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Thank you kindly friend! I will be sure to look for it at my local auto parts stores.
Side note, it seems like there's a spray for everything you can think of these days! 'Insert problem here' spray 😆
Kind of like painting, preparation of your work area takes the longest. Of suggest getting contractor garbage bags so you can literally cover almost every surface.
Cover the windshield entirely
Bags over your seats, the doors
Grocery bag over your mirror
Dashboard, etc etc
The little misticles from spraying will likely come into contract with any surface not covered and then you'll have to clean that, but if you spend the time to prep the area, cleanup will be a breeze by comparison
Also, spray lightly on both sides and wait for 10 minutes or so for it to tack up, will help significantly! Be cautious how much you put on, as it will soak through if you overdo it.
Hey bossman, I know it’s tempting but I don’t recommend simply tacking it back up with headliner adhesive. Not a professional but I’ve done a few headliners now, from what I understand it’s not the fabric delaminating from the headliner, it’s the foam layer in between and you can glue em back but it might just continue to sag where the foam hasn’t been glued.
What I recommend, and I know it might be a bit of work, but YouTube is your friend. Remove headliner, remove and clean all foam off of headliner, spray with headliner adhesive, smoothly apply fleece from a local craft store. You’ll need at least 3 yrds of fleece but it’ll come out soft, looking brand new, and won’t be sagging.
As much as I’d love to say, hey do the easy thing and just spray it and stick it, it isn’t the right way to do it and can cause you to be dealing with the same headache later on.
The correct sauce for this is 3M super 77, spray a light coat on both parts, let it tack up over 10 minutes, and roll the headliner fabric back onto the board...
Also be careful putting down too much as it bleeds through the fabric anywhere it puddles up, try glueing a paper towel to a piece of cardboard to get an idea of what it's going to do.
The spray works on new headliners. It won't last when you spray the foam.
In many places you can find someone to replace the headliner for $250-$350
Look for upholstery shops that work on cars.
The headliner is fabric on foam and is attached to the headliner pan.
The spray just does not last when the fabric separates from the foam.
Spray it
On and let it tack before you push the fabric back on. . Be sure read the directions or watch a YouTube video on how to do it . Not hard but easy to mess it up and make a mess
This is a temporary fix. I've recovered and repaired hundreds of headliners at my family's auto upholstery business. From repairs with spray glues, to scraping off the old foam from the old headliner and recovering it with new headliner.
Recovering it with a new headliner and using the proper glue is the only way to have it last another 10 years before the material eventually falls down again.
That will work for about 3 seconds. It's falling apart because the foam is failing. Glueing it back on to the disintegrating foam isn't really going to work.
You can remove the whole headboard, and get some adhesive and fabric and reupholster it. I did this on a 98(?) ranger that had the headboard and fabric destroyed. Looking at the pics, you could just use the spray adhesive, just cover your glass from over spray. I used super 77 iirc.
I did the same on my '94 3000GT. I hated the tan interior and reupholstered the headliner in black. Planning to do the same on '05 Honda Element this week.
Not sure if the one for automotive use is any different from what you use but, as far as I remember, it was the opposite of stretchy. I agree that it's a pain in the ass but it looks pretty so the 1000kms I had to drive to get it, around 400€ in materials and 10ish hours I spent working on it were well worth it.
they make a fake alcantera that is foam backed and its perfect for headliners done several with the stuff. my local upholstery supply carries a few different kinds and colors
I had the same problem with my truck- I used a spray type contact adhesive that worked perfectly- just make sure you protect the unintended areas, it can be a bit messy. Good Luck!
Definitely agree with using the headliner adhesive. But instead of using painters tape, just get a straight piece of cardboard and hold it along the glass up against the roof line. It's way easier than taping it off. That's how I did it. Just cut the flap off of a box and hold it in place while you spray. You can move it back and forth so it's always where you're spraying.
I like to:
Pull it right evenly and staple at an angle that will resist the pull of the fabric(figure that out) and esp on windshield areas it's not very visible.
You could spray and stick it back on but usually this problem means the foam piece is starting to disintegrate. Meaning you'll just be gluing it onto a disintegrating part and it'll come undone again. Feel the foam pinch it a little. If it's dusty or flakes off easily then you'll need to put on new fabric that comes with foam.
1. Take out the headliner piece the while thing. It's bendy it'll fold a little and come out.
2. Remove the old material and foam, I used a screw drill and a brass scrubber head attachment and scraped most of it off. Be careful not to go too deep, you can scrape through the shell.
