What did you do to / for your E53 today??

[crystalworks]

Originally Posted by Salty B.

My HL is detaching/saggy in spots too. No pano sunroof. Anyone replaced the headliner before? It sounds like a huge pain in the ass. Also the A-pillar fabric is loose, and I think that means windshield out. T/F?

No need to remove the windshield. The a-pillars come out pretty easily and can be wrapped. The headliner itself will come out the back hatch.

Replacing the fabric, is indeed a pain in the ass. I had a shop do it after I removed the headliner and the pano roof shades. Cost was about $350...

[Salty B.]

Originally Posted by crystalworks

No need to remove the windshield. The a-pillars come out pretty easily and can be wrapped. The headliner itself will come out the back hatch.

Replacing the fabric, is indeed a pain in the ass. I had a shop do it after I removed the headliner and the pano roof shades. Cost was about $350...

Oh good to know about the a-pillars. Thx.

[LA02MAX]

Originally Posted by Salty B.

My HL is detaching/saggy in spots too. No pano sunroof. Anyone replaced the headliner before? It sounds like a huge pain in the ass. Also the A-pillar fabric is loose, and I think that means windshield out. T/F?

Funny you should ask, because I just re-covered my headliner yesterday. It took me the entire day and yes....it's a big pain. I did the same job on my R53 mini with no sunroof a few months ago and that one was child's play in comparison. Getting everything out of the car is pretty simple and I miraculously didn't break any tabs or clips doing so. However, the glue on the sunroof shuttles and the A-, B-, and C-pillars are monsters. Very very tough to remove with a brush drill attachment and it makes a massive mess of your work area. I also (unfortunately) decided to go with an a suede-like material and it just didn't have any stretch at all, which made it very difficult to get around all the contours.

Everything looks okay except for the corners around the pano sunroof... really bummed about it, but basically I had to make relief cuts for the material to even come close to wrapping around the lip of the headliner and there are pie shaped gaps that I need to fill somehow. It's never going to look perfect and honestly I'm not sure I can even reverse it now since the refreshed glue will be even more impossible to remove than the old stuff. In hindsight - I'd either get someone to re-cover it, or I'd use a regular headliner material because I didn't have any issues using that on my mini.

[Serb404]

Originally Posted by X5only

Nice, been wanting to do this. Pics?

these lights are amazing at night, only issue is the stupid code for check foglamps since their LED, probably need to have them coded out

[crystalworks]

Originally Posted by LA02MAX

Funny you should ask, because I just re-covered my headliner yesterday. It took me the entire day and yes....it's a big pain. I did the same job on my R53 mini with no sunroof a few months ago and that one was child's play in comparison. Getting everything out of the car is pretty simple and I miraculously didn't break any tabs or clips doing so. However, the glue on the sunroof shuttles and the A-, B-, and C-pillars are monsters. Very very tough to remove with a brush drill attachment and it makes a massive mess of your work area. I also (unfortunately) decided to go with an a suede-like material and it just didn't have any stretch at all, which made it very difficult to get around all the contours.

Everything looks okay except for the corners around the pano sunroof... really bummed about it, but basically I had to make relief cuts for the material to even come close to wrapping around the lip of the headliner and there are pie shaped gaps that I need to fill somehow. It's never going to look perfect and honestly I'm not sure I can even reverse it now since the refreshed glue will be even more impossible to remove than the old stuff. In hindsight - I'd either get someone to re-cover it, or I'd use a regular headliner material because I didn't have any issues using that on my mini.

Yes, the shop I took mine to had to throw away the suede I provided them (same stuff I used to wrap the A, B, C, and D pillars but with a backing. They said it did not stretch enough to do the visor pockets and wrap around the pano roof openings. They ended up using suede material they had to order. Came out very nicely though so wasn't too bummed about wasting the money on the material they had to toss.

[LA02MAX]

Originally Posted by crystalworks

Yes, the shop I took mine to had to throw away the suede I provided them (same stuff I used to wrap the A, B, C, and D pillars but with a backing. They said it did not stretch enough to do the visor pockets and wrap around the pano roof openings. They ended up using suede material they had to order. Came out very nicely though so wasn't too bummed about wasting the money on the material they had to toss.

Looks great! I actually didn't even think about covering the little trim piece on the overhead console like you did - mine is just black plastic. And yeah, I might consider a re-do with better material since it really wasn't tricky to remove the headliner at all. I'm just worried about getting the residual glue and new/fresh foam off...

[crystalworks]

Originally Posted by LA02MAX

Looks great! I actually didn't even think about covering the little trim piece on the overhead console like you did - mine is just black plastic. And yeah, I might consider a re-do with better material since it really wasn't tricky to remove the headliner at all. I'm just worried about getting the residual glue and new/fresh foam off...

That's a picture from our E61 wagon. The front trim piece is cloth covered. The E53 has developed a sagging headliner as well though so it will be getting a new headlining soon also.

[sidneyj]

Originally Posted by crystalworks

The pano roof shades aren't too bad. Couple of fiddly spring clips though. Did it when going to suede on my E61. Will also be doing it on the E53 soon as the headliner is beginning to sag by the rear hump. I won't be using anthracite though as I love getting in the E61 with the suede.

Here's the TIS procedure.

Thank you so much for this. I'm pulling the shades this week so this is a huge help!

[LA02MAX]

Originally Posted by sidneyj

Thank you so much for this. I'm pulling the shades this week so this is a huge help!

I took some pictures of the orientation of the spring clips. They're only installed on the driver's side of the rear shade. The first picture is with the clip installed in place with the mounting screw removed, and the second is with the spring clip removed but in the correct orientation, just slid out from underneath the rail toward the center of the vehicle.

[EODguy]

I have been out of Saudi Arabia for a few weeks and will try to be back by the end of the year. The whole time I worried about coming back to a dead battery, instead one of my buddies sent this picture today.... So apparently the White Witch has discovered oil while sitting. I swear the White Witch is punishing me for not stretching her legs

PS. Charlie Mike's is still the same in Fayette-Nam and game wardens in the Everglades don't batt an eye when you use suppressors against wild hogs!!

Two new cans and a long chat with TSA later...

Sent from Embassy network using Tapatalk