RH/LH Rear Door Outer Filler Panel Falls Off/Loose (Remove Material/Install Retainer)

Some customers may comment that the RH/LH rear side door outer filler panel falls off or does not fit properly.

During installation of the filler panel, if the rear window is not down, the panel's tip may not fit properly along the upper auxiliary molding. This may cause the filler panel to slightly bow out and the retainer to have insufficient fastener attachment.

Remove material from the filler panel's top fore-aft locator and install a new retainer. Perform the following repair:

1. Remove the RH/LH rear side door filler panel.

1.1.	Insert special tool J 38778 (1) at the front lower edge of the filler panel in order to pry the panel (2) from the door and release the push-in retainer.

1.2.	Pull the filler panel forward to remove.




2. Remove 1.5 mm (1/16 in) of material (4) from the filler panel's top fore-aft locator (3) using a pair of tin snips.
3. Replace the existing retainer with the new retainer, P/N 11518628.



4. Install the RH/LH rear side door filler panel.

4.1.	Insert the rear tabs (5) of the filler panel into the slots of the door frame.

4.2.	Align the panel's new push-in retainer (6) to the receptacle (7) in the door.

4.3.	Push the filler panel inboard to install.

Important: The new retainer, P/N 11518628, can only be used one time. The retainer must be replaced each time the filler panel is removed.

Parts are expected to be available from GMSPO, 1/22/01.

For vehicles repaired under warranty, use: