Honda Civic EP3 Headliner Removal and Suede Re-Wrap

Rotate the retaining clip at each visor's free end a quarter turn and drop it out. At the pivot end, ease off the small trim cap to expose two screws, back those out, and lift the visor away. For each dome light, front and rear, pry off the clear lens and undo the pair of 8mm bolts. Lower the housing carefully and unplug the wiring connector before setting it aside.

Peel the rubber door seal partway off along each A-pillar. Work the top edge of the pillar trim loose first, then draw the panel outward and upward to release its remaining clips. Take it slowly so the clips do not snap.

Open the hatch and pull the surrounding rubber seal free, then ease the tops of the B- and C-pillar trims outward. On the EP3 the seatbelt pillars cannot be cleared without dismantling a large amount of additional trim, so leave them in place. With the C-pillars loosened, push the liner forward until it releases from the hooks at the rear; never draw it straight rearward, because two slots suspend it back there. Working with a second person, rock the panel from side to side while a helper pulls one B-pillar down far enough to let that corner drop and slide out, then repeat on the other side. The liner has to flex a lot to clear the opening, so move deliberately to avoid cracking the pillar trims.

Tilt the sunroof open slightly. From inside the car, find the plastic cap on each side of the opening; each has a hole in its centre. Remove the bolt behind it and store it safely, noting the locating tabs so the cap reseats correctly later. Behind those caps sit four more bolts that an adjustable wrench will turn. With all of them out, lift the glass up and out through the top. (On the DC5 RSX the glass instead uses six bolts driven with a 5mm allen socket.)

Slide the sunshade forward to reach the track hardware. Along the rails the shade is secured by eight screws set left and right, front and rear; back them out and set the plastic retainers aside with their screws. Slide the shade fully forward and it will bind against a metal stiffener panel. Free that panel by removing the small screws at its left and right corners. It will lift but not pull clear, because two plastic tabs still hold it; reach in and press each tab inward to release one side and then the other. Take out the metal panel, bending it a little as needed. That exposes the four rear screws; remove them and lift the sunshade out.

Leave the factory material on the shell as a base layer. Lay the suede over the panel with a minimum of two inches of overhang on every edge. With both the shell and the fabric turned good-side-up on a bench in a well-aired space, coat each mating surface with two passes of adhesive and wait a few minutes until tacky. With a helper holding one end while you hold the other, lower the fabric onto the shell, setting the centre down first and smoothing outward toward the edges. Press the suede down and out by hand so no folds form; good stretch suede tends to settle into place on its own. Let it grab for a couple of minutes.

Flip the headliner over. Make relief cuts in the overhanging fabric so it can be tensioned cleanly around the edges and through the openings. Re-spray the fabric flaps and the back of the shell where they will fold. Pull each flap up and out to stretch the suede, then press it onto the reverse of the shell, working all the way around for a tidy wrapped edge. Keep adhesive off the show face by using one clean hand under the panel and the other to guide the fabric. At the sunroof cutout and every other opening, cut an X into each corner about 1/8 inch in, spray, and fold the flaps back the same way.

Cover the sunshade panel using the same sequence: leave ample overhang, apply adhesive to both faces, lay the fabric from the centre outward, then relief-cut the corners and fold the edges behind the panel.

Run one more pass of adhesive around the whole wrapped perimeter to lock the edges down. Treat the finished suede with a fabric protectant such as Scotchgard and let it cure for several hours; allow any painted trim a full day to dry. The original author skipped the protectant step and recommends against doing so. Reinstall the sunshade, sunroof glass, headliner, pillar trims, dome lights, and visors in the reverse of the removal order.