Glass rubber cover, windshield & rear window (E39)

The windshields are definitely glued-on with a waterproof adhesive and the cover does help though in providing additional protection against water getting around the windshield which may contribute to future water incursion. The opening for inserting the cover is VERY narrow so it is important to get all the residue and gunk out, which is why Goo-Gone and use of a shop vac is very important.

BMWNA can count another windshield cover as defective. Now that my car is eight years old, almost all of the rubber is gone. It's basically down to the metal strip from the old cover. And yes, there are no leaks. It is truly just a cover.

I'll be tackling this easy DIY'er over the Thanksgiving holiday - all the while giving thanks to this forum for saving me from paying someone else to do this job.

Mine too... I ordered the windshield moulding from bavarian and am going to install it today. Thanks to this forum, I dont have to spend 600 for a new windshield!

I did mine today, the front windshield. it was more like a 3 hour job for me because the old molding disintegrated so much. when i took the strips out, it peeled off and left residue rubber under the glass and in the gap. so i spent almost 3 hours scrapping, cleaning up the old rubber with goo gone. if the old rubber is not clean, the new molding won't fit.

putting the new molding back is a 10 minute job. so the job really depends on how bad your old molding is. thanks for the thread and the diy provided by gary!

Did mine a few weeks ago and posted a DIY with pictures if it helps anyone...

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1143638

1

Originally Posted by Carbo3D

Fellow 5-series owners,
I finally received a return email from Leonora.Vlaovich@bmwna.com after many weeks of no reply....apparently my email was "mis-directed" and "fell through the cracks" (no pun intended). Leonora assigned from BMWNA Mr. Lew Moore to look into my cracking and disintegrating windshield rubber issue. I gave Lew all my 1999 528 information. After several phone calls speaking directly with Lew back in New Jersey, he contacted my local dealer in the area (Pacific BMW) along with a service manager to discuss the situation and whether BMW would replace the rubber moulding around the windshield. The verdict? They decided that it would be my sole responsibility to make the necessary repairs. Lew said BMW did not know of enough owners with similar defects. Now Lew said to me that they have employees that scour the web for threads about BMW issues, so I don't understand this decision. They had my direct link to my photos here on this site (click here for photos.) I mentioned to Lew about the many owners on this site with the same defect. Didn't seem to sway things. Also, the car was not even taken to the dealer for a direct inspection, which he mentioned as something he wanted do, but we never got to that stage.

Lew Moore is at BMWNA at (201) 307-4000. I will be calling him Monday August 21 to send him more direct links to this site with all of our issues. Clearly there is an issue with these vehicles and it needs to be properly handled by BMW. We should not be required to perform our own dicey surgery on these expensive vehicles, nor should we be required to have to pay for a defect that appears throughout this series of vehicle. We all need to voice our concerns with this, so get on the phone and email, too!

they just need to know how many of these covers are sold by Pelican or how many are manufactured to be distribuited

Just did mine took 10 to remove and 5 to clean up and 10 to install. Thank you Gary

Originally Posted by Ågent99

I've notice on my 2001 530i that the rubber COVER around the windshield is drying out and has cracks perpendicular to the windshield. Near as I can tell, it does not leak.

Also, the rubber gasket/seal around the rear window is looking about the same. In fact, the two upper corners have pretty much dried out and cracked off.

Yeah, I know pics would help but I'll get those up later.

How is everyone elses holding up? Any cracking at all? Hmm, I wonder if I have any recourse with BMWNA...most likely not but there is no way these should be failing on a 5-year old car with under 70k on it, IMO.

As for the cracking. On my 2001 525I series, I am having the same problem. I just plan to take it in and get new seals around the windshield before I actually do have major problems; like leaks.

All the window rubber on my '93 525i is perfect. So are the door seals. . . upstate New York never has enough sun.
Colin

The windshield coverings/strips on my '05 are starting to crack. Anybody know of any products that might slow the process? I'm sure I'll have to replace eventually, but would rather do it later than sooner. Also looking for good adhesive or something to make the plastic moulding strip on door by side window stay down. Thanks!

