MX-3.com

ok well im redoing the interior of my mx3. Today i started ripping out the trunk liners. most interior panels not only have screw but those pain in the butt plastic fastners, the ones that are like a screw but have 4 prongs on them that you need to push in to get it out. i broke most of them getting the panels out of my car, but when i get new panels i dont wanna destroy them, can anyone tell me the easiest way to get them off? thanks guys.

use clip tool, auto body shops have them, but some clips were never ment to be taken off and over years plastic dries out so theyll snap easy

Wait...are you talking about the push rivets...you know where you can pull the center part out which releases the 4 prongs? Or are you talking about the clips that are actually attached to the backside of the trim panels?

If you could be more specific about which panel or panels you are talking about, I'm sure we could all lend a helping hand as to the easiest and safest way to remove the panels without damaging them.

i'd gues they are the ones where u pop the center out and then they slide out easily

That is what you do to remove them... Pull the center pin with a knife an then pull the whole pin out. replacement pins can be bought at most auto parts stores, or body shop suppliers definately have them.

its mostly the rivets with 4 prongs i beleive, its the panels in the trunk. like the one on the very back inside covering the door hatch realse, and then the side ones in the trunk covering the seat belt setups and the sides in the back where the speakers mount, all those panels. i took them all off but broke most of them just because they all were cracked and broken already so i didnt really care but when i go to get new ones i dont wanna crack the crap out of them lol.

The one in the back is held of by rivets and a few screws on the sides. You have to be careful with the ones that cover the seat belts and rear speakers...on the underside of the panel near the outside of the car there are 2 posts with clips on them that clip into a mounting bracket under the panel. These posts are attached to the panel itself...if you break them, you have to get a whole new panel. You probably know what I'm talking about if you have those trim pieces out already.

I broke mine and got new panels. The panels I got were in good condition with no cracks and such, and they have held up so far. As far as pulling the panels from the junk (I assume that's where you're getting them from), just be careful. It should be easier for you now that you know where all the clips are and how they are attached to the rest of the car.

Good luck with your interior, man!

I hate those plastic fasteners. Once you take them out once they never fasten the same. I have a little tip if you have lost or broken any. I replaced some of the ones you cant see (the ones under the rear speakers for example) with good old nuts, bolts and washers. Not only do they hold in place better and are easier to remove, I can then use the plastic fasteners I replaced as spares for the ones you can easily see or are missing.

Paul

I know what you mean... every time I make a trip to the junk I pick up as many of those things as I can get my hands on. I used to have a pretty good reserve, but you're right...they break very easily...sometimes they stay intact, but they end up never holding the panels in place like they used to.