There have been many
Cayman
owners that have been suffering with the rattle right in the headliner right over their heads. Some have convinced the dealer to replace their headliners, but for those past the warranty, there hasn't been a solution. I decided to remove the headliner, either to replace or to find a permanent solution, and it turns out the fix is simple once you have the headliner out. My headliner is now dead-silent.
Behind the headliner is a plastic egg crate shaped piece that gives the headliner structural rigidity. The factory glues this to the headliner. In my case, it appeared there was not enough glue used, and the glue makes a sticking/snapping sound at certain temperatures and road conditions. Ugh!!
So, the solution is to remove the C Pillar Trim, The A Pillar trim, and remove the headliner. Then thoroughly hot-glue the egg crate plastic to the headliner and re-install. Detailed pdf's on how to do the removal can be found here:
how do i remove the headliner on a 2006 poorche cayman its drooping - JustAnswer
And a video detailing my rattle and pictures of the hot gluing are here:
https://plus.google.com/photos/1089.../photos/108945978244513911639/albums/5856504692981036897?authkey=CJGI9aCArtu6Dw
I found several of the A and C pillar clips missing or malformed, and suspect the previous owner had tried and failed to solve the same problem. It's not hard to find these clips online at Porsche dealers. You may want to order a half dozen ahead of time. There is another unique clip at the back edge of the headliner that you may want to pre-order. Mine was missing, and I would guess many get broken while owners try to fix the rattle with their clenched fist (HAHA).
You will see in the photos that while the headliner was out, I added Sound deadening material from RAAMaudio (the aluminum stuff stuck the roof, like dynamat).It's the same stuff Porsche used at the factory, I just put more of it in. This was later covered with their peel n stick foam. The headliner went back in with no conflicts,and great results. This is one of the parts of the car closest to the ear, so making it quieter and less prone to vibration is very beneficial.
I sure am glad to have this joy-sucking rattle gone, and can now really enjoy driving my Cayman S. Hope you have the same luck. RGfromBP
Good deal. Great news on fixing it.
I might have the same issue in my car. Though I can only hear it while I'm in the passenger seat.
Thank you for the post! I am about to replace my drooping
Cayman S
headliner. This post not only will help with replacing the headliner, it will also help me to make sure any glue problem is resolved before the installation.
BTW, did you have any problem with removing the C-pillar? I heard that it is not easy to remove.
Yeah kinda surprised this isn't mentioned in the headliner threads more : It's hot glue!!
The plastic ribbing is insufficiently hot-glued to the headliner board. Simply no effort by the Czech Repub plant to use a more generous amount.
No surprise it loosens up over time. I've already been through 4 glue sticks and still need more.