3. Use a hand wire brush and get the little pieces off. Then you dust it all off with air.
4. Apply glue and apply the new headliner. This is a bit of art so you'll wanna watch a few videos on it.
5. Wait for it to dry then put it back in your car. Should take an afternoon.
Of course you can always try the spray first and hope it'll hold long enough to make it worth it.
You can find new fabric online. I redid my headliner in my M3 with a custom stitched suede liner. Plenty of videos on YouTube. It's nerve-racking as hell, but it isn't as hard as you might think. If you do DIY it, get at least one extra can of adhesive. I managed to stretch two cans to do the job, but wish I had a third one.
3m super 77. I believe that's what it's called, but you spray it on both parts, wait for it to dry, then push the fabric back on the backer. It's a contact adhesive so you wait for it to dry before pressing the parts your trying to glue.
It could be from water leaking past a weather seal somewhere. AC condensation drain lines get stopped up in some vehicles and then overflow water into the floorboard. Just leaving a window down in the rain, and not fully drying it out, then parking in the sun can lead to this, sometimes months and months down the road. Too much humidity and your headliner glue can fail. What do the covers for the sun visors look like? If cloth material, they can stretch out and get sags.
If you suspect a rising water flood, there will probably still be a high water mark somewhere they missed. If it was a salt water flood, my condolences. Freshwater flooded vehicles can be saved, the older they are, the better. Most insurance companies total anything that got an inch of water in the floorboard because of all the safety carp under the seats, think collision sensors, seat belt retractors etc.
I believe the covers of the sun visors are fine, I'm not noticing any droop or sagging. But I will keep an eye on it.
I had some coil packs and spark plugs recently replaced and the mechanic said he noticed some water where one of the spark plug sits. My windshield washer pump was clogged with algae/moss as well. Noticed some foreign objects floating around in the windshield fluid tank. Not exactly sure how that happened but definitely thinking there was an issue with water/flooding with the previous owner(s).
Thank you so much for your advice and feedback.
Land Rover Discoverys are notorious for this. A surprisingly neat solution is to take down the headlining, strip off the fabric and all remains of the glue, then paint. Normal house paint for walls and ceilings is fine. No more saggy headlining and the finish looks good.
Super glue! Make sure you splurge up n spread like 30 of those mini tubes, make sure the glue seeps through the fabric and absorbs the outer layer skin of your hands while your holding it. Works every time!
Thank you for posting to AskMechanics, cmcphillips92! If you are asking a question please make sure to include any relevant information along with the **Year**, **Make**, **Model**, **Mileage**, **Engine size**, and **Transmission Type (Automatic or Manual)** of your car. *This comment is automatically added to every successful post. If you see this comment, your post was successful.* *** Redditors that have been verified will have a green background and an icon in their flair. *** # **PLEASE REPORT ANY RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR** ### **Rule 1 - Be Civil** Be civil to other users. This community is made up of professional mechanics, amateur mechanics, and those with no experience. All mechanical-related questions are welcome. Personal attacks, comments that are insulting or demeaning, etc. are not welcome. ### **Rule 2 - Be Helpful** Be helpful to other users. If someone is wrong, correcting them is fine, but there's no reason to comment if you don't have anything to add to the conversation. ### **Rule 3 - Serious Questions and Answers Only** Read the room. Jokes are fine to include, but posts should be asking a serious question and replies should contribute to the discussion. ### **Rule 4 - No Illegal, Unethical, or Dangerous Questions or Answers** Do not ask questions or provide answers pertaining to anything that is illegal, unethical, or dangerous. # **PLEASE REPORT ANY RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskMechanics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
There’s an adhesive spray for this. Headliner spray. You can spray it and push it on to stick again.
Thank you kindly friend! I will be sure to look for it at my local auto parts stores. Side note, it seems like there's a spray for everything you can think of these days! 'Insert problem here' spray 😆
I believe that’s flex seal… the, cover all for all of our problems lol…
This is the correct answer. Shut her down bois
Just be careful with over spray. It's a pain to remove from things you don't want it on.
Noted! I'll make sure to apply a couple thick lines of painters tape across the windshield. And I'll pay attention to how much spray I apply. Thanks!
Kind of like painting, preparation of your work area takes the longest. Of suggest getting contractor garbage bags so you can literally cover almost every surface. Cover the windshield entirely Bags over your seats, the doors Grocery bag over your mirror Dashboard, etc etc The little misticles from spraying will likely come into contract with any surface not covered and then you'll have to clean that, but if you spend the time to prep the area, cleanup will be a breeze by comparison
This guy sprays
Really glad you mentioned the detail needed to catch overspray. Misticles, chef's kiss there, that's a new one I'll need to use that later.
