[tlcoulter]

I have no idea how it happened, but I noticed last night that the roof of my ‘11 335i E93 had a dent. It is about the size of a quarter, and there are no marks in the paint.

I called a local guy that does paintless dent repair for about 20 local dealerships, and he said the problem is having to remove the headliner. He said he knows a guy that can do it, and it would cost about $200. In addition, he said the dent repair (assuming he can get to it after the headliner is removed) would cost another $100-150.

In the meantime I have used a toilet plunger, and I was able to remove most of the dent. It is about 6” from the windshield, slightly left of the center of the car. The dent is barely noticeable now, but I will always know it’s there, and that is probably the first thing I will focus on as I walk to the car.

I have looked for instructions on how to remove the E93 headliner, but I have not found anything.

Has anyone had a similar experience?

[mxchris727]

The front panel? Just lever out the 6 black plugs around the front (two are hard to see on the side) and pull the headliner down. It's held on with snap clips.

[tlcoulter]

Originally Posted by mxchris727

The front panel? Just lever out the 6 black plugs around the front (two are hard to see on the side) and pull the headliner down. It's held on with snap clips.

Yes, it’s the front panel that needs to be removed.

[tlcoulter]

Originally Posted by tlcoulter

Yes, it’s the front panel that needs to be removed.

I should clarify that this is the section of the roof immediately over the front seat occupants - the part that folds into the trunk, not the stationary section around the windshield.

[grovedale]

I have seen our dealerships dent guy use hot glue, and a plastic eye, glued to the dent area, then use a small slide hammer to remove dents that he cant get behind. usual charge is $40.00 per dent.

[tlcoulter]

Originally Posted by mxchris727

The front panel? Just lever out the 6 black plugs around the front (two are hard to see on the side) and pull the headliner down. It's held on with snap clips.

I lowered the top just enough to see the front of the headliner, and I see the snap clips. It looks to me that, as you imply, removing the headliner should be easy. I am going to meet with the paintless dent repair guy tomorrow morning.

I took the car to another paintless repair shop this afternoon, and they quoted $375. I asked if the high cost was due to the headliner, and he said no, they assumed one hour for the headliner. Most of his estimated cost was due to the dent repair.

I bought a suction cup thing at Harbor Freight this afternoon, and i was able to get some of the dent out.

[mxchris727]

It takes three minutes to remove the front headliner. Don?t pay more than $150 total for simple PDR.

[thatg]

Does anyone have a diy for how to do this? I have some rattles in my roof and would look to remove both the front wnd rear headliners to see where the rattle is coming from

[dpaul]

Originally Posted by mxchris727

The front panel? Just lever out the 6 black plugs around the front (two are hard to see on the side) and pull the headliner down. It's held on with snap clips.

No it is not just 6 black plugs around the front, at least not on my pain in the ass 2011 M3 E93. There are 5 more 'snap' connectors at the rear of the headliner that I cannot figure out how to remove without breaking. What sadist designed this?

If anyone has a clue I would be eternally grateful

[mxchris727]

Originally Posted by dpaul

No it is not just 6 black plugs around the front, at least not on my pain in the ass 2011 M3 E93. There are 5 more 'snap' connectors at the rear of the headliner that I cannot figure out how to remove without breaking. What sadist designed this?

If anyone has a clue I would be eternally grateful

Hi dpaul,

Just pull the back part straight down; the clips will release. Once it's off, you'll see how they work. Don't be afraid to apply some force. Below are the official instructions:

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...g-roof/HSp1Lh0

[bmwbaltimorem5]

I know this post is old...But why in the world you need to remove your headliner? I assume your dent is shallow and not sharp. By all means tell your dent repair place to use glue pulling technique. They should be able to pull it out from the outside. ANd your headliner doesn't have to be removed...
Just my 2 pennies
Good luck!

[virtual_law]

Reviving this thread. The inside of my headliner (2007 e93 335i) rattles quite loudly when the chassis flexes. It's like something is very loose inside. Is there a DIY on front and mid-section headliner removal? I really don't wanna risk breaking any clips cause they're not available where I live.

[Xantor_]

Originally Posted by virtual_law

Reviving this thread. The inside of my headliner (2007 e93 335i) rattles quite loudly when the chassis flexes. It's like something is very loose inside. Is there a DIY on front and mid-section headliner removal? I really don't wanna risk breaking any clips cause they're not available where I live.

Have you managed to remove the middle section?