Why Did The Front Windshield Molding Shrink?
Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) #93-013, "Upper Windshield Molding Shrinks"
 – click photo to enlarge – |
Photo at left shows a pretty extreme case of windshield molding shrinkage (and not the kind of "shrinkage" due to cold water, either).
This is a pretty common problem. Some people have had it replaced several times and the new ones keep shrinking. Gluing the new one in place with some type of rubber-friendly adhesive usually prevents it from happening again. |
The costs for the repair are as follows, though in some cases just the molding strip is needed (not the fastener).
To save some money on the labor, you can order the parts from Acura and have any good automobile glass business replace it. They have to replace these strips every time they do a windshield so they have a lot more experience than the local dealer. And an added bonus is that most of them will come do the work at your home or work for no additional charge.
[LE] You can get an auto glass place to do the labor for probably about half as much. Any good auto glass place will even come fix it at your home or work – for that reason alone I’d rather go through them. It’s not rocket science, and they do molding strips everytime they do a windshield, which is probably a lot more in a month than the dealer has ever done.
[JRW] One easy and inexpensive possibility that looks good is that it can be stretched and then glued (using an adhesive from your local glass replacement dealer). Once in place, tape it with something that won’t hurt the paint until it dries.
[SS – 99/1/29] To keep your weatherstripping from drying out, get the silicone grease from the dealer and apply a thin film of it every time you change oil, or in my case, every time I thoroughly wax and detail the car (about once/month). Work it well into the rubber. This is the same silicone grease used to quiet the roof seals on the Targas. I use this stuff on my roof seals, door seals, hood, engine hatch and trunk seals.
[JJN – 99/1/29] I just noticed that 1/2" piece was missing from the end exposing the windshield edge and when I investigated, it looks like the stripping is so dried out, so its just peeling off.
[NM – 99/1/29] Very common (especially the older models). This is on a Tech Bulletin that I printed off from the FAQ and brought to my dealer. They replaced it free of charge and said they had a new part with a better design – but if it happens again, bring it back in and they would replace it again. Awesome service for a 91′ 3 times removed from the original owner. Just for laughs, try to pull a stunt like that on a 91′ 911, a 91′ 348, a 91′ Lotus, etc…
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