I have a 1994 Buick Century and I'm trying to take the rear door panel off and I just cannot figure out how to remove the faux woodgrain plastic piece that sits around the handle and lock lever.
The shape of the knob at the end of the lever just isn't shaped in a way that lets it fit through the hole.
After lots of pulling on the lock lever itself, it seems that it does't come off on it's own.
How do you remove this piece of the panel?
The shiny plastic part of the lock lever is attached by a clip onto a metal rod that continues into the door panel and connects to the locking mechanism. The shiny plastic knob must be removed in order to pull away the faux woodgrain plastic panel that surrounds the door handle and lock lever.
The plastic part of the lock lever can be removed by working your fingers underneath the faux woodgrain plastic panel piece and applying outward pressure to the metal rod while simultaneously applying force in the opposite direction (pulling) to the plastic lever piece.
Once the clip holding the shiny plastic knob to the metal rod comes free, the plastic knob piece can be removed, and the rest of the faux woodgrain plastic panel can then be easily lifted away.
From other cars I have worked on, you release the clips holding the panel on and pull it out to clear the button then slide it sideways off the handle.
