Sunroof headliner "frame" installation Q

Deschodt · 03-21-2008, 05:31 PM

My car came to me with a "bare" sunroof and the headliner frame for the inside portion in a box. I plan to recover it and clip it back on, but I'm having trouble test-fitting it.

Do you have to remove the sunroof entirely to slide the headliner "frame" in its tracks ? Because it's wider than the opening either from above or from inside the car.. I'm sure it's simple but *I * did not disassemble it, so I have little to work from ;-) Thanks !

ossiblue · 03-21-2008, 06:15 PM

A search brought up this thread:

Sunroof Headliner Removal

It appears removal is necessary.

Deschodt · 03-24-2008, 03:14 AM

Thanks.. it's not much to go on but confirms the removal, I think... The front end clips on the sunroof but I am not sure how the rear end attaches, if at all...

The only reason I'm asking before attempting it is that I need to recover the frame first and the way I do that could interfere with the closing of the roof.... It's so much easier when you remove the stuff yourself and take pictures ! ;-)

Paulporsche · 03-24-2008, 04:51 AM

Does that mean you will be documenting your work and starting a thread on the procedure?

runfaster · 03-24-2008, 05:21 AM

I had to do my sunroof also and it was not hard but it was kind of confusing. Look in the manual for dismantling the sunroof. Once you disconnect everything like the motor in the back and the pins and stuff on the sliders, you should be able to pull the top of the sunroof out of the opening.

Mine was just droopy and I wanted to see if I could just poke and prod the loose fabric, so that it would tighten up....Not the case...I actually made it worse and kind of ripped a small section of one of the corners...

If I remember right, I think I just slightly bent the corner of the metal frame that the fabric was attached to and pulled the entire fabric frame out of the sunroof slot. From there I re-glued the fabric on the frame using 3M glue did the opposite to get it back in the slot...The frame is thin metal and will bend to get it back in the slot...Be careful not to bend it too much...

Probably not the correct way to do the procedure, but it worked form me...

Deschodt · 05:56 PM

Ok, I've done it... Don't have the correct nomenclature for a good DIY, but it's not too hard, my biggest problem was that I was not the one who took it off !

I glued the alcantara to the sunrrof frame with 3M automobile carpet glue and used binder clips for an hour till it was solidly in place.

I scratched my head some more as the sunroof headliner piece is wider than the sunroof opening no matter how you look at it, could have bent it, but it wasn't right... So what I did was remove the only removable piece on the rail ( it's already removed and missing on picture) - 2 screws... That lets you lift the whole rail up on one side (red arrow)
and gives you the working room you needed to insert and slide the damn headliner piece in its slot, then push it back in...

Once in, bolt the rail back on, re insert the sunroof, bolt it back on and be careful not to mount the "guides/tabs thingies" upside down (told you I don't know the name of those things). Then retract sunroof a bit (assuming it still works), pull headliner piece forward till they line up, push the clips in place, done !

Of course it looks awful on this picture as the flash exacerbates the difference in color and texture between my crappy headliner and the new suede. In reality it's not a perfect match but you can hardly tell unless you have eyes on top of your head. I need to do the whole headliner at some point though...

The one good thing I learned was that you can glue ultrasuede (alcantara) with 3M carpet glue (for the sake of the search) - on to my door panels then !