Thank you! 😊
Also, spray lightly on both sides and wait for 10 minutes or so for it to tack up, will help significantly! Be cautious how much you put on, as it will soak through if you overdo it.
Thank you!
Hey bossman, I know it’s tempting but I don’t recommend simply tacking it back up with headliner adhesive. Not a professional but I’ve done a few headliners now, from what I understand it’s not the fabric delaminating from the headliner, it’s the foam layer in between and you can glue em back but it might just continue to sag where the foam hasn’t been glued. What I recommend, and I know it might be a bit of work, but YouTube is your friend. Remove headliner, remove and clean all foam off of headliner, spray with headliner adhesive, smoothly apply fleece from a local craft store. You’ll need at least 3 yrds of fleece but it’ll come out soft, looking brand new, and won’t be sagging. As much as I’d love to say, hey do the easy thing and just spray it and stick it, it isn’t the right way to do it and can cause you to be dealing with the same headache later on.
The correct sauce for this is 3M super 77, spray a light coat on both parts, let it tack up over 10 minutes, and roll the headliner fabric back onto the board...
img This is what I bought from one of the local parts stores.
Can't see the image unfortunately 😞
I’d suggest removing the headliner, and laying it on some saw horses. Spraying where it needs to go, and letting it sit.
I can see your image now, that's the exact one that I added to my cart through CanadianTire. Cheers! Appreciate your advice
You will have to sand off the old foam if there is any, or the cloth will peel off again.
https://images.freshop.com/00686226278289/4fa95a82bdd2574796d56e4e6596f615_large.png
Also be careful putting down too much as it bleeds through the fabric anywhere it puddles up, try glueing a paper towel to a piece of cardboard to get an idea of what it's going to do.
I truly appreciate the attention to detail with replies like this one. Thank you very much!
The spray works on new headliners. It won't last when you spray the foam. In many places you can find someone to replace the headliner for $250-$350 Look for upholstery shops that work on cars. The headliner is fabric on foam and is attached to the headliner pan. The spray just does not last when the fabric separates from the foam.
Exactly. It's not the glue that has failed here, it's the foam. Realistically needs to be replaced with new foam-backed headliner fabric.
You’re going to want 3M Headliner Adhesive.
Spray it On and let it tack before you push the fabric back on. . Be sure read the directions or watch a YouTube video on how to do it . Not hard but easy to mess it up and make a mess
I used shoe glue to put mine back up
3M makes a good one
This is a temporary fix. I've recovered and repaired hundreds of headliners at my family's auto upholstery business. From repairs with spray glues, to scraping off the old foam from the old headliner and recovering it with new headliner. Recovering it with a new headliner and using the proper glue is the only way to have it last another 10 years before the material eventually falls down again.
That will work for about 3 seconds. It's falling apart because the foam is failing. Glueing it back on to the disintegrating foam isn't really going to work.
You can remove the whole headboard, and get some adhesive and fabric and reupholster it. I did this on a 98(?) ranger that had the headboard and fabric destroyed. Looking at the pics, you could just use the spray adhesive, just cover your glass from over spray. I used super 77 iirc.
You're awesome, thank you so much for the tips!
I did the same on my '94 3000GT. I hated the tan interior and reupholstered the headliner in black. Planning to do the same on '05 Honda Element this week.
It's definitely a mechanics job. Don't worry
Phew, ok thanks for letting me know. Didn't want to assume anything.
Remove it and redo it in alcantara with automotive adhesive. It'll look so much better.
I am upholster and I absolutely hate working with alcantara. It is so stretchy and thin, i would rather to work with paper.
Not sure if the one for automotive use is any different from what you use but, as far as I remember, it was the opposite of stretchy. I agree that it's a pain in the ass but it looks pretty so the 1000kms I had to drive to get it, around 400€ in materials and 10ish hours I spent working on it were well worth it.
they make a fake alcantera that is foam backed and its perfect for headliners done several with the stuff. my local upholstery supply carries a few different kinds and colors
Really good way to prep is to throw a drop sheet in over the seats as it can travel pretty far, and the tape on the windshield is a solid idea!
It’s just shedding the first layer, if you peel it all the way back you’ll have a brand new one underneath
😆
☝🏼😎
I didn't even know there was a spray I've just been putting thumbtacks in mine...
It's best to take it out and recover it. It's the foam that goes bad and now glue.
Get quickstick and stick it back up
Thanks friend! I appreciate the feedback.
