E38 Windshield Replacement

The procedure illustrated below has been carried out on my 1998 E38. Approximate time taken to perform the job = 2 hours Time for the sealant to set = @ 3 hours

ITEMS USED IN PERFORMING THE JOB

Brass wire (or string) 2 Cross Screwdrivers non-OEM Black Silicon Sealant Scraper 3M Clear Tape (NOT DUCT TAPE !)

Step 1

The wipers have 3 bolts, 2 in the center and 1 on the right end. Loosen them to remove the entire wiper sets. Advice: If they get stubborn, a spray or two of HD40 or Sonax should do.

The third bolt is marked with the red triangle. (Note the 2 small plastic clips around the 3rd bolt) Advice: For space clearance, move off the rubber strip pointed to by the red arrow.

Step 2

Remember those small black clips you noticed in Step 1 ? Okay, there are 10 of them, 5 on each side of the frame. Remove those. This can be done simply with a line-screwdriver. Advice: Be gentle with those caps, you need the same ones coz they don't come with the new windshield.

Step 3

There are 2 plastic covers, 1 on each side of the windshield,  that you should dismount. Do it with your bare hands as they are 'clickable'. Note a similar rubber boundary on the top center of the windshield. (Sorry for the white background and vagueness if this pic.) Advice: Again, be gentle with the items that don't come with the                          windshield package :)

Step 4

In this pic you can see a red arrow pointing to a plastic cap with the word 'AirBag' engraved on it. Gently pull it off with a screwdriver and unscrew the pin inside. Advice: Excessive impact/force my cause the aribag to inflate, so be gentle.

Step 5

The 3 red arrows indicate the space between the car's body and the glass windshield. Lay some 30-40cms of brass string/wire on the sharp edge of the scraper and push it (from the inside) parallel to the glass so that the string can be caught from the outside. (Sorry, forgot to photo the scraper manuevre)

Step 6

Now you need someone to help you continue this job. Someone must sit inside the car to aid you in pulling back and forth the string/wire, in the aim of slicing the rubber strip & detaching it from the car's body. Advice: Have a lot of wire handy, as you will be experiencing a lot of cut-outs due to friction heat.

Step 7

After completing the 'slicing' job (unfortunately the tackiest step of the whole process), you will notice an uneven layer of rubber still sticking on the car's frame boundaries. What's now in front of your eyes should look something similar to this pic here: Using the scraper, slowly & gently scrape off the remaining rubber in order to get an even surface. Careful not to scrape off a lot of the paint coz you might end up facing probs of corrosion in the v. long run over the years. Advice: Get a large piece of nylon or cloth to cover your interior especially if its leather. I didn't do that so I had to clean up a LOT at the end of the job.

Step 8

The roll you are seeing here is that of the same stuff you sliced off with the brass wire. Apply it on the boundaries of the new windshield ensuring that it is being strictly collinear with the edge of the glass. Uptill now, work should be normal-paced. Right after that, you have to work fast. Apply the sealant uniformly on the inner part of the rubber boundary and go along the same path the rubber strip took. You have to head for your car before it sets. Advice: Work in a dust-free environment & have clean hands, you don't want this adhesive rubber not sticking to your car's frame later on.

Step 9

Now the following task can be accomplished with 2 persons ONLY if you've got the OEM Glass handle-bars. (They stick onto the outside surface, one on each side, to place the windshield into position.) Personally, I preferred having a third person using his hands as support from the inside in case an immediate push-out is required. My guess is that BMW would do the same if you were not to see the job being done, as the handle bars are for around $88 a set over here !

Step 10

As the windshield is in place, remain having a firm hold (not a push, just a hold) in an upward direction so as to oppose the force of the windshield's center of gravity. (5 minutes should do) Apply some 3M tape and go & enjoy looking at it for 3 hours. :)

Step 11

After 5 minutes, apply the sealant again but this time to the outer boundary of the windshield. Stratify the sealant inwards with teh scraper so as to eliminate the possibility of air bubbles accumulating within the mixture. ADVICE Do not rush this process as it is very critical to the issue of windnoise and/or water leakage later on.

REGRETS...

Just ONE: Not using OEM sealant !!!

Lemme know what you think, or any questions... feel free at iameating@hotmail.com