kodachrome

I just bought an E61 550i 2007, sunroof works fine but the front sunshade headliner's cloth is sagging there is no sag anywhere else. I have more pressing things to fix on other cars so don't want to budget time to remove the complete interior headliner and disassemble the sunroof.. has anyone fixed or removed the headliner cloth from front sunshade without removing from car?

SportUniversaal

I have the same problem and based on the (spotty) info on the internet, I was thinking it was going to require a headliner drop. However, the workshop manual says you can get at it pretty easily from the top (just ten screws to remove the front and rear glass panels):

https://workshop-manuals.com/bmw/5_s...s_slide_tilt_/

I might try this on Sunday... if I do, I'll let you know how it goes.

dcfjord

I would be extra careful not to pry on anything related to the liner. The mechanism is complicated and breaks easily. The 2 panels float on plastic pieces that tend to break easily. I dropped my headliner and it is a major job. Plan on at least a whole weekend.

kodachrome

Interested to see how you get on SportUniversaal , noting DCfjord's comments. Take photos!

My idea was to use some large 3m double sided tape squares I bought for holding down 3d printer heater beds. If I can position it correctly I think it would be fine.

SportUniversaal

So, I did do this today. Using the procedure in the workshop manual I linked above, it took me less than an hour moving at a leisurely pace to extract the front sun shade.

Tools Required:

T25 Driver
T15 Driver
T7 Driver or needlenose pliers

Workshop Manual Link:

https://workshop-manuals.com/bmw/5_s...s_slide_tilt_/

Procedure:

1. Retract both sunshades all the way.

2. Place sunroof in "tilt" position

3. Remove gaiters at outboard sides of the front glass panel. These are press fit, and it was very easy to remove the lower edges from the sunroof frame, working from rear to front. I left the top edge attached to the sunroof until I had the glass out.

4. Lifting up the gaiter to expose the mechanism, you will see three T25 screws on both sides. Remove these. (Photo shows the rear two on the right-hand side; the forward one is hard to get a good picture of.)



5. Once all the crews are removed, carefully lift the glass straight up and set to the side.

6. The rear glass is attached to the frame by two T25 screws on each side. Remove these, and then remove the glass by pulling to the rear. You may have to press down on the plastic rain gutter at the front of the rear glass to get clearance.



The forward one on each side is hidden outboard of the small "U" formed by the rain gutter. Close-up here:



7. Use the sunroof switch to move the sun shades forward. You want the front shade positioned so that about one-third of it is forward of the rain gutter. If it's positioned correctly, you should see three wide-headed screws on each side (the last pair is somewhat hidden under the metal grille between the shades). The first pair should be forward of the rain gutter, and the other two should be behind it. One of the screws shown here for reference:



9. Remove the very small silver screws at both outboard edges of the metal grille using a T7 driver. I didn't have that size available for the removal, but I was able to use needlenose pliers to get them out. NB! When re-installing, do not tighten these screws all the way. They function as retaining pegs, not compression fasteners.



10. Remove the grille by gently lifting it at each end while pulling inboard to free it from the plastic clip.

11. Using a T15 driver, remove the three screws on each side of the top of the front shade.

12. Slide the panel forward to free it. You may have to pull up on the mounting clips just a smidge to release the panel.

I'm going to take the panel to the upholsterer's tomorrow to have it professionally done. Re-installation is simply be the reverse of removal, although you have to fiddle around to get the sunroof alignment just right. Install the T25 screws that retain the glass panels with the roof in "tilt" position, then lower it to "closed" to make the fine adjustments prior to reinstalling the gaiters.

Hope this helps. Glad to dispel for good the myth that the sunshades only come out by dropping the headliner! Let me know if you have any questions.

losblancos

Just responding to tag this thread and note that these instructions were crucial! We took the sunshade out and had it reupholstered.

Everything is very easy, other than the rear panel of the sunshade. That... is not fun.

drewe28

I know this is a year old post, but was hoping you could give a couple more details on the rear sunshade removal that may make it easier. The manual makes it look fairly straightforward, but I'm sure that's not the reality... Was it just really fiddly trying to get those clips lined up? Any tips appreciated...I need to address the sagging headliner on both panels in my '07 530xi asap.

What did you guys pay to get them reupholstered? I imagine it'll be pretty cheap and am really not worried about the fabric matching very closely.

Danyel Rush

I have the pano roof and the sunshade for the top is off track and sagging. I was thinking of just removing the cloth part and tinting the glass really dark . That would be cheaper ?

06wagontrain

For those who have yet to do this, I was able to slide the carriages all the way forward. Remove the screws from the rear sunroof shade, and was able to slide the panel all the way back into the roof and it came right out. I did have to get the back edge up and over a guide but eventually it slid right out.

Incidentally, carefully check the plastic lifts and runners for cracks. Mine are full of them! I'll be ordering a new slide kit soon!....

Jp

BostonJon

i know this is an old thread, but i had an issue where only one of the sun shades (the front one) was working so i was only ever able to cover half of the pano sunroof. i had a tint shop tint it as dark as they could and it made a big difference.