How do you repair sagging headliner mb slk230?

Answer 1

You have two options. 1. Purchase a new headliner panel (material). 2. Purchase a new headliner board which has the material panel already glued to the board. The first option is cheaper, about $150 if you go with Mercedes material or much cheaper if you just buy some fabric. The second option is about $350 and uses original Mercedes parts. If you want to keep the car original, Headliner Express is a good place to shop.

To remove the old headliner raise you top about half-way. On the front edge you will see 3 screws with washers. Remove these and save them. On each side you will find 2 screws. When you remove these cup your free hand underneath to catch the screws. The headliner sits inside rails on each side so just lower the rails an inch or so and the headliner slides right out.

If you bought material then it gets messy. Remove the old material from the board and scrape all of the glue off of the board. Do not leave any glue behind else your new material will not look very good. Purchase some fabric glue spray. Spray the board and put your material on it. Find something flat to go over the material with so that you get a smooth finish. You will also need to make sure the material goes over the edges of the board and fits snuggly. If you bought a new board you can skip all of this. The new board does not come with the foam bricks which are on top of the old board. Do not worry because you do not need them. The 7 screws will hold the top firm enough.

To replace the headliner I find it is easiest to strattle the center console so you can work both sides at once. Start at the back and slip the board into the side rails on each side. Be sure that the rubber weather stripping is on the outside of the headliner as it tends to want to tuck underneath it. Push on the headliner until it is securely in the rear rail and the front corners of the headliner are in the front corners of the side rails. If you have a clamp that will not leave any marks this will come in handy now. Clamp the front of a side rail to the roof. This will make it much easier to put the side rail screws back in as you do not have to use one hand to hold the side rail up. Do both sides. On the front you need to pre-punch the 3 screws holes to ensure that the screws do not mess up the fabric. You can use an awl or a small screwdriver. Start with the center hold and using the washer and screw you removed screw it in about half way. Repeat with the left and right side. Then go back and screw them in all the way.

That's it. One item to note. The top will only stay up for about 7 minutes at a time. If you leave the ignition on you can just hit the button that raises/lowers the top to get another 7 minutes. If you purchase the headliner board you will be finished in about 40 minutes. If you buy the fabric you need to add an hour to scrape the board and adhere the new fabric. Then another hour to let the glue dry.

Once you get started you will discover that this is a fairly simple job.