R230 rear window seal breaking trim

Devonian

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some months ago I removed and resealed the rear window trim the cure a leak, first time I opened the roof - A loud crack and the bottom of the trim on the passenger side broke off, I assumed at the time that as I had also sealed the C pillars that maybe some adhesive had stuck to the trim and broken it off. I temporarily fitted the broken trim with double sided tape until I got around to replacing it. During this time some of the times when opening the roof this trim would get knocked off sometimes not. When I got the new trim strip (£56 from the dealers) I checked the clearance carefully and noted the rear window seal only just cleared the trim so as a precaution I shaved a couple of mm of the bottom of it before fitting which isn't really noticable.
Yesterday however when opening the roof the same thing happened to the drivers side - aww **** !!

Clearly my thoughts are I have done something wrong fitting the rear window trim, As far as I can recall the two bolts fitted into same size holes, in which case it couldn't possibly be out of position or were the holes slotted to allow some forward and aft movement?? I think I'm going to have to take it off again to check but before doing so I'm wondering why it has taken months to have this effect on the drivers side so I'm wondering if there is anything else that might effect the position of the trim that might have varied?

I attach a couple of pictures and the broken part and have indicated the rubber part that catches and rips of the trim.

Any thoughts??
 

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drmw

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I removed that plastic trim on my last SL - it was quite a challenge as the retaining clips running up the side are almost guaranteed to snap. Sound like you went about it in a different way as I took it off from the outside & no bolts were touched.

From memory, the top & the bottom have appropriate mouldings to slide into the slots (one shown on your first picture) and you basically push it up until they are fully home.

From your description, it sounds as if you removed the metal bit with these slots, fitted the plastic & then refitted, so that's unknown territory for me. I think though you need to reverse engineer the process & try to fit higher up.

Sorry if that's a statement of the bleeding obvious, but if you haven't removed the rubber seal on the rear screen & if the black plastic trim is fully "home", then there's no other real alternative cause!

I also don't think these plastic trims play any part in water protection, but wouldn't like to run without them

I have the MB worksheet that shows how they are designed to be removed (easier said than down when it omits to mention the double sided sticky foam strip that tried to prevent it from moving!) - if you would like that emailed, let me know your email address.
 
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Clkrichard

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Ooooo please may I have that too ?

Thanks
 
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Mic

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Andy

Don't know whether the below two pictures help......I took these some time ago to show the corrosion but they do show the part to which your arrow points which is a sort of ''flap'' and is very flexible with a lot of available movement. I did not apply any CT1 in the area of the ''flap''.....only re-sealing around the bottom of the C pillars and below the rear window, literally, to just short of the ''flap'' and the drain below the ''flap''.
I did not disturb nor did I apply any CT1 around the seals below the trim that you have broken......that particular area I left well alone.


DSC01797a.jpg DSC01800a.jpg

Mic
 
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Devonian

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DRMW,- thanks fro the reply but I think you misunderstood - or I didn't explain it well enough :) i only replaced the platic trims to the side of the window because it got broken off, you're right it is a bit of a bugger to replace and has to be slid upwards from the bottom but that was not my issue, what I need to ascertain is why it broke in the first place.

Mic,
Thanks also for your reply the spacing shown on your pictures appears pretty much the same as mine, and of course I have Tims car to compare to what bothers me is when the passenger side broke I obviously looked carefully at the clearance and at that time there was more clearance on the drivers side than passenger, then the drivers side broke as well :( If I watch carefully as the roof opens the 'flap' as you refer to it comes very close to the trim, this 'flap' is covering the metal plate beneath which is affixed to the rubber strip running along the bottom of the window so if it catches the bottom of the trim it lifts the trim outwards away from the window and snaps it off :(

Andy
 

drmw

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I wonder if the problem might be in the movement coordination between the rear screen and the C pillar and if that can be adjusted.

If the C pillar isn't getting out of the way fast enough (where it pivots & the base effectively moves towards the front of the car) then the strip under the screen is going to catch it on its travels.

There are cables and hydraulic rams involved, ergo there must be some adjustment.

It might be a worthwhile exercise to start the roof lowering process & stop halfway (wedging the roof against the windscreen as posted up many times here) and with engine off, work your way around every movement point to see if something looks a bit loose or out of alignment.

However, on reflection, I suspect the key lies in your opening statement "I removed and resealed the rear window trim the cure a leak" - I now realise you meant the rubber strip along the base of the rear screen and not the bit that's broken (I think!).

I don't think it's been replaced in the proper place. Never having taken one off, I don't know what variables are presented in terms of how it is fitted, but it sounds like one of them is out
 
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Devonian

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I don't think it's been replaced in the proper place. Never having taken one off, I don't know what variables are presented in terms of how it is fitted, but it sounds like one of them is out

That's my feeling as well but just throwing open for opinions before I go to the trouble of taking it off again and having to clean off all the sealant :(
 

drmw

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That's my feeling as well but just throwing open for opinions before I go to the trouble of taking it off again and having to clean off all the sealant :(

cheaper than buying more plastic trims !!
 

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I think I have all the details for the adjustment
 

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so there is an adjustment? - I would be most grateful to receive such details please Malcolm

I have the flap adjust info, I will take a read later in the day for anything else
 

dannyfiveforty

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Have you had any problems with your trim breaking since? What did you adjust/or do to prevent it happening again. Mine snapped last night just like yours did..

I did attempt to tweak the flap on the underside of the boot prior to it snapping but pretty sure any flap adjustment would have absolutely zero effect on the c pillar trim/boot seal alignment..

Thanks, Dan
 
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Devonian

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Hi dan. What I did was to take a little off the bottom of the trim with coarse sandpaper to ensure there is enough clearance. Clearly this is an issue of slight misalignment of the rear window trim which I wasn't aware of when reselling that part I could of course have taken it off are refitted but opted for trimming
The plastic slightly instead
 

dannyfiveforty

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Ah, so your think it's to do with the seal on the bottom of the window not quite pushed on enough?

Thanks
 
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Devonian

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Yes I think that maybe the original sealant was thinner, if the replacement is thicker then the seal stands slightly more raised causing it to catch the trim.
 
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