OK, I've tried for a couple of days now to get this darned window trim/moulding back on the side of my car. One day it just fell off while driving without me even noticing it being gone, and have since scored a new trim piece and have painted it black to match what I already have. But, I can't get the thing back on for the life of me. Bentley says start from the rear of the vehicle and go forward, but it just won't slide into place. I would have to put too much pressure on it to "clip" in, resulting in either a damaged piece or the paint coming completely off where my finger would be putting pressure on it. Is there a method to installing this piece? I'm at the point where I don't care so much about the paint coming off (though I really don't want to spray it again) that I just want it back on. Is there a technique used to put it on without damaging the entire trim? Piece #1: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=1254&mospid=47308&btnr=51_0830&hg=51&fg=20
I think (no promises) you slide it back then get the clips to lock at the slope of the A pillar. I drill a very small hole and install a very small screw to keep the trim from flying off, but I'd almost have to show you where.
While we're on the subject of molding, there's a pretty loud wind noise coming by my left ear while I'm driving from the closed window. What's a good way of sealing up that space around the top of the window to decrease the noise?
What do you mean slide it back? As in, slide the rear edge of the trim from the front of the car and curve it around the bend? That doesn't work, I've tried that...
You might need to door seals. They are about $75 a door. BavAuto, BMP Design, and your local dealer are all good sources. Be sure to buy new clips for the molding along the bottom of the door. It is a pain to get off and will most likely break some of the clips in the process. They are cheap, so it is not a big deal.
You might want to try a rubber mallet to get it to clip into place. They are a pain, I tried to help my friend put one on his E30. It took some force to get it to stay clipped. It was also a used piece of trim, so it might have had some bends to it that were causing to keep coming unclipped.
THere are little steel clips inside the aluminum trim piece that have teeth tha grab on to the body seam You can try bending the teeth back out to get them to grab, but often they are rusted and deteriorated.
The way I installed my a-pillar/raingutter trim was by lining it up to make sure there was enough to make the bend down for the a-pillar. You lay the straight portion flat on the rain-gutter pinch weld and roll it into place with force trying to get the aluminum to slide on both sides of the pinch weld seam. You literrally have to roll it to follow the arced shape of the rain gutter. The front portion will rotate down and then you just push that portion into the a-pillar sides with those metal clips that are inside the aluminum trim. I remember it being tricky, but not too bad. Protect the car so the font end flying around does not hit the paint! Try a few drops of teflon Good luck
I forgot to post ... ^ that is how I got mine on. I tried about 10 times before to no avail, but tried it once again at a meet and snapped it on in the matter of a couple of minutes. lol
Do you have the BMW part number for the clips? How many clips are needed for each side? Thanks in advance.
Are you familiar with RealOEM.com? Try here. I am not clear which clips it is that you are looking for but you should be able to find them using that site.
This is an old post, we haven't seen Botond, Paul, & Grant on the forums for some time - however, I believe Paul is saying the clips are an integral part of the trim, cut-out 'fingers', per-se, not separate clips. In the realoem.com link at the beginning of the post, the small parts would be any clips, such as #14, or #16.
