Headliner Tapping Noise Fix - 2020 Model S with Glass Roof (no sunroof)

[Hamilton237]

I was able to diagnose and fix a headliner tapping sound on my 2020 LR w/ glass roof. I'm sure the service center could have taken care of it, but I didn't want to wait for an appointment. When my car was assembled it looks like the fasteners which attach the headliner to the body were not lined up when the screws for the visor and visor clips were inserted. As a result the fasteners were crushed. One got halfway in and the other completely missed the hole. I replaced them with some I had on hand which were a different design but similar size. The headliner removal was similar to other threads with the only major difference being the way the visors are mounted. Instead of a 'c' shaped piece, there is just a cover the pops off to expose the mounting screw. I took some photos and can write up a how-to for the front of the headliner if anyone is interested.



If you have a tapping sound on rough roads or over bumps then take a flashlight and shine it up at the roof at the edge of the headliner. You should be able to see if the fasteners are inserted properly in the reflection.

 

[beatle]

Nice work. I have a slightly "tappy" headliner as well on my car. In a lot of cases I've found missing or broken clips, so I'm guessing my car is similar.

Off-topic: what's really annoying is when the pointy end of the clips simply break off inside the frame. Those pieces then just rattle and roll around inside the frame for etermity. This is usually only noticeable under hard cornering or acceleration, but they are there for life.

 

[Hamilton237]

Off-topic: what's really annoying is when the pointy end of the clips simply break off inside the frame. Those pieces then just rattle and roll around inside the frame for etermity. This is usually only noticeable under hard cornering or acceleration, but they are there for life.

Only thing more annoying is when you drop a bit or socket down behind some panel and you have to drive around knowing that you caused the rattle!

BTW, I think my car must have been built on a Friday afternoon... I also found an extra (I hope) bolt sitting on the frame under the frunk cover.

 

[Romand]

yes please do a write up i have a 2016 pano roof with same problem

 

[Hamilton237]

yes please do a write up i have a 2016 pano roof with same problem

This is the process used for lowering the front of the headliner for a 2020 Model S LR with glass roof. Your car may be different. For example, earlier models have a different visor mount with a "C" shape. Also my headliner did not have any of the Velcro as shown in the parts catalog & other photos.


1. Loosen the top of the A pillar trim: Pry off the plastic cover with the word "AIRBAG" from the rear/top to expose a screw with a 7mm head. The cover hinges at the bottom and will stay attached to the trim. Use a socket to remove the screw. Gently pull the top of the A pillar trim towards the middle of the car and a clip will pop. Do not remove the bottom of the A Pillar, you are only making room for the headliner to drop down a little. Repeat on other side.

2. Remove the visor and visor clips: Pry off the cover for the visor mounting point. It is a plastic cover that pops on and underneath is a screw with a T-25 head (torx). Remove the screw. You may need to move the visor around and/or extend it to make room. Rotate the visor mounting point down and away from the side with the screw and it will drop down. The mounting point has a curve which goes up into the roof. Unclip the wire for the visor mirror light and let it hang. Set aside the visor. Moving to the visor 'clip', use a thin pointy tool to pry open the door which covers the mounting screw. This one is T-15 (torx). Remove the screw. The clip is two pieces, but it is obvious how the little door goes back on. Repeat on other side.

3. Loosen the grill between the map lights: From the rearward side, pull down on the grill and two clips will pop. The grill hinges down towards the ground from the rear. Free it a little and let it hang.

 

[Hamilton237]

