Windshield rubber surround

[Umfaan]

Who ever fits the windscreen will provide a new seal ...Autoglass did on mine .

[Dr. Zed]

Who ever fits the windscreen will provide a new seal ...Autoglass did on mine .

You'd hope they would but I never trust these things..

[grannyknot]

Is this something that can be done myself

E85 yes shouldn't be a problem but E86 is a different story as the windscreens have to be removed to get the seal in properly . Mine is being done this week hopefully .

Why?
Is there much more to it than a tin top roadster then?
Not being facetious, just assumed it would be the same?

I think I have read every thread on both the Z4 forums and you are right, most roadsters owners don't seem to have much of a problem installing a new windshield surround, but coupes are more problematic most of the time.
I'm just about to install a new surround on my coupe so I've been looking into it.
One of the problems I think is BMW has a thin bead of sealant inside the channel that wraps around the glass, when the old surround is pulled off it is very difficult to clean the old sealant off the under side of the glass and the new sealant gets stuck on it making it difficult to push into place.

Also, the surround trim that was installed at the factory had a 1/4" double sided foam tape under the trailing edge that sticks to the roof, the new surrounds being sold don't have that foam tape anymore.
That is not going to make it harder to install but it may affect the final look.

IMG_0903.JPG (156.64 KiB) Viewed 563 times

IMG_0902.JPG (212.37 KiB) Viewed 563 times

[grannyknot]

Guys with Coupes, just do yourself a favour and have the windshield removed to fit the new rubber surround or at least, know when to stop before you crack the glass.
Just ordered a new windshield and rubber surround and by the time I get it in my hands it will be a $1,000.00 plus some installation costs. Luckily I found a new piece of BMW glass in Vancouver BC so that is on order now.
But I know why it cracked, the part of the surround that inserts between the glass and the roof at its smallest width is 4mm, on the right side of the car there is a 5.8mm gap, on the left there is a 2.8mm gap.

These must have been fitted at the same time the glass was installed.

crack.JPG (136.25 KiB) Viewed 526 times

gap1.JPG (176.37 KiB) Viewed 526 times

gap2.JPG (159.79 KiB) Viewed 526 times

[1536Z4]

Guys with Coupes, just do yourself a favour and have the windshield removed to fit the new rubber surround

Yes definitely the best/proper way on a coupe . I have mentioned this in previous posts and on page 1 of this post but understand why people still try to DIY especially when most of the videos and write ups are for E85`s which are a different beast .

[grannyknot]

Guys with Coupes, just do yourself a favour and have the windshield removed to fit the new rubber surround

Yes definitely the best/proper way on a coupe . I have mentioned this in previous posts and on page 1 of this post but understand why people still try to DIY especially when most of the videos and write ups are for E85`s which are a different beast .

There is also a strange thing going on with the part numbers
#51317017021 for the roadster, # 51317210011 for the coupe, however Realoem says the roadster part fits both roadster and coupes, but the coupe part only fits coupes
It is easy to see that windshields are just going to get harder to find and as these cars age the trim surrounds will continue to deteriorate.
I predict a lot more cracked glass in the future, hopefully coupe owners will find this thread before they DIY.
There seems to be many coupes with crooked windshields.

[grannyknot]

I just figured something out, they are definitely 2 different parts, #51317210011 is for e86 with a production date of 02/08 and on, my car was built 08/08.
I ordered the wrong trim surround because I was told it would fit, https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-bmw ... 017021/you can see the difference in my photo above, there is an extra flap of rubber on the #51317017021 part making the corner that I tried to fit first thicker. The #51317210011, https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-bmw ... 317210011/ part also includes the 1/4" foam tape I mentioned above.
I better contact the dealership and make sure they ordered the right one.
Even if I had ordered the proper part I think I would have ended up right where I am, impossible to push a 4mm seal in to a 2.8mm gap.

Screenshot 2022-09-10 at 07-24-07 Windshield Trim.png (179.85 KiB) Viewed 483 times

IMG_0902.JPG (212.37 KiB) Viewed 483 times

[Dr. Zed]

I ordered mine from the dealer. 30 quid and I fitted it myself a few weeks ago. Took a bit of fiddling since they decided the best way to store the thing was to fold it into a box but it's in and looks a lot better!

[foddysavva]

I know not everyone likes the idea of getting their windshield replaced through the insurance as most cases they won't use a genuine BMW screen but when I visited my local autoglasd to double check something g, the guy confirmed they replace the screen and all seals.....my top seal literally crumbked last month. Its been OK so far as the rest of the seals are solid. Will probably get it done soon.

[grannyknot]

The new windshield came in yesterday, it is staying the box until I can get the car up to my auto glass guy.

oct14 1.JPG (113.24 KiB) Viewed 360 times

oct14 2.JPG (159.56 KiB) Viewed 360 times