Can anybody provide a guide on the safest way to remove the lower A Pillar trims that go from the bottom of the dash board and cover the sills.
I have new driver and passenger side items that I want to get fitted but I've heard they are tricky to remove without damaging something.
Thanks
Jeff
Hi,
I think the refitting is probably more tricky, to ensure that it is fitting correctly.
The trim is secured by three metal clips along the lower flat part on the sill. The clips fit into slots in the body and are located in a downward direction.
To remove the trim, first remove the small filler piece between the dash by the side vent and the door seal. This is secured by two clips to the edge of the door opening and is removed by pulling outwards. Note that there is a locating peg at the bottom of the piece which locates into a hole in the top of the lower A pillar trim. The side piece will therefore pull outwards slightly (and rotate on the peg) to release it from the clips and then will have to be moved in an upward direction to release the peg from the hole. The metal clips may stay on the plastic and they should be located back onto the door opening metal edge for refitting.
To release the lower A pillar trim, pull the flat part by the door sill upwards. The clips might be very tight fitting but the only way to release them is simply to pull, hard. The is one in the centre of the flat part and one near each end. Once they are all release you will notice that the B pillar trim is attached to the rear end of the A pillar trim. The B pillar trim has a "tongue" which locates into a groove in the A pillar trim. The only way to release this is to bend the plastic upwards to separate the two. Once this has been released, the A pillar trim can be slid backwards and then out of the car.
When replacing, ensure that the three metal clips are located in the plastic trim and not left in the slots in the car body. Push the trim forwards first so that the front locates in the carpet correctly. Before pushing the sill flat part of the trim down to engage the clips, bend the plastic to locate the B pillar trim back into the slot in the underside of the rear of the A pillar sill part to join the two together. This can only be done when the trim is free to move, once clipped in place you won’t be able to engage the two pieces properly. Make sure that the clips are in the correct position in the plastic so that they line up with the slots in the body. As the clips are located in slots in the plastic they can be moved to ensure that the are in the correct position. If they miss the holes they won’t engage correctly. You may find that you have to push the trim harder forwards to ensure that it fits into the carpet correctly so that the clips will line up. When the two piece are joined and the clips are lining up, hit the sill where the clips are to engage them in the body. The trim should go flush so there is no gap under the edge where the door seal it. If there is a gap its probably because the clip didn’t line up with the hole and hasn’t engaged.
Lastly, refit the small filler piece by engaging the peg in the hole and pressing it into the clips till its flush.
Regards
Andrew
