ROOF LINING (Headliner?) Problem?!!
 

I recently took my 03' Boxster S to my local dealer for an oil seperator change. I went to recieve my car today and noticed the interior roof lining (Headliner) has gone loose on both sides in the areas above the driver and passnger's shoulder to the extent that i am able to see the convertible top's steel structure.

My dealer argued that:

1) I can't prove that this problem happened while the the car was in their possession.
2) Even if it happened while the car was with them, they wouldn't claim responsibilty because in his opinion this is due to normal wear & tear.

Ok, so this brings me to the following questions:

1) Is it common for the roof lining in boxsters to go loose?
2) Does regular use of the convertible top affect the roof lining?
3) Is it possible to damage the roof lining when accessing the engine?
4) What would cause the headliner to loose tension ???

Any info relating to the above will be highly appretiated, and please note that i couldn't spot any specific place where the lining has detached. It seems to have simply lost the tension which normaly keeps it in place.

Thanks in advance for any info you can provide.

I don't have any advice for your specific case, but reading your story convinces me that before I go to the dealer the next time, I'm going to take photos of every exterior panel, my wheels, and interior section before I go. Why? Because more than once I've picked up my car only to find damage or some other problem that the dealer says "wasn't my fault". Usually, I've been able to get them to step up and fix the problem (e.g. missing roll hoop wind deflector), but the hassle and the feeling they give you that you're taking advantage of them is a PITA. With a set of photos documenting the car's condition it should be simpler deal with any problems.

Under the clamshell (engine access) panel there are two convertible top cables on both sides of the car. They have a ball on the end that needs to be attached to the car. These have to be removed to get to the engine, so maybe the shop didn't replace these and there is not enough tension in the top.

This is a link for for a filter change but it shows you the ball cables (pic #2) and also the clip that attaches the rear of the top (pic #3) to the rear of the vehicle. In pic #3 the right hand side of the pic is the back of the car.

http://986forum.com/forums/diy-project-guides/14863-diy-air-filter.html

Provided it is A factory original headliner, I have never seen them sag. The earlier models had a problem with front plastic retainer seperating (warping). Perhaps you could send a few photos. I have replaced many tops w/headliners in New Jersey. peterserbanica@aol.com

This is what is happening to mine. The front plastic retainer has separated in the center and appears warped. I've tried numerous ways to get it back in place, but I'm too worried about stretching the fabric out of shape. Is the only fix to replace the headliner?

If you peel the soft back , front and sides removed, the plastic retainer will be exposed. Drill tiny holes in retailer in front, take mechanical wire, loop through and pull through metal header and twist wire tight. Clip and bend wire out of way.

Thanks for the tip Shaman,

I checked the tension cables and to my shock it turned out that the one on the left side of the car was not only unattached, it was actually completely broken from the top part. I'll attach some pics in the following post. Would this cause the headliner to sag???

Thanks for your input Peter and for your offer to help....the attached link PICS has pics of the sagging headliner and broken tension cable...maybe you or anyone here could make something out of them....

Also i have the following questions which i would appreciate if i could get any info on:

- what would cause the tension cable to break??
- Could the broken cable be what is causing the headliner to sag?

Thank you all once again and i look forward to getting feed back on the above as any info will put me in a better position to confront my dealer...

Good luck...
I have a '03 Boxster S that had the same problem "multilple" times! The dealer was nice enough to try to fix it "multiple" times also. Cable detached once, cable stretched out another time, not even sure of the excuse the other times.. but they did say it was a issue with a lot of the boxsters. Its much better know.. but not nearly as tight and uniform as original (or as I feel it should be).

Thanks for the feed back GCB... Did the detached/stretched cable cause the headliner on your Boxster to sag? I need to know if the two issues are related. Cause if they are, that means my dealer has somehow caused the cable to break and as a result i have a saggy headliner.

If that is the case then my dealer is in trouble cause I already filed a complaint against him with Porsche Middle East and they are currently investigating the matter.

Hi Euphoria,

yes.. the lining does sag a little. I think in one of the final repairs they actually
re-attached the cable in a different location in order to provide more tension to the liner....

never really got a clear answer as to what causes it, but the dealer should be able to fix it to your satisfaction (is it still under warranty?...then definitely)

hope that helped

Does anyone know the Part# for this cable? Mines broke and when I ordered from the dealer, they gave me something totally wrong.
Thanks,
Cesar

I think it is number 2 in this link: http://www.pelicanparts.com/PartsLookup/HTML/986_USA_KATALOG/811-00-Frame3.htm

Nope, that's actually the one they ordered and it's totally wrong. It should be have to cuplers on each end to connect to the ball joints.

Argh, not seeing it on the Pelican site, which is actually a very cool site, thanks! I've bookmarked it :)

Here's a pick of the one I'm looking for, mines is on it's last leg:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_9sTq_sN1KDw/SU...2008%20050.jpg

Could it be #17?

17 OEM-98656119102 Tension rope

http://www.pelicanparts.com/PartsLookup/HTML/986_USA_KATALOG/812-00-Frame5.htm