Windscreen rubber leaking
Moderator: martauto
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RossDavies
- E30 Zone Newbie
- Posts: 92
- Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2020 6:32 pm
Hey i drove my car in the rain the other day which i dont normally do, and the water started running down the inside of the screen. The thing is, the rubber seems nice and flexible so why would it leak if it aint cracked? Do they just loose their springiness? Is there any thing like a grease or something you can just squirt up in there or is it just as straight forward as replacing the rubber? Thanks!!
Are you sure it is leaking from the windscreen rubber and not running over it? Does the car have a sunroof? If the rubber looks OK then I would check the front sunroof gutter and drains.
Rubbers can dry out but a lot of times leak because someone squirted something in there. There is a lot I would try before buying a new rubber, (which are expensive from BMW and others don't fit well)
If you are certain it is the windscreen then you could go round the edge with some warm soapy water and a blunt knife or plastic trim tool to lift the rubber as you go and clean under. Better on a warm day. It can also help to remove the locking trim but it is fiddly to put back without the correct tool.
Check for rust around the windscreen edge.
If that fails then you could take the screen out and properly clean everything and soften the rubber. Only if that all fails then I would start thinking of buying new stuff
Rubbers can dry out but a lot of times leak because someone squirted something in there. There is a lot I would try before buying a new rubber, (which are expensive from BMW and others don't fit well)
If you are certain it is the windscreen then you could go round the edge with some warm soapy water and a blunt knife or plastic trim tool to lift the rubber as you go and clean under. Better on a warm day. It can also help to remove the locking trim but it is fiddly to put back without the correct tool.
Check for rust around the windscreen edge.
If that fails then you could take the screen out and properly clean everything and soften the rubber. Only if that all fails then I would start thinking of buying new stuff
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E30Derbyshire
- E30 Zone Newbie
- Posts: 152
- Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2020 10:11 am
We also have an old MX5, on one of the forums there was a suggestion to use Honda Shin Etsu silicone grease to revive the elasticity in rubber seals and strips. I’ve see Honda S2000 owners rave about it as well. Amazon or Ebay and lots of online motor factors stock it. I bought some and used it on the e30 and MX5 as part of precautionary maintenance.
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RossDavies
- E30 Zone Newbie
- Posts: 92
- Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2020 6:32 pm
Its definitely the windscreen rubber, i can literally see the condensation mark where its coming through. I got one in the passenger side top near the corner, and one on the drivers side at the bottom corner. I totally agree that it seems unreasonable to replace the rubber when there's no tears or stiffness there. The frame is sound theres no rust. The screen was removed a few years ago along with all other windows for a respray. Sounds like a good shout on that silicon grease and cleaning under the rubber, il give that a try....