Sagging Headliner- Over time, a common problem with the E36 is that the headlining material starts to sag and droop. This is due to the glue coming weak.
There are two options really. Replace the headliner with a new/second hand one, or repair/re-cover the old one.
Both processes require removal of the old headlining.
Quite a simple process if a little awkward.
1)Remove the passenger grab handles (two screws) take care not to damage the screw covers as this will look bad once re-fitted
2)Remove the sun visors (two screws each)if you have a visor light then unplug the wiring too
3)Remove the sun visor clips (two screws)
4) Remove the A,B and C pillar covers.
5) Remove the electric sunroof switch panel where applicable. Just slide down and remove wiring.
6)Remove the seal from the sunroof (aghhr aghhr)
7) Drop down the seals from the top of the doors.
This should leave the headliner free to drop down. Ensure you recline the seats and carefully remove via the front doors at an angle. It might be worth having a trusty assistant on hand as you don't want to bend it (unless you are binning it anyway, in which case see how many times you can fold it...)
If you are replacing with a new/second hand item then just reverse the removal process.
However if you are going to re-cover the old one you need to follow these steps:
1) Carefully remove all the old foam backing from the fibreglass shell of the headliner
2)Once all the foam/glue has been removed you can start to measure up the replacement material. It might be worth doing a few test pieces first to get used to the glue you are using.
3) Cover the headliner and material with the glue. Once it has started to get tacky you can apply to each other.
4)From the middle outwards remove any bumps and smooth out.
5) Once dried it is just a case of reversing the removal process.
It might be worth replacing the fabric on the A,B and C pillars too so they all match.
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