Removing Driver's Side Kick Panel

[Ford_Power]

Hi everyone,

I am trying to remove the driver's side kick panel and after removing the door sill and the fir tree clip holding the kick panel on, I still cant remove it. It feels as though it is solidly fixed in place.

My gut feeling tells me it is clipped into place, but after using quite a bit of force it still didnt come free... I dont want to break it...

Does anyone know how to remove it??

Thanks

Ross

[jnr]

This wont help much but have you tried getting a torch in there.

I've removed it but couldn't exactly tell you how I did it. I think there was part of the panel that sits behind something high up next to accelerator. I know that sounds vague.....

After reading what I've just written this probably wont make sense...but have a go anyway.

[Ford_Power]

well this is the thing.. I know what u are talking about. there is a bolt that protrudes into the cabin under there. u have to slide the kick panel slightly towards the rear of the car to "unhook" it so to speak.

but how did u remove the part that runs along the sill? it seems very firmly fixed!

was there any clips along this part? how was it being held in place?

Thanks

Ross

Edited 19/07/04 05:18 AM by Ford_Power

[FORDTECH]

You have to remove the 2 outer seat base trims first.(Not the trim that's screwed to to seat base itself)You remove them by pushing them forward or backward.This will also expose a couple of electrical connectors.If you see them then you know you've removed the right part.Once the seat base trims are out of the way the trim that goes along the sill will push in towards the seat a lot further.Dont forget that you'll have to remove the bottom seat belt retaining bolt in order to completely remove the trim.

[Ford_Power]

Thanks FORDTECH,

I'll try it some time this week. After looking at it, what you're saying makes sense.

I don't have a service manual - can you tell me what torque the seat-belt retaining bolt needs to be done back up to?

Thanks.

Ross

[FORDTECH]

36nm.

You will need a T50 Torx Bit to remove and refit this.(In case you didn't already know)

[Ford_Power]

Thanks for the prompt reply FORDTECH!

Ross

[Ford_Power]

Hey guys, I just removed and refitted everything after running my wiring and whatnot.

Thanks FORDTECH for the info u gave me, and if anyone wants to know how to remove it in detail, feel free to PM me.

Ross

[GlennAUII]

those things are a b**ch to get out! even the service guys have trouble doing it

[Ford_Power]

Hey guys, just thought I'd post the steps up here as opposed to PMing as quite a few of you have asked for the details

OK to remove the kickpanel:

1) Remove the two screws holding the sill panel down and remove the panel. (there is a clip under where the scuff plate goes so just lift the sill panel off, it will unclip.

2) Remove the trim that covers the right hand seat rail. This is removed by just pulling it directly towards the front of the car. (when u have removed this panel, you will see the electric seat wires uncovered on the right hand side of the seat)

3) Using a T50 Torx bit, remove the seatbelt retaining bolt.

4) Remove the rear part of the front door seal, and the front part of the rear door seal enough to clear the height of the B-Pillar side cover.

5) Unclip the B-Pillar cover. - there are two clips half way up the cover, and two down the bottom. The centre clips are the same clips as before, the bottom ones are plastic, but tighter. (There may be one or two near the top as well. I?m not sure as I just left the cover hanging there as it gave me enough room to work). Remove the B-Pillar cover by pulling the cover directly away from the B-Pillar. (I.e. directly towards the left hand side of the car)

6) Remove the fuse panel cover

7) Remove the fir tree clip that holds the top of the kick panel to the body of the car (this is the one you can see when u remove the fuse panel cover)

Pull the front door seals off from the body approximately halfway up the door (enough to clear the kickpanel?s height)

9) (now for the fun part)

What you have to do is remove the part of the kickpanel that runs next to the drivers seat.

The panel is removed by pushing it directly towards the left hand side of the car. There are two clips that hold it in. (These clips are the same type as the one on the sill panel)

You must take care to get your fingers in the gap between the body of the car and kick panel part that runs along there and push it out from inside the gap. (if you just try to push it out without getting your fingers in there, there is a good chance you may crack the panel) It is quite tight, but I assure you, it comes off.

10) Once you have done all of the above, just remove the kick panel.

11) Enjoy!

Just reverse the above steps in order to replace it!

Sorry I don?t have any pictures unfortunately! If anyone has any other questions about it, feel free to ask!

(This bit below is for rednut - sorry I forgot to PM you this bit!!)

As for running the wiring, I ran it from the battery to through the hole in the body that leads to the front right wheel arch area (where the indicator and a whole bunch of other wires come through). The wheel arch has the plastic cover in it, so you will need to remove this in order to get the wires into the cabin.

OK to remove the wheel arch cover.

1) Remove the front right wheel

2) Unscrew all of the plastic screws holding the wheel arch cover on.

2) Remove the fir tree clips holding the cover on too. (I had IMMENSE trouble removing the ones holding on the mudspat ? coincidentally, these clips go through the cover AND the mudspat. As it turned out, I left those fir tree clips in and just flexed the plastic wheel arch cover down a bit. I.e. You DON?T need to remove those ones)

3) Remove the three hex head nuts under the front right of the bumper.

4) Remove the one plastic screw from under the front right of the bumper.

5) Carefully remove the portion of the wheel arch cover that has been unscrewed/clipped and you should have now have access to the area underneath and be able to get to the main grommet that all the wires go through into the cabin.

What I then did was get something sharp (I ground an arc welding electrode into a sharp point) and poked it through the big rubber grommet and thus into the cabin.

As before, reverse the above steps in order to replace the wheel arch cover.

That's it!

Hope this helps!

Ross