Originally Posted by tiger889

As for the cracking. On my 2001 525I series, I am having the same problem. I just plan to take it in and get new seals around the windshield before I actually do have major problems; like leaks.

They're not seals, they're just trim, they act as a little bit of the rain gutter at each end but there's no way they'll create a leak.

The front on our '98 540i was coming out in big chunks when something mercifully starred the windshield, so it got a new moulding as part of the glass replacement. Shame to lose the OE glass, it had our Swiss highway toll sticker from the ED trip and the new one has a little more optical distortion along the edge.

The rear on the '98 was coming out in equally large chunks when my wife got PITted by an errant lane-changing F150; it clipped her pretty hard right where the cop training teaches punting the fleeing vehicle and I figure the DSC was the only reason she didn't end up doing at least a 180. So the car got the right rear quarter cut off and replaced, and the glass replaced, and the moulding, and a bunch of other stuff.

The windshield trim on my '00 M5 had been cracking for five years, was starting to chunk off, I finally changed it a couple weeks ago. Took about twenty minutes. The rear's not in quite as bad shape, I've got the parts but just haven't gotten around to it yet.

It's just garbage-quality material chosen for cost and/or recyclability instead of UV resistance.

ok all you have to do is go to the dealer and get a new robber for your winshild.

remove the all robber by hand 5 minutes. start at the botton. first remove the robber triangle at the base of the windshild. and pull out the robber by hand

then install the new robber presing with your hand starting at the upper corner of the driver side.

I did this my self last week.

no need to remove the winshild very easy finish the job in 20 minutes

rear window cover just about gone on my '06 530. also door/ window seals are starting to go out again. Car will be going in for final factory 4/50 service, will add this to list.
any other common complaints?

My 2000 528 front molding is almost gone, the aluminum that's within the rubber is now showing . I went to my local glass shop and they are going to charge me $119 to replace the molding. They told me that it's a risk when doing it because the glass may break so if it does then I will be looking somewhere around $250. I bought the molding from the dealer, forgot how much, but couldnt get it done today only because of the rain forcasted so we rescheduled for Monday.

I know this is a 5-series thread but my 86 325 has the exact same problem and my rear window seals look absolutely terrible. They don't leak but the seals themselves are chipped and cracked and instead of black they are a dark brown that just looks horrible. Does anyone know where i could order new seals or would an auto glass shop take care of it. I was thinking about painting them just to make it look a bit more attractive.

Just to cross reference some DIYs to this one (for ease of use) ...
Replacing windshield moulding

E39 Windshield Rubber Trim Replacement
Just replaced the rubber around my windshield
Deterioating windshield surround rubber

I just had mine replaced and it was a 2004 Z4. My friend has a 1999 Chevy and it still looks new. I can believe BMW can't come up with a formula that works as good as a Chevy!! I DID get a good repair price. $250.00.

Originally Posted by kingdunke

I did mine today, the front windshield. it was more like a 3 hour job for me because the old molding disintegrated so much. when i took the strips out, it peeled off and left residue rubber under the glass and in the gap. so i spent almost 3 hours scrapping, cleaning up the old rubber with goo gone. if the old rubber is not clean, the new molding won't fit.

putting the new molding back is a 10 minute job. so the job really depends on how bad your old molding is. thanks for the thread and the diy provided by gary!

King.. where you at? I'll bring you a pizza if you can do mine! LOL...

Easiest repair EVER! Mine were shot. Especially the front. After getting turned down by a glass repair company (said I absolutely had to remove the front & rear winshields) decided to do it myself. Total time. 30 minutes. That's for the front & back moldings. Could not have been easier. He could have charged me "whatever" & I would not have known the difference. Thanks! Just saved myself "whatever". Plus the satisfaction of doing it myself. My 1969 Firebird Convertible is so less intimidating under the hood!
I still have to do the lower front windshield (cowl molding) but need to pull the wiper arms for that. To late in the day to start that project. Maybe tomorrow!

