Beside the normal tools you will need a mirror, flashlight, very long needlenose pliers, and tin snips. There are 2 screws holding the driver door panel on, one is in the courtesy light at the bottom and the other is inside the switch compartment. You must also twist the light socket out, pop the cover off above the switches, pry the switch pod up at the FRONT and slide forward, and unplug the switches.





Now pull straight up on the panel and remove it after taking the light out at the bottom;

Tape the membrane up out of your way

You will need mirrors like these and very long needlenose.

Remove all the yellow plastic screws holding this aqua connector and it's wires and tuck it into the corner of the door.

Now you have a clear view of the actuator;

Try to pop this yellow plastic clip loose with your fingers and if not drill a hole above the oval hole and use a screwdriver;


Take the 3 screws out at the latch;

Push the plastic screws in holding the black cable and look through the oval hole to locate the green clip holding the rod to the door latch handle.


Cut the oval hole bigger so you can access the next steps;

Rotate the whole unit around until you can pop the green clip loose with a screwdriver by prying or pulling on the small side of the green clip and then locate the rod next to it (not mentioned in other posts), and disconnect it by using your very long needlenose to squeeze one side and a long screwdriver to pry the rod out;

Rotate the entire unit out around the window track, remove the wire harness, unplug the two other harnesses, and insert screwdriver under actuator before sliding it off.

Now you are ready to do the tin foil fix or just replace the actuator.

 

Instead of cutting the access-hole, you can remove the door-handle by undoing the two 7/16" nuts holding it to the door; pop the rubber body-plug to access the rearmost one, and the other can be reached with a wrench inside the door. That gives great access to those clips.

 

Yea but I can cut that hole in one minute and it provides great access. After you unbolt the handle there are two rods clinging to it so you need 3 hands plus the green clip is down 6" from there so I'm not seeing great access from up there. From the start of the cut I can have the whole unit out in 5 minutes. It's just cut, clip, clip, and it's out.

 

Just FYI, the wire for the small light is long enough so you can remove the panel from the door, and reach down to unscrew the socket from the back of the panel. Needle nose pliers not necessary for that task.

Also, the newer Excursions (not sure about the '01's, but definitely the '02's and up) have a large access port in the door so the actuator can be easily accessed and removed.

Stewart

 

This way it's already out and you don't have to mess with it while hanging onto the the whole panel with the other arm. It's probably only '01 and '00 that need this attention.

Sorry I used the needlenose instead of my fingers, maybe I will get it right next time..........lol.

 

It was a lot of work doing this especially the rain and I could have put the camera in the drawer and gotten the job done in half the time and all I get is; "you shouldn't have used pliers" and "you did it the slow way". Maybe it's better I don't do anymore write-ups.

 

Brent, you keep posting that dollar bill when your done with the photo shoots are you buying 2 quarts of oil with it?

 

I'm saving it for another rainy day. and you're right, it is the same dollar

 

I was just letting people know they didn't have to use needle nose pliers to unhook the socket, Brent. The wire is long enough to allow a person to unhook everything and remove the panel from the door, so you can reach down and twist the socket out with your hand.

Much like this whole thread is doing, I was just letting people know there is another way to accomplish the same task, nothing more. I was adding to your thread, not putting you down.

Stewart

 

OK, but it's a bad idea because who wants to hold a big door panel with something attached to it that you have to deal with and my wire wasn't long enough to set it down either. Also; most of the ex's were sold in the first couple years which this thread is addressing and the actuators are probably all quitting by now. Also I know about the door handle entrance but just sayin' this is much quicker. The main point of the thread is to make this nightmare easier.

 

Just like you Brent, I was only trying to be helpful.

I've had my door panel off a gajillion times on my F250's and my Excursion, and it only take one second to pull the panel away from the door far enough so you can reach behind it and disengage the socket from the panel. It's not hard, difficult, or cumbersome.

I'm just trying to make it easier for folks, adding another option to your instructions, that's all.

Mine is the same as yours, access sucks.

I was just pointing out the later years (i know for certain the '02's are like this) have a different interior door skin setup. There's a huge opening allowing access to the actuator, unlike our year Excursions (yours and mine), which are closed up, limiting access.

When I did my actuators, I never even thought about cutting a hole for better access.

Stewart

 

It was kind of like; "necessity is the mother of invention", I was looking at those clips and thinking; "Now I gotta' go through the handle" and I thought; "hec with it, I'm just gonna cut a hole in it" which turned out be very quick. It took about one minute for the hole and another minute for each clip. Also; I read the other threads first and didn't see the black rod clip to the door handle rod mentioned anywhere. The first yellow clip was stiff and my hands were cold at 40* so I couldn't get that clip off either, so after drilling a quick hole it popped off with a screwdriver.

 

Brent you are on a lock fixing binge here lately, another good one! If I ever get out of rep jail again I'm going to get you on this one.

 

I sometimes have trouble thinking outside of the box, and cutting the door skin isn't something I would have thought of. At the very least, if I had thought of it, I probably woulda thought to myself, "no freaking way."

Now, if I ever have to get at the actuators in my Ex or my '99 F250, I'll more than likely grab my angle grinder and cut a bigger access like you did.

Stewart

 

So the only problem I have with this is...

Kidding Brent. Thank you for the write up with pictures (including yourself). I don't know what we would do without you and Christine and your DIY articles.

Only glaring omission is the tin foil fix. When I did a search I found an older post with missing pictures. What is this fix? And thank you again. I'm sorry Stewart jumped all over you...

Any snow yet?