dave2010GT
08-25-2010, 10:24 PM
Well after hours and hours of searching I could not find a decent walk through on how to remove the **INNER** door skin to apply dynamat to the outer metal on the doors of a 2010 Mazda 3.
So I took a deep breath and decided to undertake the project myself and post up a guide (my first so please go easy on me). I only took pictures of the back door because after doing the front two I realized people need to see how to do this but don't worry all four doors are the exact same.
So before I begin a few things to take note off.
- WEAR GLOVES AND HAVE A FIRST AID KIT AVAILABLE (after doing all 4 doors I had exactly 18 cuts on my hands all of which drew blood so thats why it's taken two weeks to write this guide.
- Give your self a whole day to do this properly
- Tools I recommend to get to make the job go by faster
- Impact drill this will reduce the job time dramatically
- A really SHARP knife
- Rubber roller
- Duct Tape
- LOTS OF PATIENCE
As a quick disclaimer I'm not responsible for any thing that may happen to your cars this is solely based on my experience with my 2010 GT.
So lets begin
DUCT TAPE THE WINDOW GLASS TO THE TOP OF THE DOOR FRAME IF YOU DO NOT DO THIS WINDOW WILL FALL DOWN AND POSSIBLY BREAK
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3303
I'm going to assume everyone knows how to take the door panel off.
So lets jump to the exposed inner door skin.
- Luckily in the 2010 model the door handle is not attached to the skin so you have nothing to worry about just let it hang and forget about it.
- Firstly there is a harness plugged into the far side of the door unplug it and pull out the rubber clasp keeping the wire attached the door.
- Here you see hex bolts all along the outside of the skin there are 12 if I remember correctly. Having the impact drill will help allot here getting these suckers out and putting them back in later on.
- In the top left part of the skin you will see a lock nut just to the right of the hex bolt in corner. There is another one just below it. Theses are the bolts attaching the window guide the skin, these need to be removed as well.
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3302
Now you will also see three bolts holding the auto window motor remove those BUT YOU MUST BE VERY CAREFUL DURING THIS PROCESS.
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3306
- Firstly unplug the harness attached to it and notice the white plastic spool behind it with the metal cable wrapped around it. Don't touch it yet BUT YOU MUST ENSURE that it doesn't unwind, if it does you are FUBAR'D.
Here is a pic of the spool.
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3301
- Now I want to go back to the second pic of the door skin, before we remove it I want you to take notice of a plastic cap at the very top of the skin. (Sorry I didn't edit the pic but you should see what I'm talking about)
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3302
- Using a flat head screw driver pop it out. This is actually the peice holding the skin to the metal door.
- Now grab a corner and gently pull (don't rip it because the spool is still attached to the skin.
- Peel it back enough so you can reach up behind it and grab the back cover of the spool, what you have to do hear is gently twist it in the opposite direction and unlock it from the skin. From the pic you can see the teeth that lock it in. Just a gentle twist and it will come out.
- Now peel the rest of the skin and fold it towards the car and it should fit in front of the seat and EUREKA you will now have access to the bare metal door.
- Wrap the window spool in duct tape so it doesn't fall out (You'll see it in the next pic)
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3307
NOW THE HARD PART BEGINS LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Now begin cutting and applying dynamat or whatever product you choose to use, I have used a variety of substitutes but dynamat is by far the best and I know it's not cheap but doing it right the first time (which I didn't) will give you greater satisfaction!!!!
Here is the door covered in dynamat
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3305
- Now your done the outer metal door and can re-attach the skin in the reverse of the directions mentioned above!
- If you so choose apply dynamat to the interior of the door panel for extra silencing.
Attach the door panel and you are good to go!!!
I hope this is helpful and I'm really excited to provide this to TM3 crowd as you all have helped me out allot.
So I took a deep breath and decided to undertake the project myself and post up a guide (my first so please go easy on me). I only took pictures of the back door because after doing the front two I realized people need to see how to do this but don't worry all four doors are the exact same.
So before I begin a few things to take note off.
- WEAR GLOVES AND HAVE A FIRST AID KIT AVAILABLE (after doing all 4 doors I had exactly 18 cuts on my hands all of which drew blood so thats why it's taken two weeks to write this guide.
- Give your self a whole day to do this properly
- Tools I recommend to get to make the job go by faster
- Impact drill this will reduce the job time dramatically
- A really SHARP knife
- Rubber roller
- Duct Tape
- LOTS OF PATIENCE
As a quick disclaimer I'm not responsible for any thing that may happen to your cars this is solely based on my experience with my 2010 GT.
So lets begin
DUCT TAPE THE WINDOW GLASS TO THE TOP OF THE DOOR FRAME IF YOU DO NOT DO THIS WINDOW WILL FALL DOWN AND POSSIBLY BREAK
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3303
I'm going to assume everyone knows how to take the door panel off.
So lets jump to the exposed inner door skin.
- Luckily in the 2010 model the door handle is not attached to the skin so you have nothing to worry about just let it hang and forget about it.
- Firstly there is a harness plugged into the far side of the door unplug it and pull out the rubber clasp keeping the wire attached the door.
- Here you see hex bolts all along the outside of the skin there are 12 if I remember correctly. Having the impact drill will help allot here getting these suckers out and putting them back in later on.
- In the top left part of the skin you will see a lock nut just to the right of the hex bolt in corner. There is another one just below it. Theses are the bolts attaching the window guide the skin, these need to be removed as well.
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3302
Now you will also see three bolts holding the auto window motor remove those BUT YOU MUST BE VERY CAREFUL DURING THIS PROCESS.
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3306
- Firstly unplug the harness attached to it and notice the white plastic spool behind it with the metal cable wrapped around it. Don't touch it yet BUT YOU MUST ENSURE that it doesn't unwind, if it does you are FUBAR'D.
Here is a pic of the spool.
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3301
- Now I want to go back to the second pic of the door skin, before we remove it I want you to take notice of a plastic cap at the very top of the skin. (Sorry I didn't edit the pic but you should see what I'm talking about)
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3302
- Using a flat head screw driver pop it out. This is actually the peice holding the skin to the metal door.
- Now grab a corner and gently pull (don't rip it because the spool is still attached to the skin.
- Peel it back enough so you can reach up behind it and grab the back cover of the spool, what you have to do hear is gently twist it in the opposite direction and unlock it from the skin. From the pic you can see the teeth that lock it in. Just a gentle twist and it will come out.
- Now peel the rest of the skin and fold it towards the car and it should fit in front of the seat and EUREKA you will now have access to the bare metal door.
- Wrap the window spool in duct tape so it doesn't fall out (You'll see it in the next pic)
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3307
NOW THE HARD PART BEGINS LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Now begin cutting and applying dynamat or whatever product you choose to use, I have used a variety of substitutes but dynamat is by far the best and I know it's not cheap but doing it right the first time (which I didn't) will give you greater satisfaction!!!!
Here is the door covered in dynamat
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3305
- Now your done the outer metal door and can re-attach the skin in the reverse of the directions mentioned above!
- If you so choose apply dynamat to the interior of the door panel for extra silencing.
Attach the door panel and you are good to go!!!
I hope this is helpful and I'm really excited to provide this to TM3 crowd as you all have helped me out allot.