Headliner shop butchered slide roof cntrl panel

[Gene in NC]

Headliner shop butchered sliding roof control panel on '89 525a. The 6"x7" panel at windshield wound up with odd fit and full of finger tip depressions. Finally fell down to reveal jackleg job of tryng to glue it up and most of the integral plastic snap/clips on the backing of the panel broken. New panel from BMW with original fabric in hand.

Better to take it back to top shop, install myself, or have indy do it? Shop poor work or is it common for the snap/clips to snap off on removal. Appears they did use 1/8" foam backed fabric as specd. in posts here.

Bot another '89 525 that has headliner from same shop with almost as many finger tip impressions in the panel. Suspect same problem but at least panel is still in place.

[Kalevera]

It seems like they butcher the clips on that panel more often if they're using 1/4" material -- the fit isn't perfect and they try to mash it up in there.

As an aside, the clips might've been brittle, anyway. 16 years of NC heat eats plastic. Tonight I shattered a never-used connector tucked back in the wiring harness on my car's interior for the same reason.

best, whit

[632 Regal]

yes, i had to order a new one from BMA, mine kept falling out, they just get old and the clips bend and stay, the finger prints are cause the foam is wasted.

I wouldnt get on their ass about it but would approach them about paying for a new part because they attempted to hide this from you...which is unethical to me. The part I thing wasnt much more than 20 bux and it dont match as well as the old but it dont fall out anymore.

[shogun]

yes, it is almost normal that the plastic breaks, very brittle after such a long time. You can save the amount for a new one by glueing on the inside some new plastic clips or 'solder' such a flexible clip with a hot glue gun. Just some small flexible pieces of plastic will do as a clip.
Ask the shop for some fabric and glue this little piece new on it. No big deal, done very quickly.

[wingman]

Mine fell out. I tried every trick I could to re-glue the original clips, make a new securing device etc etc. No option worked. I got a new panel AU$56.00 and I'm glad I did. It snapped straight in and should be there for another 16 years.

[Kristuphir]

And to your other question, install it yourself. It'll take all of a minute and a half and there's no reason to pay for it to be done...

[Gene in NC]

Thanks to all. New panel ($31.05 in correct color from dealer) snapped right in. Lesson may be to have new panel on hand before headliner replacement.

[Kristuphir]

Here's another lesson: I ordered the same thing from BMA for about 17 bucks. :)