Windshield trim gasket

Unit107 · #1 12-07-2010, 10:58 PM

The gasket at the top edge of my windshield is dried out and cracking. This looks to be about a $30 part but potentially a pretty involved replacement.

Is this something that can be scraped out and replaced or is it something that is applied to the glazing before being set onto the vehicle body?

I would love to replace it, but don't want to disturb it unless it is a DIY job

Thanks

chas3 · #2 12-08-2010, 12:21 AM

The gasket is applied after you replace the windshield, in such a scenario. You can easily pull it out and replace it with the new one.

Unit107 · #3 12-08-2010, 12:48 AM

Thanks for your reply.

Any tricks to pulling it out (i.e. putty knife, screw driver, etc.) or putting a new one back in(i.e. finger pressure, special tool, etc)? I've seen pictures of the profile of the gasket and it clearly has a channel the top edge of the windshield sits in. It looks like it should come off relatively easily with a little work. It also sounds like some cleanup of the old adhesive may be necessary before installing the new part.

I saw another post that claims the replacement should go much smoother if the windshield has never been replaced (which is my case). However, I would like to make sure replacing a $30 part doesn't lead to an $800 windshield replacement.

chas3 · #4 12-08-2010, 01:04 AM

Nothing fancy, half of it just slides under the windshield, so you just carefully pull it out. Similar to the top side trim.

mojamusic · #5 12-17-2012, 11:21 AM

i have an X5 4.6is 2003 with a cracked top windshield trim that needed replacing. the BMW part is cheap but i found out that you cannot replace the BMW trim without removing the windshield first and this process could easily crack your windscreen which would be thousands to repair.

i ignored the advice and tried to remove the trim myself, to find that the aluminium C channel does not come out easily and i ended up cracking the edge of my windscreen. not smart.

finally i took it to a local windshield specialist and they said if you want the oem bmw trim replaced, you are looking at 3 hours labour and the windshield may break whilst removing and also would be at risk for breaking in the future.

instead he offered a great solution. he installed a non-bmw seal without an aluminium channel, which just pops in. no need to remove the windscreen. the process took 30 minutes with a total charge of $40 labour and $40 for the windshield seal.

i am very particular about oem bmw parts and wanted the exact same look as the original. the new seal is almost identical and looks and performs better than the original.

he said the X5 seals become brittle and crack in the australian sun and he has done many of these replacements for dealers who want to replace an cracked seal without having to remove and possibly replace the windshield.

i feel very lucky to have found the perfect solution to a potential nightmare.
i strongly suggest taking it to a local windshield expert for a simple seal replacement, rather than going to the trouble, expense and risk of replacing the oem bmw seal and windshield.

Ricky Bobby · #6 12-17-2012, 12:32 PM

any link to a part # on your receipt for us US folks who would want to do this repair? my seal is just showing signs of cracking now, no leaks though. and although I would like to do it, I'm not risking cracking my windshield, so I'd go with an aftermarket seal if it mean that I wouldnt break the windshield.

luvmy03E53 · #7 06-21-2013, 09:30 AM

RB,

Have you done this seal replacement yet? I've got a cracked seal on my '03, and I'm weighing my options of how to take care of it.

Ricky Bobby · #8 06-21-2013, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvmy03E53

RB,

Have you done this seal replacement yet? I've got a cracked seal on my '03, and I'm weighing my options of how to take care of it.

Like the above poster, I am under the impression that the removal of the stock trim and reinstallation with windshield in place can potentially damage the windshield, so I left mine for now. One day I'd like to get a glass repair place to see if they have an aftermarket equivalent to replace it with, that can be done with the windshield in place though.

It doesn't leak but it is unsightly, its on my "to do" list but not high enough priority. If you get yours done with the windshield in place let us know! I'm interested to see if the BMW piece can be swapped without removing the glass (although I'm wary about it)

Unit107 · #9 06-21-2013, 10:33 AM

Mine was completely shreded and I decided to give it a go 6 months ago. I have to admit that is was difficult in the fact you have to be SOOO careful. I used various plastic auto trim pullers until I found a combination that was successful. Even then, it wasn't real pretty.

The major challege is just getting that first little section free enough to get under it to pull the entire strip off. That said, once it is removed, you have the exposed edge of the windshield to avoid. You are tempted to use the edge of the glass for leverage to pry it out, but you need to keep all the pressure on the strip. I put a very miniscule chip in the edge of the glass that was luckily easily covered up by the new strip. However, if I was applying more pressure, it could have been disasterous.

Replacing it was fairly difficult also, as you had to apply pretty good force every inch of the strip to get it in. Also, once the adhesive hits the glass, it is impossible to push in any further. I would give myself an A-, as I it got it in, but there was a small spot that just would fully go in, which you wouldn't notice unless it was pointed out. But I see it and it kind of bothers me.

I really have no other tricks, other than what I got from the forums here, but will leave you with the advice to Be Careful!

Good Luck

relentlessone · #10 10-28-2013, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unit107

Replacing it was fairly difficult also, as you had to apply pretty good force every inch of the strip to get it in. Also, once the adhesive hits the glass, it is impossible to push in any further. I would give myself an A-, as I it got it in, but there was a small spot that just would fully go in, which you wouldn't notice unless it was pointed out. But I see it and it kind of bothers me.

I think you are only supposed to pull the backing off of the adhesive slightly, just so it's long enough to stick out from underneath the seal. Once the seal is seated fully, you can then pull the rest of the adhesive backing off from underneath, and press down to form the seal. I haven't done it personally yet, but from the write-ups I have seen that seems to work.

Hopefully that is helpful to others looking to do the same.