

[odessit]

Done. Left the driver side window not working. This is a good lesson - even though the body is the same between 97 and 99 - wiring harness was changed in 08/98 and the door innards are not 100% compatible. Overall this is reasonable job even for somebody who never done this before.

Once you get the inner pannel out - get the speaker out, disconnect all connectors, remove the clips attaching harness to the door, the only connector that is a pain is at the very "back" of the door - need to get you hand inside of the door, squezze on connector and pull it out. I disconnected the door stop, then the door from the hinges - not from the body as it seems to be more difficult, moved it a bit away from the car, carefully pulled the wiring harness out, and removed the door, attached new one and re-assembled.