4. Inspect and replace headliner mounting fasteners: Look up between the headliner and roof to see if you can see the fasteners. It helps to move the seat back and as high as it goes to get a better angle. I had luck shining a light off the roof and seeing the reflection behind the headliner. If the fasteners are in place, you will need to use a tool to pop them out. If the fasteners are broken, missing, or just misaligned then gently pull down on the headliner from the front to get some more room. Note that the headliner is still attached at the B pillar so don't pull too hard. You have a few inches/cm to get your fingers in as well as get a better view. Look for loose wires, excess glue, stray pieces of plastic, and decide if the fasteners need to be replaced. The fasteners sit in a slot in a piece of plastic which is glued to the headliner and are retained in that slot by a tab. To replace the fasteners press down on the plastic tab just next to the fastener. The tab is towards the centerline of the car. The end of the tab will go down a few mm and then the fastener will slide out in that same direction. I couldn't get a great picture, but you'll feel the fastener slide side to slide a little. See diagram from the parts catalog below. Pressing the tab down and out of the way will let the fastener slide out. Installation is the opposite, slide the fastener back in from the tab side. Now, make sure the fastener tips are both lined up with the hole in the mounting bracket and push up. The fasteners should go through the hole and snap in place. Undo your removal of the visor and visor clips, center grill thing, and the A pillar trim. Make sure the rubber door weather stripping is covering (over) the edge of the A pillar trim and headliner. Cross your fingers if you are into that sort of thing and drive around looking for bumps. Don't blame me when you find that your headliner rattle is gone but now you can hear a creak from the backseat.

I used some fasteners that I had on hand (teal colored), but the ones I removed were yellow and marked "TRW" and "8". Looking at the parts catalog, I think they are part number 1047307-00-A aka "TRIM CLIP 8.5x0.7-1.6". Google doesn't turn up many good options, but any similarly shaped fastener for an 8.5mm hole should be ok.

 

[Tallmike518]

I have a similar noise as well coming from the headliner on my 2022 LR Model S. It’s a big problem when the sound is picked up by the hands free mic on the headliner. Tesla looked at it and adjusted window seal which helped but not fixed.

 

[Hamilton237]

Well since this post I swapped out for a 2022 MS LR. As it happens I also have a small noise from the front headliner area. Not nearly as bad as my 2020. This time I isolated it to the passenger sun visor. The noise goes away when it is open or extended. Haven't dug into it further.

 

[aerodyne]

4. Inspect and replace headliner mounting fasteners: Look up between the headliner and roof to see if you can see the fasteners. It helps to move the seat back and as high as it goes to get a better angle. I had luck shining a light off the roof and seeing the reflection behind the headliner. If the fasteners are in place, you will need to use a tool to pop them out. If the fasteners are broken, missing, or just misaligned then gently pull down on the headliner from the front to get some more room. Note that the headliner is still attached at the B pillar so don't pull too hard. You have a few inches/cm to get your fingers in as well as get a better view. Look for loose wires, excess glue, stray pieces of plastic, and decide if the fasteners need to be replaced. The fasteners sit in a slot in a piece of plastic which is glued to the headliner and are retained in that slot by a tab. To replace the fasteners press down on the plastic tab just next to the fastener. The tab is towards the centerline of the car. The end of the tab will go down a few mm and then the fastener will slide out in that same direction. I couldn't get a great picture, but you'll feel the fastener slide side to slide a little. See diagram from the parts catalog below. Pressing the tab down and out of the way will let the fastener slide out. Installation is the opposite, slide the fastener back in from the tab side. Now, make sure the fastener tips are both lined up with the hole in the mounting bracket and push up. The fasteners should go through the hole and snap in place. Undo your removal of the visor and visor clips, center grill thing, and the A pillar trim. Make sure the rubber door weather stripping is covering (over) the edge of the A pillar trim and headliner. Cross your fingers if you are into that sort of thing and drive around looking for bumps. Don't blame me when you find that your headliner rattle is gone but now you can hear a creak from the backseat.
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I used some fasteners that I had on hand (teal colored), but the ones I removed were yellow and marked "TRW" and "8". Looking at the parts catalog, I think they are part number 1047307-00-A aka "TRIM CLIP 8.5x0.7-1.6". Google doesn't turn up many good options, but any similarly shaped fastener for an 8.5mm hole should be ok.
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You should apply for a tech manual writer for Tesla.

Some of the SM procedures are still beta

 

[Tallmike518]

I have a similar noise as well coming from the headliner on my 2022 LR Model S. It’s a big problem when the sound is picked up by the hands free mic on the headliner. Tesla looked at it and adjusted window seal which helped but not fixed.

After further review headliner speaker on driver side is rattling. When I tap on drivers side headliner speaker it rattles when I tap on passenger headliner speaker it’s solid no rattle.