I know I'm not the only one with a loose headliner. What is the best way to fix it. It is not sagging (yet) ....it is just loose in places. FWIW it is a '95 525iT.

thanks,

>^..^<

I know I'm not the only one with a loose headliner. What is the best way to fix it. It is not sagging (yet) ....it is just loose in places. FWIW it is a '95 525iT.

thanks,

>^..^<

Just in the front on either side of the rear view mirror. Nothing I've found will stick it without coming loose again or looking terrible. Some suggest staples which might get it out of the way but won't help the looks.

Paul
http://members.aol.com/paul3130/private/525015.jpg

I actually did a cheapo fix that should hold me until next year when I actually fix it right be replacing all the headliner material. (the only real way to fix it)

I have some '3M Hi-Tack #76 Spray Adhesive' left over from a headliner job a while back. I just peeled back the loose stuff in front of the sun visors, scraped off some of the loose foam crap that was on the fiber board, masked off the top part of the winsheild so I wouldn't spray it, sprayed both the underneath fiber board and the headliner material, let it set up for a few seconds, and then pressed it back down into place.

It's not perfect, and it won't last forever, but it looks better and didn't take much time or effort.

I actually did a cheapo fix that should hold me until next year when I actually fix it right be replacing all the headliner material. (the only real way to fix it)

I have some '3M Hi-Tack #76 Spray Adhesive' left over from a headliner job a while back. I just peeled back the loose stuff in front of the sun visors, scraped off some of the loose foam crap that was on the fiber board, masked off the top part of the winsheild so I wouldn't spray it, sprayed both the underneath fiber board and the headliner material, let it set up for a few seconds, and then pressed it back down into place.

It's not perfect, and it won't last forever, but it looks better and didn't take much time or effort.


Good idea, I'll give that a try. A little off subject but I just swapped the two front seats out this weekend with later model E34 (94/95) & E32 7 series seats. They're are stitched a little differently and evidently have a little more padding. Very comfortable but I'd swear I lost a little headroom. Just ordered a 94 Touring backseat off of ebay that's the same color so hope to have the back matched up soon.

Just received my M5T rear sway bar after waiting 5 months. It's a nice piece but I'll have to fabricate a bracket for the load leveling arm to attach too since I didn't realize the fatter bar would require a different bracket. Duh. Don't want to wait another 5 months for that.

By the way, are you ready for your next project yet? Check this out for a donor car.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1993-BMW-E34-M5-LOW-MILES-FIRE-DAMAGE-NO-RESERVE_W0QQitemZ140043828044QQihZ004QQcategoryZ13 3182QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Paul

Thanks for the ideas. Mine is peeling back at the windshield ....all the way across. How is the 'right' way to fix it? Just have new foam headliner material installed? ....or look at replacing the entire fiber board pieces with liner attached? If the foam backed material is all that is being replaced, is it best to remove the fiber board? ...or carry it to someone that does this professionally? I thought if it had to come out it would be a great time to add more sound deadening.

thanks,

>^..^<

Thanks for the ideas. Mine is peeling back at the windshield ....all the way across. How is the 'right' way to fix it? Just have new foam headliner material installed? ....or look at replacing the entire fiber board pieces with liner attached? If the foam backed material is all that is being replaced, is it best to remove the fiber board? ...or carry it to someone that does this professionally? I thought if it had to come out it would be a great time to add more sound deadening.

thanks,

>^..^<

The last BMW headliner I had replaced was in my E32 7 series a few years ago and it only cost me $175 at an independent upholstery shop. The BMW replacement headliner was around $700 I believe.

Paul

If you are ready to fix it 'right', I heartily recommend pulling the whole headliner out, and having a professional shop remove the foam padding and replace it with new (the fiber board can be re-used as long as you don't break it while removing). I went that route on my sedan and it cost around $125 with material. Removal and installation is not that difficult, and it saves a lot of labor cost, plus a lot of time you don't have to be without your car.

If you are feeling motivated, you can remove the foam material yourself as well, it's not difficult, just messy. You can even install your own new foam material, but I found that part to be pretty tricky, and the professional install was so reasonably priced, it was a no-brainer.

Being a Touring it looks like it comes out in several pieces ....I'm not sure how the sedans are. It doesn't look too difficult. I may just try to take out the pieces and then take them to a upholstery shop to get it done right. Now ...how about the pieces on the sunroofs?

>^..^<

PLease let me know when and what you find out.

That's the ONE thing besides headlights that my Touring needs to be perfect.

Guess I should have the entire thing redone, And the a-pillars too so everything matches perfectly...

And yes I plan on adding some sound insulation to the sunroof skins while it is out. Looks like there may have been some insulation at one point but it isn't there now.

But these are thingsthat must wait for a while

I sure hope the headliner is attached to something that's in more than one piece, because on a sedan, there's no way it's coming out otherwise, short of either sawing the roof or removing one of the windshields.

Foam? What foam? The little bit of the plastic/some-kind-of-fiber board that the headliner's attached to doesn't seem to have any foam worth mentioning.

Can something other than purpose-built sound insulation be used for the same purpose?

In a sedan, the headliner does come out in one piece, and it does not fold. Really. No, you don't have to remove any glass, and you don't even have to remove a seat, though it helps a little.

I don't know about the Touring (yet), but I suspect it's one piece as well.

If you pull some of the fabric off, you'll notice there is a 'foam'-like substance between the fabric and the fiber board. This breaks down over time and that's why the headliner sags down. The new aftermarket headliner material comes with new foam already 'bonded' to the new fabric, so the old foam must be all cleaned off the fiber board before adhering the new material to the old board.

It seems to be a multi piece on the Touring... either 3-4 pieces + the 2 sunroof panels.

You can see the indentations where one panel overlaps the other if you look carefully.

Having trouble imagining how to get it out...the front seats lowered, I take it?

It was either reclining one all the way back, or running it all the way forward and then tilting forward as well, I don't recall which worked better. But it wasn't too bad, once you had it popped loose and just kinda looked at things for a minute. You wouldn't think it would come out as easily as it does. It's a tight fit, but it comes out.

You can see the indentations where one panel overlaps the other if you look carefully.

Can you clarify this a little. Mine are clearly in 4 seperate panels. One in the front that goes back to about the overhead handles ...then there is a panel that goes down each side and then one at the rear.

>^..^<

That's what mine looks like too... + the 2 sunroof panels of course... mine look like they overlap, but haven't taken mine down either... Don't have time or funds to mess with it.