# 2005 Highlander Interior Handle



## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Post up a picture.

Videos seem pretty clear. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf9YAR6slGQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWtPJQCtmX8


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## RichardZ (Dec 19, 2011)

Hi,

Sorry to take so long to get back and reply. the handle I'm referring to is inside the car mounted just above the door itself Here're some pics.

The first shows the area above the door where the handle should be:









The second shows the handle "in place" (held there by my hand):










As you can see, the right end of the handle has a line. This line is where the cover over the screw meets the main part of the handle proper.

I just need to know how to get this cover off so that I can reattach the handle to the car body. Does it snap off? Slide? Something else?

Thanks,

Richard


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## RichardZ (Dec 19, 2011)

Sorry for the pics not showing up. Here they are ...


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

You need to remove the plastic cap over the screw head. Get plastic panel removal tool. It's all clips.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

It also appears handle is simply clipped into the headliner base.


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## RichardZ (Dec 19, 2011)

Thanks! A question: when they say "pry", does this mean that one pries "up" from the flat metal base where the handle mates to the car, or "out"?

Richard


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

Your guess is as good as mine and I'd rather not go and start disassembling mine. I'd guess it's "up" and away. Btw, try old credit card. As prying tool. As far as you get gap, then you can slide a flat head with tape on it. Oh, butter knives work well too.


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## RichardZ (Dec 19, 2011)

You gotta love them oh-so-helpful diagrams, don't cha!?!

But hey, wow, thanks for the tip -- I'd never thought of using a credit card or a butter knife. Makes all the sense in the world. Of course, your wife may be a bit more amenable than mine vis-à-vis the cutlery ... "Where are you going with that butter knife?" "I'm going to use it to work on the car." "The hell you are!"

Richard


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

Well, what a man won't do for a fellow Highlander owner. I just went and took mine apart. Told you it's all clips.

The TOOL:



The insertion:



So you pull on the handle and gap appears. You stick tool hooked end into the gap and pry cap off just like as if you pulling a nail out of a board. Same movement.

Result:



Then you take it out completely, do your ting, and clip it back in.


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## RichardZ (Dec 19, 2011)

Thanks very much for going the extra 100,000 miles!

At the same time, could I ask you to resend the pics? Unfortunately, what I see is the same cat picture with the caption "Photo not found. Click for photos." When I click, I go to a photo album, but no joy vis-s-vis the handle ...

The descriptions themselves are helpful, tho!

Richard


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

Damn, I forgot that if I delete pics from Photobucket it automatically deletes them from sites posted.
Look, it's real simple. Pull handle. This will result in a small gap between the handle and cap. Insert hooked end of trim removal tool into the gap and pry the cap off, like as if using a nail puller. With several loud pops, cap pops out. VEry easy. Trim removal tool is sold in any parts store. It's a find anyway as it finds its use ever so often.
https://jet.com/product/product/53e...TLlc9qlAveZ5-_5-LouuAq5nbbAAlkd8_EaAqzT8P8HAQ
Tool I am referring to is #4 in a row, counting from top left down. Hooked end.
I really do not want to pull cap off again, hope you understand.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

Plenty of choices:

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...vptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_2tpg13qj0j_b


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## RichardZ (Dec 19, 2011)

Thanks! Never knew such tools existed (makes sense, tho). I'll give it try (probably this weekend) and let you know how things turn out.

Richard


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

Have at it. Sounds scary comes out easy.


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## RichardZ (Dec 19, 2011)

I like easy!

Richard


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## RichardZ (Dec 19, 2011)

All,

Thanks very much for all your help/suggestions. I used a putty knife to work my way along the cover seam at the handle end (I think I started along the side), and as everybody said, it popped off pretty easily. I then screwed the handle back on, popped the cover in place, and was done. Couldn't have been easier. As long as you know what you're doing. On the other hand, I very easily could have made a mess of the handle without you guys' help. So, please accept my thanks!

Richard

P.S. - Sorry for taking a while to update this post, but I did want to let you know that everything worked just fine, and extend my thanks ...


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

Accepted. Always welcome. Forums are tremendous help.


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