Rubber pieces on your X

[xRide]

Are they rotting away?

The piece that runs vertical along the top of windshield is literally rotting away. Rubber is now brittle. Am I the only one?

[admranger]

Common issue. Trim Replacement DIY thread

Truth be told, I have the same issue. I am considering using black silicone caulk until I have to replace the windshield.

[xRide]

Now why would BMW put a piece of trim there that's so weak then on top of it make it so difficult to replace......smh

[romeokc10]

Originally Posted by xRide

Now why would BMW put a piece of trim there that's so weak then on top of it make it so difficult to replace......smh

Uhhhhh...because that's the BMW way, it cracks me up when I read a thread every now and then and some guy is praising BMW's/Germans thought process...lol!!

[romeokc10]

Originally Posted by xRide

Are they rotting away?

The piece that runs vertical along the top of windshield is literally rotting away. Rubber is now brittle. Am I the only one?

I would bet most of us here are having the same problem, these things are getting long in the tooth. Every time I wash my car I find pieces of it on the driveway and on top of the hood...lol! Here's a more recent thread on replacing the trim.

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...lding-diy.html

[xRide]

I may have to give up driving dynamics for better built cars. I expect this to be on a 20 year old car that's been sitting in the element ity no care...not on a 8 year old car.

[Qsilver7]

The sun's ultra-violet rays -vs- BMW's decades old commitment to the use of recyclable materials so as not to fill up mother earth with the dead carcasses of our past motoring marvels once they've outlived their usefulness. The deterioration we see of rubber trim & the use of exterior & interior plastic trim stems from BMW's commitment to green ecology that is decades old.

Having been around prior to BMW's adoption of green ecology (having owned a BMW in the 80s, and had friends that owned BMWs in that decade, too) I was appalled when the e36 3 series debut. The interiors looked and felt really "cheap" compared to the e21 & e30 3 series that preceded them. And everytime I read (and see) trim failure as is mentioned in this thread...I'm always reminded of this turn in BMWs history that some may not be aware of as to the "how & why" these things occur on BMWs.

Excerpts from an article published:2/21/1993

Ecology: Where cars will go when they die: BMW is stressing the recyclability of its models, looking to the day owners will have to pay for their disposal:

BMW is particularly keen to establish itself as a maker of green cars. As a producer of often high-powered, flashy machines, it has become the target of environmentalists. The idea of the recyclable car is one of its the ways it is fighting back. Its advertisements for the new 3 Series stress that a significant proportion of its parts can be recycled. Landshut is part of the same effort.

With its latest 3 Series car BMW manages to recycle over more than 40 per cent of the non-metal components, which make up a quarter of most cars. These plastics and rubbers are the problem materials, not the metal which has traditionally been recycled by the steel industry. The aim is to get as quickly as possible to near- 100 per cent recyclability.

[TiAgX5]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

The sun's ultra-violet rays -vs- BMW's decades old commitment to the use of recyclable materials.....

I don't think UV rays are the primary issue when it comes to this pc rotting away. My '03 X has operated in FL and TX, 175k miles, has the OE windshield/molding and looks new.

Car washes that have unbalanced PH in their recycled water and salts/sodium chloride applied to iced/snowy roads are known to destroy rubber/plastic parts.

[xRide]

This was changed. old rubber came out very easy. no hassle. no fight. Easiest DIY to date.

[puddinboo]

mines is like brand new maybe the weather in ontario doesn`t get warm enough to detoriate that seal?