Just sent a message to the identified individual for BMW reference the seals, however the message comes back as "Undeliverable". Any suggestions?

~Waythos
2006, 530i

I'm here! Did you have a question about the windshield seals? Email address is nextcoastmichael@mchsi.com

Michael

Did the lower cowl molding a few days after the seals. Got it done, bu the wipers were REALLY hard to remove. Nothing in my tool box worked. Nothing at Auto Zone. Borrowed a battery terminal puller to get the drivers side "compensation nut" off. That was hard, but nothing compared to the passenger side. After torquing as much as I was comfortable with & getting nowhere, I took it to my local shop (Import Auto, Panama City Fl, Thanks Mike & Jeff!). Mike used the same tool but took it further & finaly got the blade assembly free. After that, The cowl molding was easy. Old one comes out easy enough. New one a bit harder to get back in due to trying to be careful with the new part. But wrestled it in in about 10 - 15 minutes. Wipers back on. Job done. Not counting the time with the wiper removal. I'd say about 30-45 min job.

It looks great now. Front & back new seals make a difference in the 1st impression look. Just polished the yellowed headlight lenses with one of those kits & it turned out really well too. Bit by bit, this killer car is getting even better. Big diff in the power over the 535 I just sold & this 540. It's a freakin' rocket!

After over two years of angst and watching my windshield rubber fall apart... I finally broke down and went for it. The local rip-off dealer wanted $380 to replace the molding and gave no guarantee that they wouldn't break the glass.. if they did it was another 335$.
After reading the forum, I decided that it had to be better than 7 or 800 bucks, and if I broke the glass I was gonna be out anyway.

So I ordered the molding from carpartswholesale.com for about $50 bucks. Sorry I got no photos. My rubber was really gone, seven years outside in southern California is no excuse but it is probably a reason.
Anyway, the part arrives.. packed like a golf club. The molding is basicayl three pieces joined by flexible corners. Both sides and the top have a metal channel molded in to fit around the edges of the glass.

My old molding was essentially gone, all that was left were the metal channels and some random pieces of rotting dried out rubber. All the tolls that I need were a couple of cheap plastic putty knives from the local hardware store, and a pair of small neddlenose pliers to get the old stuff out of the way. I have no idea how tough this process would be if you have reasonably good rubber left. Might have to work it off in smaller chunks to expose the metal. Anyway, I pried the blade of the plastic knife under the edge of the channel and pushed it away from the windshield. Then I grabbed the loose end of the channel with the pliers and CAREFULLY pulled it out and away from the edge of the glass. Almost sliding it up and off the corner. Repeat for the top and the other side, then clean out all the little left behind pieces and make it all clean in the groove.

The new one fits right in... okay you have to line up the corners and get it in pretty close to where it needs to go. Angle the opening of the channel down and onto the edge of the glass and use the base of your palm to push it into place. When the groove is lined up the whole side wants to fit into place.

The corners are al little trickier, the rubber is molded to to fit around and over and under the corner of the glass. Might need a chopstick or other softer type implement to push it into place.... then line up and start across the top of the glass, another corner to coax into place and down the other side. May need a little force pushing it into place.. just make sure you are lined up in the channel and lean on it a thump of two with the base of your hand, just don't smack it with anything hard. I didn't use any tools to get it into place When its in use the putty knife to push it all the way onto the edge of the glass and seat the molding. It goes down into the space around the glass and the body as the channel slides into place on the edge of the glass.

The challenging part is the bottom six inches of the glass.. there is a compound curve on the glass and the molding has to line up under the rubber triangles in either corner of the engine compartment. Mine were soft enough to wiggle loose and line up with the windshield molding. use the putty knife to push it in place.

Took longer to write this post than to do the job. The old rubber is sticky and will track into the house if you are not careful.. bad.

So go ahead, be careful, its not that tough a job. And the next time your local dealer says it can't be done suggest an un-natural act.

I'm so glad I found this thread. My wife made an appt with BMW to replace her top front windshield cover and they quoted something like $300. I think I'll attempt this diy and if all else fails, I'll take it in. Thanks!