Recently acquired a 1999 XJR and found the headliner in need of help - I see this is a common issue thanks to this forum. I have the headliner out and am confident it will be as good as new with a few more hours of work.

The main sunroof panel had some kind of stain on it, so I elected to pop it out as well for recovering. Since I am thinking the new fabric won't be a perfect match, I was also hoping to remove the 3-4 inch wide drip panel that appears at the trailing end of the sunroof opening.

I've slid it all the way back based on instructions I found in another thread, and removed two rubber/foam bumpers on each side that appear to seal off the track.

However, the panel runs into the plastic molded drain tube corners that are bonded onto the back end of each of the sunroof rails.

Am I missing something, or do I have to drop the whole sunroof and rail assembly to remove this silly upholstered panel?

 

Here are some images to help show the drip panel (green outline) that slides back and hits the drain built into the back corner of the sunroof rail (red). The dotted green represents a portion of the drip panel hidden behind the drain.

 

The drip panel comes out the SUNROOF OPENING!!!!!!!!!!
The metal sliding roof panel is removed and the plastic tray comes out through the opening.

bob gauff

 

I don't see how the plastic drip panel can come out of the opening itself with the painted outer sunroof panel in place.

BUT:

Though playing around with it, I saw that there is access to the two clips that hold the plastic drip panel to its sliders on each rail. So, through the tilted sunroof opening, the clips can be removed, and two other plastic rentention clips can be pushed to release the panel from the slider on each side.

However, it seems the only way to then actually get the panel out is through the passenger compartment. Maybe there would be space if the actual outer painted sunroof panel were removed first.

Hope this and the photos are useful to someone, someday, since I didn't find this info elsewhere in the forum nor on the JTIS.

 

I said............. Take the panel OFF!!!!

 

I just showed that there's no need to do so.

Both the inner and outer sliding sunroof panels are metal - so the removal suggestion was not clear.

 

Motorcarman ....may be doing the headliner --- how difficult is the metal panel removal? The dealers hated to work on these things because of the plastic parts.

Had a lot of problems with my x300 roof -- dealer finally replaced the rails and clips. Then had problem with the plastic clips (they snapped) on my 1st x308 when I went to place it into the vent position .. again ... dealer replaced the parts. On my last two x308's I never use the vent position ...

I'm worried that the headliner guy will snap the clips.

 

The sliding roof steel panel can be removed in a few minutes.
Tilt the panel UP and slide the large interior panel OUT the back.
Remove the 6 screws (3 on each side) and lift the panel OFF.

It can NOT be any easier!!!!

Then ALL the links, levers, clips etc. can be accessed without awkward angles or dropping parts in the channel.

bob gauff