[soul-on-4wheels]

So, folks, finally got the job done. The sagging, original headliner fabric was replaced by one that almost looked and 80% felt the same! Some details:
A. Done on 9th Nov 2020.
B. By - A chap named Mohammed who was recommended by an ex Skoda workshop guy named Sambaji (he was with Autobahn, Kurla). Sambaji was there through out the process. Our friend, Y@sh has suggested a person named Nasir - he had come home one day with a fabric sample. But finally settled for Mohammed as my knowing Sambaji provided me with the traceability I needed!
C. Cost of work - Rs. 7000 (Mohammed's share would perhaps be 6000 - the premium is what I paid for getting Sambaji involved)
D. Time taken - 3 hrs (11am till 2pm)
E. Place: My parking at home
F. Steps

1. Remove all the fasteners that hold the headliner up. Mohammed worked up a frenzy at this stage as he knew the layout by heart. He went about like a man possessed and in less that 5 mins, had the fibre frame out of the car!
2. Rip out the old fabric - the sponge had disseminated and the powdered remains were stuck to the frame.
3. Clean the frame properly and diligently - this is the most important part. Can't afford to have any remnants of the sponge or glue on the frame. He used some kind of white powder to help scrub the surface. He then wiped the surface clean with a wet piece of cloth. He then set the frame out in the sun to dry off
4. Then began the rather delicate process of getting the new fabric on to the frame. He began by aligning the fabric to the frame, then uncover the mid section wherein he started applying the glue with a broad paint brush. The applied glue on the mid section of the fabric as well. Then after a couple of minutes, he gently aligned the fabric and the frame and eased his hand over the mid section to bond then. He took special care at the edges where the fabric curls over. He then did the same to the two end sections.
5. He cut out the recesses and gaps needed.
6. The frame was now ready to be mounted back

All in all a quick effort indeed and I was pleased to see the final result. Though am very picky and have a rather keen eye for creases, I did find the job well done - of course, I was always aware that the final job would never 100% equal the factory fitted job. Despite this, one cannot really tell that the headlines fabric has been changed. Now, I just hope it stays there for some time at least!

Some pics

Pre-Work

Prepping the fibre base

The Job

Finito!

Hope this helps!! Do reach out in case of any clarifications! Cheers!!

[AYP]

Originally Posted by soul-on-4wheels

Hope this helps!! Do reach out in case of any clarifications! Cheers!!

That really looks like a job well done. Can you please share the contact details of Mr. Mohammad?

Also, does your car have side curtain airbags? Do you feel that this shall in any way impact the operation of the side airbags?

[soul-on-4wheels]

Originally Posted by AYP

That really looks like a job well done. Can you please share the contact details of Mr. Mohammad?

Also, does your car have side curtain airbags? Do you feel that this shall in any way impact the operation of the side airbags?

I have Sambaji's number - +91 98679 02620.

You can also try out Nasir (Y@ash had recommended). He can be reached at +91 96199 45771.

I received recommendations about 2 others - both in Thane:
1. Vijay Sharma - +91 80808 62762. Car Shringar, Shop no 8, Vatika CHS, vardhaman, Kapurbawdi, Thane West &

2. Trilok Singh - +91 88067 33354.

And no, my Yeti does not have side airbags. From what I know, this repair work in no way interferes with the side airbags. But you need to verify this.

[AYP]

Finally got the replacement work done today. Nasir was the one who did the work. He can reached at- 9619945771.

He has his own upholstery shop in Andheri. The total damage to the wallet was 6k, though this could be done for 5k if you decide to visit his shop or live nearby his shop.

Unlike some other experiences which state 3-4 hours of time being required, my work was done in 2 hrs 15 mins flat. Might be due to the fact that Nasir had brought along a helping hand with him.

Now let the pics do the talking.

Before-









Close ups of the old fabric-







You can see from the close ups that the original fabric has a high quality dual stitching(and feels great to the touch).

Replacement process-

The bare roof-





The curtain airbag module-





The Made in Mexico headliner was removed and the residual old glue was scrapped off by rubbing it with wet foam-





The gum which was used by Nasir(speb7 which is available for about INR 260)-



The new fabric requirement being measured as per the headliner-



Meanwhile, this guy was monitoring the entire process -



He received a lot of cuddles and later, a nice chicken meal in return for his supervision service(no, he isn't my pet and was born 6 months ago in some parking lot of our society).

New fabric glued to the headliner-





The final result-







I do not remember such a crease being there when the original fabric was new-



This crease is at the position where the headliner folds to the side.

Close ups of the new fabric-






Summary-

1. As per Nasir, this is a common problem with the 'high end or imported' cars of common brands and many cars of the luxury brands. BMW in his opinion has the highest rate of such sag.

Being CKD, I guess the main markets for these cars have pleasant summers and the economics of scale doesn't justify 're-engineering' the part to suit our warm summers.

