Headlining coming apart

[Nj]

also on my list to do.... way down the list but it will need doing eventually. I was thinking I might get back to my roots though and tartan up the inside.


(no, not really)

[bertman]

Group restick me thinks,mine is sagging too but used a few grey primered drawing pins round the edges to hold it up.Doesn't look great but works

[GazzaG60]

still got the charcoal one for sale if somebody want to collect it.

[DeanG]

So I ordered some headlining spray adhesive today, 3M 08080 is what I decided on. The plan is to spray this in from the back where it is sagging. I will need to remove the top plastic panel at the rear, but before that I will need to remove the D pillar trim and in order to remove this I need to remove the side trim and to do this I will need the rear lock plate trim. I am beginning to think I might as well remove all of the headlining! Aargh!

The Audi workshop manual made me laugh, to remove the old headlining you cut it off in strips! I'll place my order for a replacement headlining with VAG then!

[GazzaG60]

under the headlining is a big square sticky (very sticky) panel. to remove the lining i used a hairdryer and a block of wood warming it then pulling and pushing the wood from tailgate forward.

any other method i feel it would have ripped.

[DeanG]

So I managed to get the headlining removed from the car and only broke the visor hook and the headlining is currently at the trimmer. Thanks guys for all the useful tips on here.

The only tips I would add is that the D pilar trims should be removed by starting at the bottom and with the C pilar trims start at the top and easing it off ever so slowly. As already stated on here the shell is stuck onto the roof and mine didn't drop down that easily. There was some adhesive on both sides near the rear grab handles, so we inserted a flat piece of metal from the boot area to separate the shell from the roof and off she came.

Once the headlining was off it revealed an issue with the sunroof. My sunroof was already beginning to make clicking noises at the extreme opening position, so its definitely a job that needs to be done with the headlining off. The tunnels that the guides run through have corroded badly at both ends, but unfortunately this part is not available from Audi Tradition. The wires that run inside them are still available, so I bought some new ones. If anyone has the guide tunnels in good condition then please let me know. Picture attached of the corrosion on one end. It's so badly corroded you can see a hole!

[Karlis]

Any ideas where to get close-to-OEM fabric? The guys at the shop say there is no way to get 1:1 looking fabric, so they are offering several choices and I do not like any of them as they all are too black or the structure is not like OEM (too hard or too soft). I have been searching all over and could not find anything close enough...

The only thing that matches the tone perfectly is alcantara but then again it has a bit different structure (could live with that), also for alcantara, they say stitching will be required as it has no soft base and for it to align and bend perfectly in all places there must be made some stitches.

So I am at loss what to do:
1) Use something really out of place (too black, too hard or too soft)
2) Use alcantara with those stitches
3) Plan C ?

Ideas?

[DeanG]

I will confirm the colour code and brand for the headlining when I pick up mine in the next 2 weeks. The colour match on mine is almost perfect, but I think I have been very lucky.

[Fat Audi 80]

Please can you update with any material findings or recommendations? My headlining is sagging at front under the sun visors and at the rear near the hatch.

I am dreading this job and have no idea how to try and match the new headlining to the existing sunvisors whilst trying to keep the car as original as possible...

Advice appreciated

[DeanG]

The headlining material is unbranded according to the trimmer that did mine. My recommendation is that you get in touch with some local trimmers and make sure they have some sample materials that you can try to match. The original headlining in mine was already not a perfect match to either the A pillar trims or the visors. I decided not to re-trim the A pillars, as the material was different on mine after looking closely at it. It's also worth checking that the new headlining is of roughly the same thickness, so that it doesn't crease around the corners. The headlining in mine has some minor creasing around the grab handles, as the material was slightly thicker. To be frank I am not happy with the job on mine, but it's better than before. I removed all the visors and other trim pieces myself and I would recommend doing this as both the C and D pillar trims are quite brittle and it's definitely a job that requires a bit of patients. I also broke the covers that hide the screws for the visors, but these can be easily obtained on eBay. Also take care in removing the courtesy lights at the front and back, as the metal retainer is fixed to the headlining. I would recommend inserting a flat paint scraper to prise out the light fitting.

[macspring]

Here's some possibly outside the box ideas, which you may or may not agree with.

First look up any photos of the part numbers of the various plastic parts you'll be taking apart to see where the attachment / fixing points. Best of all try disassembling the A B C D pillars in a breakers years car, and also to obtain supply of fiddly / delicate bits.

There may be video on You Tube that could give vital if small clues to help you carry out the disassembly without breakages.

To all - post any photos or links for the rest of us that you might find.

The removal of the two boot side panels, then the D pillars, then the top panel at the rear of the boot 'ceiling' is definitely tricky and hard to do with no breakages without prior experience / practice. BTDT in the breakers a few years ago. once needs to exercise one's patience.

Lastly in order to make the interior plastics 'the least brittle' as possible, put a small fan heater in the car for a few hours to really warm up the inside of the car to reduce the chances of plastic breakages. If the car can be parked in a garage all the better. You'll need to work with the doors shut and the heater still on, not comfortable I know, but worth the grief.

Just my suggestions for B4 owners from a UrS6 owner.

HTH somewhat.

[macspring]

Dean re the rust pipe, as I naive to suggest that replacement pipes could be made up in the correct diameter copper pipe ?

This thread came access this problem. Hopefully it is of help with your pipes.


http://www.s2forum.com/forum/showthr...hlight=irishs2


Not sure which page it is on / which post number.

Others, please post page and post number when you read / search through the thread.

It really is a 'Sticky' thread.

[DeanG]

I have been told replacement pipes can be made up, but I ended buying a second hand sunroof from eBay Germany, which was in perfect condition. There are still plenty for sale at the moment in Germany and you need to use www.ebay.de. Any UK login will work, but you need to know a little German. Ideally, I wanted a completely new one, but Audi Tradition do NO spare parts whatsoever and this is definitely not a job you want to do again!

[Ian Simmonds]

So my headlining is finally beginning to sag in the boot area. It happened in just one week and it has been completely dry!

Has anyone tried removing the plastic trim at the top and spraying some glue in this way or is this a lost cause?

Lost cause, sorry... The glue won't cope with the foam in small quantities and in large quantities immediately becomes visible and bobbly/rough on the lining itself... (And then collapses again, and somewhere else too)..

[Nj]

Had a couple of bubbles recently but came home last night from 3 weeks business travel and then holiday to find the whole headlining hanging down like saggy bloomers. It was in a dry garage and the weather has been mostly very good. maybe the heat melted the glue and the whole lot peeled off? Although why now I have no idea. Seems like a couple of years sitting doing nothing everything was fine and now that I'm trying to use it the bloody thing is falling apart. yeah, I know I should expect this to a degree.
Anyway, I'm also joining the masses needing to do this sooner rather than later because the headlining is sitting on my head now.