Leaking window seal (weatherstrip)

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mrscalex
Joined: Fri 13 Mar, 2015 09:14
Posts: 910

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Leaking window seal (weatherstrip)

Post by mrscalex »

I'm talking about the external rubber seal at the base of the window and top of the metal door panel. Not the door aperture seal at the very top of the window.

I have some nasty leaks, particularly round the pillar of the quarter light. I've googled expecting it to be a common problem but I can only find anything on the top of the door - I'm okay there. There was a small leak originally. Then I removed the seals to service the windows and it got much worse.

I know about tamping it down with a piece of wood and hammer but it didn't help.

Do I just need to keep re-seating it until I strike lucky? Do I need a new one (ouch)? Do I need to use some sealant? Is there another trick I'm missing?

Really keen to sort this out. The door trims can't go back until it's sorted and I'm fed up with looking at bare metal inside...
ImageImage
2001 Z3 2.2 Topaz Blue (Trudy) - Keeper rebuilt from a write-off
2002 Z3 2.2 Titan Silver (Cookies) - Keeper rebuilt having been bought with a seized engine
2002 Z3 3.0 Sapphire Black (Peanut) - Keeper awaiting rebuilding having been bought as an abandoned project
Plus Willy, Kodak & Maycee - All 2.2 Sport projects. Yes, 6 is a lot of Z3s :)
Always happy to try and help with spares :)
mrscalex
Joined: Fri 13 Mar, 2015 09:14
Posts: 910

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Leaking window seal (weatherstrip)

Post by mrscalex »

Btw. I know people sometimes resign themselves to water coming in here. And the recommendation is to ensure the vapour barrier is properly sealed and the drain holes in the bottom of the door are cleared.

But I'd really rather the water didn't get in there in the first place. So I'd rather fix it properly.
ImageImage
2001 Z3 2.2 Topaz Blue (Trudy) - Keeper rebuilt from a write-off
2002 Z3 2.2 Titan Silver (Cookies) - Keeper rebuilt having been bought with a seized engine
2002 Z3 3.0 Sapphire Black (Peanut) - Keeper awaiting rebuilding having been bought as an abandoned project
Plus Willy, Kodak & Maycee - All 2.2 Sport projects. Yes, 6 is a lot of Z3s :)
Always happy to try and help with spares :)
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Devon Z
Z Register member
Joined: Thu 20 Nov, 2003 21:39
Posts: 651

  Z3 roadster 2.0
Location: Brixham, Devon

Re: Leaking window seal (weatherstrip)

Post by Devon Z »

I'd like to know how this weather strip comes off as I have a little rust blister starting from under it just by the quarter light.
99 2.0 Topaz Individual
mrscalex
Joined: Fri 13 Mar, 2015 09:14
Posts: 910

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Leaking window seal (weatherstrip)

Post by mrscalex »

It just pulls off. I've only removed them when I've already had the door card off but I don't think that's necessary. They wrap round at either end. I unhook from the front and then just pull gently up.
ImageImage
2001 Z3 2.2 Topaz Blue (Trudy) - Keeper rebuilt from a write-off
2002 Z3 2.2 Titan Silver (Cookies) - Keeper rebuilt having been bought with a seized engine
2002 Z3 3.0 Sapphire Black (Peanut) - Keeper awaiting rebuilding having been bought as an abandoned project
Plus Willy, Kodak & Maycee - All 2.2 Sport projects. Yes, 6 is a lot of Z3s :)
Always happy to try and help with spares :)
User avatar
Devon Z
Z Register member
Joined: Thu 20 Nov, 2003 21:39
Posts: 651

  Z3 roadster 2.0
Location: Brixham, Devon

Re: Leaking window seal (weatherstrip)

Post by Devon Z »

mrscalex wrote:It just pulls off. I've only removed them when I've already had the door card off but I don't think that's necessary. They wrap round at either end. I unhook from the front and then just pull gently up.
Thanks for the info :)
99 2.0 Topaz Individual
spurs fan in a coupe
Joined: Fri 18 Apr, 2008 19:24
Posts: 1446

  Z3 coupe 2.8
Location: woking

Re: Leaking window seal (weatherstrip)

Post by spurs fan in a coupe »

My track car leaked a bit on the upper corners of the rubber at the top of the windscreen, by the quarter glass, a couple of bike puncture repair patches and it's water tight now, even in the really heavy rain recently
we expres: " He did hear the bells ringing, but doesnt know where where the clapper hangs".
mrscalex
Joined: Fri 13 Mar, 2015 09:14
Posts: 910

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Leaking window seal (weatherstrip)

Post by mrscalex »

spurs fan in a coupe wrote:My track car leaked a bit on the upper corners of the rubber at the top of the windscreen, by the quarter glass, a couple of bike puncture repair patches and it's water tight now, even in the really heavy rain recently
It's not that bit on mine though. Well, to be honest I haven't even checked there yet.