2. The new fabric has a foamed layer at its back and is soft to the touch, softer than the old fabric. However, the old fabric had a slightly rougher and a more premium touch. This may just be a placebo effect though and perhaps without any prior background, someone may deem the new fabric to be more premium. Yes, it is that good.

3. If you look at the closeup of the old and the new fabrics, their is a lot of similarity. Both have a nice dual stitching. One visual difference which I could figure was that the 'horizontalness' of the stitching of the new fabric is much more apparent than the old one, which looks more cohesive in its built/stitching.

4. You may notice the slightly warmer colour of the replaced headliner but that is due to the fact that I took the newer photos at noon while the earlier pics were taken at evening. Visually, I am unable to decipher the difference in colour.

5. There is some smell of glue in the car and it is supposed to stay for the next 2-3 days. We have been asked to keep the windows slightly open throughout this duration.

6. As stated earlier, there is a slight crease which is noticeable on either sides where the headliner folds.

7. Overall, a highly recommended job for the asking money and practically speaking, no one will notice any change in the headliner unless they have a prior knowledge or are among the more observant ones while being interested in the automotive scene of India(in short, a BHPian).

[sarvatron]

I have the same issue with my Laura! Does anyone have any experience/recommendations for this in Bangalore?
I got 2 quotes from 2 shops in Kalyan Nagar - 4500 and 15000. The first one does not seem reliable, the second one claims he gets it done at Stanley (?!) And therefore the high quote!

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by sarvatron

I have the same issue with my Laura! Does anyone have any experience/recommendations for this in Bangalore?
I got 2 quotes from 2 shops in Kalyan Nagar - 4500 and 15000. The first one does not seem reliable, the second one claims he gets it done at Stanley (?!) And therefore the high quote!

Normally specialists who do this job charge 4500-5500 including the fabric in auto markets. I got my Laura's done in Delhi for a similar amounts and it is quite good quality.
Anyone charging higher is just taking there own extra cuts for the job.

Here is the thread for my Laura's headliner repair (in Delhi)
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/delhi...tor-delhi.html (Roof headliner repair - Infinity Motor (Delhi))

[soul-on-4wheels]

Originally Posted by sarvatron

I have the same issue with my Laura! Does anyone have any experience/recommendations for this in Bangalore?
I got 2 quotes from 2 shops in Kalyan Nagar - 4500 and 15000. The first one does not seem reliable, the second one claims he gets it done at Stanley (?!) And therefore the high quote!

I have found the range between 4.5K to 7K. 15K seems pretty exorbitant.

[sarvatron]

Thanks Behemoth and soul-on-4wheels! The hunt is still on. I'm considering going to JC road tomorrow to try my luck.

[SachinR]

Originally Posted by sarvatron

Thanks Behemoth and soul-on-4wheels! The hunt is still on. I'm considering going to JC road tomorrow to try my luck.

Hi Sarvatron. Any luck with finding a guy in Blr ? I need to get my Jetta fixed

[deepfusion]

I got the headliner of my yeti changed recently from my FNG here in Gurgaon. All I can say is the replaced headliner is far far better than the stock one. The cost was 5,200 INR.

If you need the contact details, please PM me.

[Amarendranath]

Hello Everyone,

Our seven year old Jetta now has the same roof-liner sag issue. The VW workshop here in Hyderabad said they are unable to fix it since they don’t have any skilled technicians.

Any recommendations on where can I get it fixed in Hyderabad?

Thanks.

[sinhank97]

Originally Posted by AYP

Finally got the replacement work done today. Nasir was the one who did the work. He can reached at- 9619945771.

Hey- thanks a ton for sharing your experience with Nasir.

My 2011 Laura TDI DSG's roof liner was in very bad shape. Got Nasir to do the repairs on a weekday.

Nasir did a great job in terms of fit and finish. He doesn't use the exact same cloth in terms of texture- what he uses a marginally more raw finish of the stitching pattern and a thicker foam, but colour was exactly the same as the original. Highly recommended! Overall damage was 5k. He came home and did the work in my parking (team of 2). Quick 2-3 hour job max. Only con was that the guys was in too much of a hurry. Raced past the job and broke the front plastic ticket holder (the one on the windscreen) due to haste.

[crackingride]

Originally Posted by SachinR

Hi Sarvatron. Any luck with finding a guy in Blr ? I need to get my Jetta fixed

I just noticed that my Yeti is starting to have the same issue at the leading edge where it abuts the front windshield.

Anyone find any competent shop in Bangalore for this?

[satchit_bhp]

A friend's Skoda Laura had the same issue, he got it replaced from a local store for ₹5,500/-.

[GladRagu]

Anyone got their car headliner changed in Bangalore/Chennai recently? I'm hunting for a reliable person and couldn't find any information.