Write-Up: Interior Door Panel Removal

Write up: https://rivperformance.editboard.com/interior-f20/write-up-interior-door-panel-removal-t317.htm#2618

Has anyone ever changed the interior lights in the door? Do you have to remove the door panel?

I'll look in my service manual sometime today and get back to you. Taking off the door panels is really pretty easy though, I'll check and let you know.

Jack,
The manual is as follows:

Replacement – Warning Lamp
Removal
1. Remove trim panel. Refer to “Trim Panel” procedures in this section.
Trim Panel – Replacement
1. Remove bezel finish cover from door handle bezel by unsnapping upper tab with thin-bladed tool.
2. Remove door handle bezel by removing one screw, slipping bezel off, over door handle and disconnecting flood lamp wiring harness.
3. Unsnap two pull handle finish plugs with thin-bladed tool.
4. Remove two screws from pull handle (do not remove pull handle).
5. Remove two screws, one from upper front of door panel and one from upper rear of door panel.
6. Lift up on trim panel to disengage hooks on backside of panel.
7. Disconnect electrical connectors.
2. Disconnect electrical connector.
3. Disconnect one clip.
4. Remove lamp.
5. Reverse steps for installation.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Randall, I appreciate it. Hey, in regard to that dash piece I've been looking for...I found a vinyl repair guy that said he can make it look 95% original. It's going to run about $120 for the repair, but I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks again.

Thanks Jack! I will update the Riviera FAQ website pretty soon with your added pictures and instructions. It should be very helpful to other Riviera owners.

Success!! Original post updated!

I've tracked these down - had www.newgmparts.com ensure they were the interior bulbs with the orange/white leads.

Their part number was 12536289.

They should be arriving within a week and I'll let you know if they are the right ones or not.

New stuff added!

Thanks Jack.

Holy Shitballs! Who was the dumb ass that designed plastic threaded screws?! He should be castrated!
I got it all apart. Thanks for the write up.

Jack, I hope you were more observant than I was and noticed that only 3-4 of those plugs actually have to be unplugged to remove the door panel. I'm sorry if I led you astray on that one. I didn't realize myself until I put the door panel back on today and wondered where all the wires coming out of the door went?

Now half my door lights aren't coming on and I'm kicking myself for being an idiot.

It sucks when you're careful and things still get fugged up.

I left most of it plugged in. I just need the triangular (vent) pieces out. A guy is recoating the dash panel and is going to shoot the side pieces for me so it matches. $180, It better look good!

My only advice to add to the write up is, if you have the door panel off, change the bulbs in the courtesy lights while your there. It may keep you from going back in later.

Good stuff! Thanks, Jack.

All of my lights except for one are out. Where can I get replacements now? Is the link Adam posted correct for the necessary part numbers? Looks like they still have them but they are $18/ea. Yikes, that's a lot for a bulb and some leads. :O

hey does anyone know the part number of the little blue lights that go out behind the chrome door handles, and the lights that shine on the window switches from inside the door handle?

allfalldown wrote:

I've tracked these down - had www.newgmparts.com ensure they were the interior bulbs with the orange/white leads.

Their part number was 12536289.

They should be arriving within a week and I'll let you know if they are the right ones or not.

The bulb that illuminates the buttons looks different from the one that illuminates the chrome handle. Can you confirm part numbers for each? I assume the number you gave above is for the lower one by the chrome handle.

TIA

Pull it and take it to a car parts store. Let them match it.

DEMonte1997 wrote:

All of my lights except for one are out. Where can I get replacements now? Is the link Adam posted correct for the necessary part numbers? Looks like they still have them but they are $18/ea. Yikes, that's a lot for a bulb and some leads. :O

That's about what they ran. I think it's $1.00 for the part and $20 for storing it until you needed it.

The lucky thing is that you can get them at all, GM dealers don't seem to have them any more.

Albertj

FYI: The bulb part number for the door handle that lights up the buttons is: 12536289

And just for completeness sake, the lower one that lights up the chrome handles is: 12535585 (as taken from earlier in this thread and confirmed by newgmparts.com)

HTH anyone who was in the same boat as me.

See my post at the bottom.

Yikes, sucks that these are special bulbs.

those part numbers are much appreciated, even though they were already there and I was just too lazy to look for them lol!

Now that I'm finally receiving some of these parts piecemeal from dealers and newgmparts.com I wanted to clarify what each number goes to what.

#12536289 - goes inside the upper door handle and shines down on the buttons

#12535585 - is the floodlamp bulb that illuminates the lower door handle.

I amended my earlier post to avoid confusion.

In addition, I went on Radioshack's website and found a million alternatives to going with what GM has. You can save $$$$$ by just fabbing it up yourself.

Here's one below: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102791

The little light that illuminates the chrome handle was 35$ CDN at the dealer. I found the exact same bulb at an electric supply outlet ($10 for two). I plugged it into the harness and just covered it with the blue cap from the original.

... I noticed that almost all of the plastic hooks (two on top and three on the bottom) are broken on my driver side door. It looks like someone already was in there and wreaked havoc with the mounting tabs and such. In a case like this, has anyone thought of something creative to keep the door together or did you just bolt it back together and call it a day? There isn't much keeping that inner skin attached to the outer door shell now so I'm a little pensive about it. Passenger side is very tight. I might hit Morad up but I think he usually likes to sell these pieces as a pair.