changing rear screen

Post Mon Oct 03, 2005 12:21 pm

ok this might be a silly idea

but my e30 has a really nasty brown mouldy looking 'NEEP BMW' sticker in the rear window, and my breaker has a much nicer green and blue Sytner Alpina sticker in the same place.

i don't think either sticker would come off easily so can i swap the screen myself? i've done a fair few sideglass pieces on other cars, where the rubber seal holds the glass in and all you need is a flat screwdriver and patience, so will this be a similar job or is it bonded in or something?

Post Mon Oct 03, 2005 12:58 pm

Buy a sticker scraper or use a razor blade to get the sticker off and then wipe the gunk thats left off with degreaser...if it really wont budge hold a rag with thinners on it and it will shift.

Post Mon Oct 03, 2005 1:51 pm

really easy toby.
Remove one of the corner metal retainers/joining tab things.Pull out the 2 trim pieces from around the top of the screen and the one that runs along the bottom,it sits in the middle of the rubber.Then from inside gently push out the rear screen,but get a helper to catch it on the outside by holding on to it with hands flat on it.

To put it back in is the hard part.
Fit the rubber seal.Then put the glass back in.Before you try and get the trim parts back in though,you may have to move the glass and rubber seal about to centralise it all.To move the glass pat it over with the palm of your hand ,dont try and leaver it.Then squirt loads of washing up liquid into the slot running along the rubber where the trim parts need to go back in.Next,start by putting the longest trim part back in.Then finish with the bottom trim seal.When putting the trim back in start by pushing a bit in at a time by putting one side in then keep your thumb on it and lever the other side in with a flat blade screw driver or strong piece of flat plastic.There is a special tool which can be bought from snap on which makes putting the seal back in very easy and id recommend buying one.I never have like,but it hurts your thumbs and fingers once done and theres the risk of scratching the car with the screwdriver when it slips out of the seal when trying to get it in.
Keep working the trim peice in until done.The corners are trickyest as the seal goes tight there.

Have fun

cheers
andy

Post Mon Oct 03, 2005 1:54 pm

Ratfink wrote:Buy a sticker scraper or use a razor blade to get the sticker off and then wipe the gunk thats left off with degreaser...if it really wont budge hold a rag with thinners on it and it will shift.

I think Toby wants the Sytner Alpina sticker fitted in his car, hence why he want's to change rear screens.

Toby,

Getting the old screen out is a piece of pi55. Simply remove the corner trims with a small screwdriver (be VERY careful if you want to use these again - they are very easy to damage). Once the corner trims are out, you can pull out the plastic locking strips.

Once the locking strips are out, the glass will simply push out from the inside. Just push gently in one of the top corners, and it will pop out of the rubber.

Getting the other one back in is pretty easy, until you get to the locking strips. You really need a special tool for this that spreads the rubber and feeds the strip into the rubber at the same time. The really tricky bit is getting the corner trims back in place without wrecking them.

Ian.

Post Mon Oct 03, 2005 2:17 pm

Oh sorry missunderstood

At the end of the day its not changing a rear screen on a mk2 Zodiac (took me and two people a whole day!) so you should be ok.

Post Mon Oct 03, 2005 2:27 pm

As the others have said, it's not that bad a job, but I don't think I'd do it just for a sticker.
The old one should come off with a bit of heat from a hairdrier, and the mess can be cleaned off with alcohol of some kind. Be carefull of the screen heating wires.
If you really want the Sytner sticker, write to them or visit them with a cock and bull story about restoring your breaker to immaculate , original condition, and they may give you a nice new one. Give them the VIN.

Post Mon Oct 03, 2005 2:45 pm

Toby

I work for Sytner!
If you want i can try and get you one!
will have a word with our prep centre today and try and hold of a few!!
PM ur address and will pop it in the post!!

Hope that helps instead of changing windscreens!!!

Post Tue Oct 04, 2005 1:27 pm

oops forgot about this thread

thanks for the replies, and yes i know it seems daft just for a sticker!

i just have problems scrapping cars that have nice bits still attached (well bits better than the ones on mine in any case)

will have a play and see what happens. i would just have got stuck in without asking, but i tried to remove the rear quarter on a scrap mr2 once, for my own car, and it was bonded in