E36 coupe headliner removal & re-glue?

[Dash01]

How to properly remove headliner from E36 coupe?

What is the best adhesive to re-glue the cloth liner to the foam panel?

[shadowpuck]

I don't have any good answers about how to re-glue the cloth. When mine started failing I replaced it with another one out of a newer car - I wanted to change the color so that was the easiest way to do it.

Basically, to remove the headliner you'll need to remove one "B" pillar cover, the "C" pillar covers, and the "A" pillar covers. You'll also have to remove the sunvisors, sunvisor lights, maplights, sunroof trim gasket, and the grab handles.

Once all that stuff is out the headliner will basically fall down. It will come out of the car and there's no real way to describe that process other than saying you'll figure it out when you get there. I reclined the seats all the way back and moved it as far back as it would go.

Here's a link to a writeup I did - which also includes a link to another writeup with more info! Hope that helps!

http://www.kcbmwclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1220

[Dash01]

That helps a BUNCH, Shadow, so thanks very much!

Any tips on getting the A and C pillar covers out, without damaging or breaking any tabs, etc.? In other words, do they snap in at one end after inserting a tab into a slot at the other end, or what?

[shadowpuck]

That helps a BUNCH, Shadow, so thanks very much!

Any tips on getting the A and C pillar covers out, without damaging or breaking any tabs, etc.? In other words, do they snap in at one end after inserting a tab into a slot at the other end, or what?

Dash - take a look at this photo. I'm linking it since its pretty large.....
http://www.kcbmwclub.com/gallery/v/s..._2964.JPG.html click on the photo and that'll give you the larger photo.

you are looking at the passenger side "C" pillar in this photo. if you look near the top and bottom, you'll see brass colored clips. that's what the covers clip into. they also sit inside the channels in the body, but the primary spot is those two spots. there might be another clip, i can't remember now! i think it was 3 per cover. some of the clips will stay in the body, some will come out with the cover.

the a pillars are very similar - if you pull on them you'll start to feel the resistance where the clips are. while i'm thinking about it, the a pillar covers will actually sit down "inside" the dash too - so after you pop them loose you'll need to lift up slightly to get them out....

in my photos, you can see i removed the rear parcel deck cover. you shouldn't have to do that, and it'll save you lots of hassle reinstalling it if you don't need to remove it!