Rear screen seam. Help please.

[pjharris101]

Hi All,

Just a quick question regarding my rear screen.

My rear window is not in bad condition BUT the corners of the fabric have come away from the screen. Here is a picture from the .net similar to what is happening to mine. It leaks in hard rain.

How do I repair this? Do you have any advice? Is there a link for instructions?

Or do I need to buy a new screen? But won't a new screen just have the same issue?

Thanks all in advance for your replies. This forum rocks.

Phil.
1997 BMW Z3 2.8 Cosmos Black, 17" Round Spokes.

[bighfishing]

i've just had this problem with my recently purchased Z3 and the bmw dealer replaced the rear screen under warranty, i asked if the same would happen again and the said no it would'nt because as well as the screen being zipped in the fabric is also glued down, as far as i can gather the new screen already has the glue on it but im not 100% sure as i did'nt see them do it.

[ajones13]

You could apply some canvas glue, like that used on boats under the fabric edge, then use a credit card to tuck the canvas back under the rubber edge round the window. Leave to dry and it will be fine. Just be sure not to get any glue ont he window.

[AntMan]

Depends how bad it is mine was like this when i brought it, I've had a new screen fitted and the new screen was zipped in and re bonded.
Mine still isn't perfect as the problem can be that the roof shrinks with age it's 150 times better than it was but a new hood will be the only perfect fix in my case

[ajones13]

The good thing with the canvas glue is that it also forms a water proof seal. If yours is like the one in the picture its definitely repairable.

Andrew

[Steve]

Copydex (a rubber solution glue) is good for this kind of thing and a real plus point is that any excess glue just rubs off.
In case you are worrried about how strong it is, I know that it is used for holding seams together when making leather / suede jackets.

[pjharris101]

Thanks All For Your Replies.

As I Said Before. This Forum Rocks.

[pjharris101]

Just found this link on the net:

http://ackthud.com/shawnfogg/topfix.htm

Will give it a try soon.

[MarkSBlueZ3]

I cleaned and polished up my Z3 today and I have also made the most of the dry weather by fitting a new rear windscreen too. Took a few hours (by myself) and tried my patience a little. Having fitted and secured it in place, it looks good, nice fit and good quality, however I notice that it does not have the old type rubber seal but a canvas flap to stick down. At the point where I need to stick it down, The instruction say apply contact cement, (looks more like rubber glue), wait 10 minutes then stick down. Anyone done this method before and is there anything to watch out for?

[lesstatt]

Mine is also doing this on the bottom corners, keep tucking it back under and it keeps popping out, i will have a go with some black silicone adhesive and see what happens

[Jaz]

It would appear that this is a regular problem, my old Z3 suffered this at the top nearside and was repaired (glued?) under warrenty via the supplying stealer. In the end I just accepted that everytime I put the roof down it would happen and became quite adept at resealing the joint using a credit card to encourage the canvas back under the plastic frame

[M3BMC]

I finally got round to changing my ripped and fogged rear window having had the replacement window lying around for about 3 years. The BMW dealer didn't want to know so having read and re-read all the horror stories braced myself for a challenge. Removing the old one was easy but getting the new one to zip in was an absolute nightmare. The ends that go into the zipper were frayed and got more and more worn each time I tried and failed to get the zip started. I changed over from zipping clockwise to anti-clockwise and all went well until I got to the end of the zipping and I realised I could not remove the zip. I am now left with a small piece of the metal zip permanently on the rear window. Oh well, at least I can see now and its watertight. So far the edges of the material are still nice and snug under the beading so it all looks smart

[Ian_C]

Looks a vast improvement. Well worth the effort I think