Sunroof button falling out..... Ideas?

[matt0528]

Tried to search around but no luck..
My sunroof switch keeps falling out, just hanging by the wires. Also the little patch of headliner looks to be held in by little pin needles.. Anyone have a cheap fix to this. Anything you guys have would be greatly appreciated. thanks

Also... Has anyone relocated theirs somewhere else

[mateo710]

Are the tabs that hold the switch in broken? If you don't plan on changin it you could just put some dots of glue in there. I've never heard of anyone relocating. But I'm sure it's possible. Just takes time

[Dexm]

if the switch is still good, you can find the headliner plate for about $25 new from Tischer or Pelican and install the switch there. I think it's still available in most interior colors.

[matt0528]

ya, the switch is still good... it works great...
its just really ugly... thats the only part of the headliner that needs attention
the rest is all good.
i will check out pelican parts. thank you

i found this.... is it part #7 on that page?

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/index.cfm?action=getLocator&siteid=214672&chapter=EEE1910&appSectionid=2706&groupid=2707&subgroupid=3261&componentid=0&make=3&model=525&year=1989&graphicID=1910820&callout=7&catalogid=2

[Meeve]

I would just use glue.

Cheap and work as good.

[E34ührer]

Replace the part that is broken? Even the dealership isn't that spendy on those parts.

[cornflakecwl]

Scrapyard?

[matt0528]

how is that small piece of headliner held in from the factory?

[jfj707]

That little surround for the switch? Plastic tabs - just stick a screwdriver up there and pop the panel out.

[E34ührer]

how is that small piece of headliner held in from the factory?

As said above, it just pops out. You COULD wrap one pass of electrical tape on the switch around the part that pressure fits it into the surround. That might hold it a while longer.

[e34Driver]

Or use some melting glue to keep it in place. Or how about Red Green's world famous duct tape?

[matt0528]

im not talking about the switch, its the little piece of headliner around the switch, probably a separate 8" x 6" rectangle. I will get a picture in the morning and post it.

it might be nice if i could find a plastic piece to fit in place of whatever "clothy" material this is....

might have to make a custom one from fiberglass.... hmmmm :ponder

[E34ührer]

im not talking about the switch, its the little piece of headliner around the switch, probably a separate 8" x 6" rectangle. I will get a picture in the morning and post it.

it might be nice if i could find a plastic piece to fit in place of whatever "clothy" material this is....

might have to make a custom one from fiberglass.... hmmmm :ponder

The area around the switch is fabric covered plastic. It's #5 in the diagram below...if you DON'T have plastic under the fabric, it has probably already been fixed via 'hack job' and thus, your switch cover falls out constantly. LIST price on a brand new color matched cover for your car is $22.

http://www.google.com/search?q=bmw+dealerships+in+San+Diego&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a#q=bmw+dealerships+in+San+Diego&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=Nys&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=ivnscm&source=univ&tbm=plcs&tbo=u&ei=Bh2fTZqoHdPXiAKRu_j1Ag&sa=X&oi=local_group&ct=more-results&resnum=1&ved=0CDoQtQMwAA&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=70b78cb80b338006

The other possibility is that the metal frame that holds the switch cover has popped off the headliner and is loose inside the motor compartment. But that doesn't sound like the case here.







http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/w/k/9.png

[matt0528]

thank you so much MeanM50. thats exactly what i was looking for. $22 aint bad at all and color matched! im guessing its pretty basic to install with some glue or something...? ive never done much with interior so this is new to me.

heres a pic of what im dealing with below...

[e34Driver]

No, you don't have to glue it into place. It's a simple snap-on system. I took mine out not too long ago to install Shogun's interior light dimmer module. Maybe take a pic of the switch from a few sides and show us... it's supposed to have metal tabs that bend a bit to keep it into place.

[Psykick5]

thank you so much MeanM50. thats exactly what i was looking for. $22 aint bad at all and color matched! im guessing its pretty basic to install with some glue or something...? ive never done much with interior so this is new to me.

heres a pic of what im dealing with below...

When you said it was ugly you weren't lying...

[matt0528]

haha, ya its an eyesore. But I love this car, and so does my wife.
it runs beautifully and almost everything works, so im slowly making her
gorgeous like she was when she came out of the factory.
The leather seats are a bit torn, Id like to replace them with black leather ones eventually. Right now I just have seat covers on them.

I know the actual switch has some metal tabs that look like they could keep it in place... if that piece around it was in good condition.

e34Driver.... your saying that surround piece should have metal clips as well?

thanks again for all the responses...
i love this forum and its awesome members!!!!

[E34ührer]

haha, ya its an eyesore. But I love this car, and so does my wife.
it runs beautifully and almost everything works, so im slowly making her
gorgeous like she was when she came out of the factory.
The leather seats are a bit torn, Id like to replace them with black leather ones eventually. Right now I just have seat covers on them.

I know the actual switch has some metal tabs that look like they could keep it in place... if that piece around it was in good condition.

e34Driver.... your saying that surround piece should have metal clips as well?

thanks again for all the responses...
i love this forum and its awesome members!!!!

The surround doesn't have clips...the switch has clips. Also, there is a metal 'frame' around the inside of the opening to the moonroof motor...the surround just 'snaps' into that metal frame...it looks from the pic that you may or may not have the frame in place...if not, I am sure it's pretty cheap too.

[matt0528]

ok, i feel confident pulling this apart without messing anything up.
thank you so much for your help

[E34ührer]

:buttrock

If I remember, (and that's a HUGE IF after tonight...it's been a Don Julio night at my house) I will snap a pic of my surround and metal frame and post it in the morning.

That took no less than 20 minutes to type with no errors.

[Dexm]

ya, the switch is still good... it works great...
its just really ugly... thats the only part of the headliner that needs attention
the rest is all good.
i will check out pelican parts. thank you

i found this.... is it part #7 on that page?

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/index.cfm?action=getLocator&siteid=214672&chapter=EEE1910&appSectionid=2706&groupid=2707&subgroupid=3261&componentid=0&make=3&model=525&year=1989&graphicID=1910820&callout=7&catalogid=2

Yep, no. 7. The piece is held in with plastic tabs (IIRC -- and maybe I don't). The switch fits into the square piece really well. Whether the piece is $25 or less, if the rest of your headliner is good, the part is so little money that it's not worth the jerry-rigged options, some of which are proposed here, which look like ass. Don't go all Martha Stewart with a glue gun on this one.