How do i go about this? I'm putting a new audio system In and need some help. I've never done interior work on a car, always engine/exterior

 

You need a torex driver a philips screwdrive remove those 2 of each if I remember then if you have a window crank you need to pull the c clip out the back of the crank after that pull up on the panel and reach behind to unclip the door release thats it well other than speaker wires.

Remember my truck is a base no power anything if you have power this may be different

 

Get out all the screws I think there is 5. Up by the mirror,1 behind the black door handle,one on the other handle then 2 at the bottom. Then pull out and upward at the same time. Usually it doesnt always work so you have to go around with a long screw driver and pop out those plastic rivets. Dont forget about disconnecting the wiring if you have pm,pl,pw Dont worry if you break any of those rivets most auto part stores carry all kinds of them

 

dodgeramguy85 you have pop rivets I didn’t but my truck is the base model no door pockets or power anything and now that I think on it yes 5 screws forgot the one next to the mirror.

It’s not that hard to do I used a hook to pull out the window crank c-clip and don’t forget to pull up and out at same time like dodgeramguy85 said.

Remember to mark your window crank or take a pic of it so you can get it back into the same position on reinstall.

To reinstall window crank c-clip slide the c-clip on the crank position correctly then smack it on thats it.

 

Not actual rivets. Im not sure they actual name of them they are plastic and white. They have a bunch of grooves on them so they dont pull out.

 

On a 2003 you don't pull out on the panel, you pull it straight up and off the door, after you remove all of the other screws and fasteners. 2001 and up Dakota's do not use the plastic Christmas Tree type fasteners, they have a right angle-shaped hook that is a molded part of the back side of the door panel. The hook-shaped parts slide into and down in rectangular shaped holes in the metal door surface. Be careful with removal so you don't break one of the hooks on your door panel. There is a phillips screw up in the sail panel and 2 phillips screws along the bottom edge of the door. There is also a T-25 Torx screw behind the door pull handle and another T-25 behind the small trim cover in the area behind the door opening handle/door lock slider trim. When you reinstall the door panel, be sure to slide the hook that is located behind the door pull handle back into its slot on the metal door surface, so the door panel will be solid when you close the door from inside the cab.

If you have manual windows you will need one of the window crank retainer clip removal tools in the picture above. Insert it between the back side of the window crank handle and the front side of the plastic trim piece behind it. Operate the crank as if you were rolling the window up or down and the clip will pop loose. Watch for the clip, it can sometimes spring out real quick and fly off across the shop somewhere and you may never find it. Usually with the removal tool the clip will stay on the round plastic shaft on the back of the window crank handle. Watch the little plastic clips where the door latch and door lock rods slide. They are white clips that snap into the metal door surface. It is easy to pull these clips loose from the door when you remove the door panel and if you do not snap them back in, it will rattle real bad every time you close the door.

Jimmy

 

Alright thanks! Now with my head unit, it came with a new wiring harness, do I just connect it to my old wires? I'm no pro with car audio

 

you pull up and out a bit but yes the panel is actualy hooked on not poped on.

A good alternative for the window crank c-clip is a hook tool just reach back behind the crank hook it and give it a pull and out it will come the bugger is hard to see or damn near hard as hell to see you just fish behind it till it gets hooked.

 

If you still had your OEM radio in the dash, then yes, just connect the wires from the matching harness they sent with the new deck, wire them up color for color, tape up the orange wire unless the new deck has a separate illumination on it, otherwise just connect the orange wires together too. Then plug the matching harness in to the OEM radio harness plug in the dash.

Jimmy