The headliner in my 2009 XJ is starting to pillow in the rear corners in the back of the cabin, is there a simple way to reattach the fabric? , heating it with a hair dryer perhaps? has anyone had this happen to them, The car is in So Cal so its not a rain / leaky rear window seal issue ..I don't think anyway..any ideas?

 

This is caused by heat on the roof from the sun that over time degrades the foam backing. Whilst it is fairly involved to repair, it is not impossible, but usually a job for somebody experienced in these things. There have been many posts on this subject over the years.

For me, the old listing sticks and securing at the edges onto tacking strips method was the best as the headlining never sagged, but it would be far too expensive nowadays

 

Hi Chris,

As Fraser stated, it is the foam backing of the fabric that deteriorates and loses its grip on either the fabric, the headliner board, or both. And since the heat of the sun accelerates this deterioration, the heat of a hair dryer won't help things re-adhere. The best solution is to remove the headliner, strip the old fabric and clean away the old crumbs of foam, and adhere new fabric. It's a time-consuming job, so it can be expensive, but you can save a lot of money by removing the headliner from the car and cleaning the board yourself, then having a local auto upholstery shop glue the new fabric to the board. Once you've removed the board you'll know how to reinstall it. On most Jaguars on which I've done the headliner, it has helped to remove the front passenger seat. The headliner board is then carefully curved into a taco shape and withdrawn through the rear passenger door.

A good source for new headliner fabric that I use is yourautotrim.com. You can order a sampler board from them that will help you choose the right color.

A temporary solution that some owners have employed is upholstery twist pins screwed up into the headliner board to help hold the fabric in place:



Cheers,

Don

 

https://www.ebay.com/i/202478691393?...hoCoc0QAvD_BwE


here you go. They are cheap and works perfect.

 

Well Chrisf...

My 2 cents are:
1. The cheaper way - try the "3M super 77 multipurpose spray adhesive", (on "Amazon" / "EBAY"):


2. The expensivest / annoying way -

Wish you luck.

 

Hi Clapton7,

3M Super 77 is only rated to hold up to a temperature of 43C/110F, so it's not suitable for headliners in many climates. In bright sun, the roof of a car can become significantly hotter than ambient air temperatures. The product 3M recommends is its Headliner Adhesive, rated to 77C/170F:

3M Aerosol Adhesives Comparison

In the video below, 3M shows a method of reattaching loose headliner fabric, but I do not know if this could possibly be successful on fabric with a deteriorated foam backing. I've considered trying it, but have always concluded that the result would probably not be worth all of the effort. For one thing, without the foam backing, the headliner fabric is very thin, which would make it difficult to apply enough spray adhesive for it to adhere well, but not so much that it seeps through to the visible side of the fabric. Have you tried this method, and if so, were you happy with the results?


Cheers,

Don

 

Thanks for all the tips and info, I’m going digest and see what works for my situation .

thanks to all!