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Headliner loose - rattling

14K views 20 replies 14 participants last post by  Davidsl550 
#1 ·
I've got a 2005 SL500. The headliner seems loose, especially towards the rear of the car and rattles if I go over bumps.

Does anyone have any documentation as to how the headliner is connected to the roof panel and or how to remove for inspection?

Thanks in advance - David
 
#5 ·
I was replacing the headliner in my 04 this weekend. There are 9 white nylon clips (5 on the back edge and 2 on either side) that are glued to the headliner shell. The factory glue joints failed on all of them leaving only the screws on the front edge holding the panel in place. I scraped off all of the glue and reattached them with 3M Black Super Weatherstrip Adhesive. Let the glue dry overnight. The 5 clips on the rear have nylon pins that must be removed from the body and snapped into the clips on the headliner panel before trying to install the panel. For me, I was able to remove the screws and drop the panel well before the roof depressurized. The same on the installation, no more than a couple of minutes, but the cautions are to be taken seriously. YMMV

A little time baking in the Florida sunshine will tell if the glue selection was suitable, but the level of effort was pretty low.

For me this was a few bucks for the glue and very little time and patience.
 
#7 · (Edited)
I used 3m Headliner Adhesive, cut a board with some rags to apply pressure let it sit over night, lasted 2yrs and still going strong.

Now I was just dealing with the Back and passenger side back, the clips are still holding the rest up. But it saves some time and money and effort, too just shot the 3M in there, I tried another product, cant remember the name but it was garbage. The 3M is the best you can get.
 

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#16 · (Edited)
Don't use this stuff, I found out the hard way, when I had 1st bought the car, I didn't realize that someday I would need to get under the Headliner, thank god I only did a small area, this stuff works to good. It has been about 4yrs now, and I was bumming when I realized I had to drop headliner for repair.

Fix the headliner the right way, as I did today after replacing the Lock Cylinder.
 
#11 ·
I had to pull my headliner this week to replace the lock cylinder. All of the clips had detached from the headliner.... or at least were when I got the headliner off... not sure which.

It looked like they were originally attached with a hot glue type adhesive, but I'll take another look before I try re-attaching them. An epoxy type would probably be the easiest "permanent" option.
 
#13 ·
The clips slide horizontally into slots in the headliner, but the fingers on those slots often break or just stretch so the clips are no longer held tightly. As long as they are secured vertically, then you just need something to hold them from falling out of the slots when replacing the liner. The slips will need to move a bit, so use something pliable, like the black tar-like stuff they use for trim adhesive, or even some double-sided foam tape. You could use hot glue, but that might not let the clips "float" enough, making it hard to get them all lined up with the holes in roof frame.
 
#15 · (Edited)
7$ permanent fix for clips

Mine were detached & since I had to remove it anyways for the replacement of the front hydraulic cylinder repair, I figured
it could be better than factory, which was pretty poor to be honest!

I used 2 part plastic epoxy and #3 screws 1/2" and a 1/16 drill hole. I am pretty sure that will be the end of shake rattle & roll
 

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#17 ·
7$ permanent fix for clips

Mine were detached & since I had to remove it anyways for the replacement of the front hydraulic cylinder repair, I figured
it could be better than factory, which was pretty poor to be honest!

I used 2 part plastic epoxy and #3 screws 1/2" and a 1/16 drill hole. I am pretty sure that will be the end of shake rattle & roll
3 of mine broke and you cant find replacements. Anyone have any clue on finding replacements. I think they are part of the headliner assy so they want you to buy an entire headliner...no thanks.
 
#19 ·
Hi MikeJ, That would be great. I had to take down the headliner to adjust the cables so the roof would open and 3 of those things basically disintegrated. The car was in Florida and im sure the heat/humidity dried them out. Getting nylon ones would be fantastic. Do you still glue them in place or use glue and some small self tapping screws to mount them? I'd love to get 5 just in case the other 2 decide to fail when i put the headliner back in. I'll PM you my info and such. Thank you for the response!!
 
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