Convertible quarter glass rubber seal replacement

[Bybuys]

Hi all. Having spent 8 weeks doing up my 2001 clk convertible which had sat in my garage with severe wheel arch rust it has now passed MOT. I am now doing all the 'little jobs' which includes replacing the rubber seal on the leading edge of the rear quarter window. There are quite a few mentions in posts about them ripping up but cannot find anything about how to actually take it off the glass. It is obviously very tight and the last thing I want to do is break the glass. Is there an art.to removing it? Would appreciate.some advice from anyone that has done it before. Thanks

 

[Bybuys]

Hi All. In the absence of any ideas I decided to set about it and I learned a few bits which are worth posting. I needed to replace the seals which are attached to the leading edge of the rear windows of a 2001 W208 CLK Convertible. This is a 230 Avantgarde version. To start with the part numbers are 208 670 0139 for the UK nearside and 208 670 0239 for the offside. I am unclear whether they are available through MB but quotes I had from PartsforMercs in Wellingborough were £115 a side. I got mine off ebay but via a German company called Hajus who I believe manufacture aftermarket. They cost £123 for 2 delivered. They tend to get ripped up and once there is a tear, there is a risk that the front window will snag on it. This will tear it further but occasionally it snags so tight and there is a big bang as it releases. Fortunately neither window has broken which I felt was a serious risk. I have attached a few photos of how I removed and replaced it.

1 With the hood down the strip looks like this


2 At the bottom you can lever the rubber away and then pull the leading edge of the rubber out of its groove all the way to the top.
3 There is double sided tape inside and you need to lever this away from the metal frame to release it.
4 Once done you can pull the rubber seal from the top and pull it out of the metal frame.


5 The metal frame is still attached to the window and there is a separate seal between the metal frame and the window. I used a small pair of mole grips about 2 inches up from the base and whilst holding the rear window to keep it steady I gently pulled the metal frame directly off the window which left the rubber seal still attached to the window. BE WARNED The new part does not include the rubber seal on the window. You need to either leave it in place or remove it carefully.



6 Once removed I cleaned the remnants of rubber and dirt off the window and replaced the seal I had saved. When in place I then ran 'fairy liquid' up the seal to lubricate it and also put some in the metal frame. It is then just a matter of lining up the new frame which has 2 tabs at the top and pushing it over the seal. The top of the rubber needs to be perfectly positioned on the top of the window. Ensure that the other rubber bits at the bottom are clear of the new frame.



7 A tip is to save all the rubber you removed from the old seal. You can use strips of this to repair any other slight tears in the rubbers at the base of the new frame.



I hope this is of some use to someone now or in the future. My next job is to replace a broken roof suspension steel and the rear window stops and then it is all done ready for its 20th birthday and a trip to the Dolomites!