Upper window trim replacement

[iamgnat]

The rubber trim at the top of the windshield of my wife's 07 e90 has dry rotted and needs to be replaced.

My first question is: Am I correct that it is #10 in this diagram?
http://realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/x/p/208.png

Second question: Is it simply pulling out the old and pressing in the new one?

Thanks,
-dave

[shifterkart33]

Did you have any luck replacing the trim?

Our '07 has been cracked for a couple years and now it's coming off in chunks.

[iamgnat]

Sorry, I haven't been over here in months since the place seems dead compared to the e30 forum.

No I haven't gotten around to fixing it yet. It looks terrible but doesn't seem to be leaking so it's turned into a fairly low priority compared to other stuff going on.

[mryakan]

the place seems dead compared to the e30 forum.
Well no wonder, these cars have not been around for 30 years like the e30, so not as many folks with them nor as many problems with them.

[iamgnat]

I think it's a general mindset issue and I've seen it on other e9x forums. The majority of the current owners don't seem that interested in much DIY repair so there isn't much info out there for those that do want to do it themselves.

I expect the two main reasons for that are because they have only recently (relatively speaking) started coming out of the factory warranty so there hasn't been much reason to DIY since there isn't a cost savings. I think the other reason is just how complicated these cars have gotten (even changing the battery seems to be a royal PITA to DIY).

I'm not knocking anyone for not making repairs themselves (I'm only recently (in the span of my life) into doing that and it's because of my e30), just pointing out that it is frustrating when there is something you want to do but can't find the support to make sure you are about to do the right thing.

[mryakan]

I think it's a general mindset issue and I've seen it on other e9x forums. The majority of the current owners don't seem that interested in much DIY repair so there isn't much info out there for those that do want to do it themselves.

I expect the two main reasons for that are because they have only recently (relatively speaking) started coming out of the factory warranty so there hasn't been much reason to DIY since there isn't a cost savings. I think the other reason is just how complicated these cars have gotten (even changing the battery seems to be a royal PITA to DIY).

I'm not knocking anyone for not making repairs themselves (I'm only recently (in the span of my life) into doing that and it's because of my e30), just pointing out that it is frustrating when there is something you want to do but can't find the support to make sure you are about to do the right thing.

The cars are still relatively new, and most of them are still under warranty/covered maintenance. They are also rather complicated to work on, which make many people shy away. People are also hesitant to affect their warranties, so they opt for safe mods. Also keep in mind that many people who pay north of 40K for their car do not mind paying mechanics to work on their cars. Then there is the fact that many people lease their cars, and not many people work on their leased cars (not saying they treat them bad, but a leased car is usually under warranty and not safely moddable).

Of course, as you mention, things are starting to change as more cars come off leases and used ones become more affordable to the masses. I have seen a lot more traffic here in the past 2 years than say 2007-2009.

As for DIY, they all come from people who don't find help elsewhere so they figure out how to do things and post the DIY to help others. So if you do not find a DIY for something, do not get discouraged, and if you do end up figuring out how to do it, why not share it with the community and help others that may be looking for the same info in the future. You get recognition in the process and as they say, "pay it forward".

[shifterkart33]

I just changed the trim:

I used a screwdriver to pry out the front side of the trim with a piece of plastic against the windshield to keep from cracking it. That took a few seconds but cleaning off all the residue left over took several minutes and some adhesive remover. I also used a vacuum to get all the little dry rotted rubber pieces out of the gap between the windshield and the roof.

I started installing the new trim on one end by tucking the end a little under the side trim. Then I pushed the trim down into the gap and tucked the other end under the other side trim. After it was all flush across the windshield I removed the strip covering the adhesive and pressed it down against the roof to stick the adhesive. The whole thing took about 15 minutes.

The BMW part number is 51317061967 and was about $30 at my local dealer.