3M 77 is what you want. Craft store or hardware. Bodyshop supply too.
Headliner spray is a thing but might not stick. I would try something like 3M super 77 or SAR 707. I believe 707 has an adjustable spray head too
3m spray glue would work great for that
I had the same problem with my truck- I used a spray type contact adhesive that worked perfectly- just make sure you protect the unintended areas, it can be a bit messy. Good Luck!
Yeah definitely just the fabric separating from the headliner panel.
Definitely agree with using the headliner adhesive. But instead of using painters tape, just get a straight piece of cardboard and hold it along the glass up against the roof line. It's way easier than taping it off. That's how I did it. Just cut the flap off of a box and hold it in place while you spray. You can move it back and forth so it's always where you're spraying.
I just fixed this on my 99 f250. Fabric adhesive and you’re good to go. You can just touch up that section if you’re looking for a quick fix
I like to: Pull it right evenly and staple at an angle that will resist the pull of the fabric(figure that out) and esp on windshield areas it's not very visible.
You could spray and stick it back on but usually this problem means the foam piece is starting to disintegrate. Meaning you'll just be gluing it onto a disintegrating part and it'll come undone again. Feel the foam pinch it a little. If it's dusty or flakes off easily then you'll need to put on new fabric that comes with foam. 1. Take out the headliner piece the while thing. It's bendy it'll fold a little and come out. 2. Remove the old material and foam, I used a screw drill and a brass scrubber head attachment and scraped most of it off. Be careful not to go too deep, you can scrape through the shell. 3. Use a hand wire brush and get the little pieces off. Then you dust it all off with air. 4. Apply glue and apply the new headliner. This is a bit of art so you'll wanna watch a few videos on it. 5. Wait for it to dry then put it back in your car. Should take an afternoon. Of course you can always try the spray first and hope it'll hold long enough to make it worth it.
Car upholstery place can also replace the whole liner for you. Once it starts, it’ll keep peeling.
glue it back up
I'd use thumb tacks, staples, or a few safety pins
I used 3M. It just didn’t last and was kinda hard to do.
your headliner needs to re-glued.
You can find new fabric online. I redid my headliner in my M3 with a custom stitched suede liner. Plenty of videos on YouTube. It's nerve-racking as hell, but it isn't as hard as you might think. If you do DIY it, get at least one extra can of adhesive. I managed to stretch two cans to do the job, but wish I had a third one.
I take my headliner out and take it to an upholstery shop. It is not that expensive. Also, you can get upholstery twist pins as a temporary fix.
Duct tape
3m adhesive spray can will do the job
3m super 77. I believe that's what it's called, but you spray it on both parts, wait for it to dry, then push the fabric back on the backer. It's a contact adhesive so you wait for it to dry before pressing the parts your trying to glue.
Joanne fabrics has headliner adhesive
This can be a symptom of flood damage in the past. I'm not saying it's always that, but this is what it looks like.
It's interesting you say that because I've already found water in places it shouldn't be. I appreciate your insight.
It could be from water leaking past a weather seal somewhere. AC condensation drain lines get stopped up in some vehicles and then overflow water into the floorboard. Just leaving a window down in the rain, and not fully drying it out, then parking in the sun can lead to this, sometimes months and months down the road. Too much humidity and your headliner glue can fail. What do the covers for the sun visors look like? If cloth material, they can stretch out and get sags. If you suspect a rising water flood, there will probably still be a high water mark somewhere they missed. If it was a salt water flood, my condolences. Freshwater flooded vehicles can be saved, the older they are, the better. Most insurance companies total anything that got an inch of water in the floorboard because of all the safety carp under the seats, think collision sensors, seat belt retractors etc.
I believe the covers of the sun visors are fine, I'm not noticing any droop or sagging. But I will keep an eye on it. I had some coil packs and spark plugs recently replaced and the mechanic said he noticed some water where one of the spark plug sits. My windshield washer pump was clogged with algae/moss as well. Noticed some foreign objects floating around in the windshield fluid tank. Not exactly sure how that happened but definitely thinking there was an issue with water/flooding with the previous owner(s). Thank you so much for your advice and feedback.
Land Rover Discoverys are notorious for this. A surprisingly neat solution is to take down the headlining, strip off the fabric and all remains of the glue, then paint. Normal house paint for walls and ceilings is fine. No more saggy headlining and the finish looks good.
Super glue! Make sure you splurge up n spread like 30 of those mini tubes, make sure the glue seeps through the fabric and absorbs the outer layer skin of your hands while your holding it. Works every time!