It's the sealing strip at the base of the window.
ImageImage
2001 Z3 2.2 Topaz Blue (Trudy) - Keeper rebuilt from a write-off
2002 Z3 2.2 Titan Silver (Cookies) - Keeper rebuilt having been bought with a seized engine
2002 Z3 3.0 Sapphire Black (Peanut) - Keeper awaiting rebuilding having been bought as an abandoned project
Plus Willy, Kodak & Maycee - All 2.2 Sport projects. Yes, 6 is a lot of Z3s :)
Always happy to try and help with spares :)
mrscalex
Joined: Fri 13 Mar, 2015 09:14
Posts: 910

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Leaking window seal (weatherstrip)

Post by mrscalex »

Anyone got any suggestions before I resort to sealant? Which I would prefer not to.
ImageImage
2001 Z3 2.2 Topaz Blue (Trudy) - Keeper rebuilt from a write-off
2002 Z3 2.2 Titan Silver (Cookies) - Keeper rebuilt having been bought with a seized engine
2002 Z3 3.0 Sapphire Black (Peanut) - Keeper awaiting rebuilding having been bought as an abandoned project
Plus Willy, Kodak & Maycee - All 2.2 Sport projects. Yes, 6 is a lot of Z3s :)
Always happy to try and help with spares :)
mrscalex
Joined: Fri 13 Mar, 2015 09:14
Posts: 910

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Leaking window seal (weatherstrip)

Post by mrscalex »

Still struggling with this.

I felt the leakiest place and the one place I could do something about was round the quarter light. So I stopped it up discretely with Sugru, figured that would get rid of most of the ingress and then at least stop the remaining from entering the cabin by sealing the foam moisture barrier up properly with new butyl tape. Also make sure the drain holes in the bottom of the door were clear. So in other words reduce what was entering the door cavity and make sure what still did went out discretely from the drain holes.

And on went the door cards.

Unfortunately following the rain of the last week I'm still getting a dribble out the bottom of the door cards although at least it's not enough to make the carpet damp. Looks like neither measure succeeded and I'm particularly disappointed with the vapour barrier having used a £10 role of new Butyl tape.

So I've now ordered new outer weather strips. Not completely unreasonable at £43.50 each from the main dealer. And the butyl tape will have to be pulled off and replaced with a wetter gun'd domestic roof butyl product.

Still scratching my head as to why there's so little information on fixing this out there.
ImageImage
2001 Z3 2.2 Topaz Blue (Trudy) - Keeper rebuilt from a write-off
2002 Z3 2.2 Titan Silver (Cookies) - Keeper rebuilt having been bought with a seized engine
2002 Z3 3.0 Sapphire Black (Peanut) - Keeper awaiting rebuilding having been bought as an abandoned project
Plus Willy, Kodak & Maycee - All 2.2 Sport projects. Yes, 6 is a lot of Z3s :)
Always happy to try and help with spares :)
User avatar
BladeRunner919
Joined: Fri 17 Feb, 2012 20:18
Posts: 2225

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Leaking window seal (weatherstrip)

Post by BladeRunner919 »

I guess the fact that there's no information must suggest that it's not a common problem.

I can't see how the water could have got through the vapour barrier, so that suggests the water is somehow entering the door in such a way as to never find itself behind the barrier. Even if you completely removed the weather seal that you are talking about, the water would flow down inside the door and out through the drain holes at the bottom. If the vapour barrier is intact, I can't see that any would enter the car.
mrscalex
Joined: Fri 13 Mar, 2015 09:14
Posts: 910

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Leaking window seal (weatherstrip)

Post by mrscalex »

The butyl tape was a little solid for my liking. More plasticine consistency than gungy. So I thought as I put it in it may be too dry to stick the vapour barrier properly.

I don't know what the route of the water is. But I've seen water physically running out of the bottom of the door card.

I guess it's possible it's going over the top of the vapour barrier not under it.

To be honest I shouldn't have put the door cards back on until it had been tested out. But I got a bit impatient after spending too long looking at bare metal.

It's on with the half cover for now.
ImageImage
2001 Z3 2.2 Topaz Blue (Trudy) - Keeper rebuilt from a write-off
2002 Z3 2.2 Titan Silver (Cookies) - Keeper rebuilt having been bought with a seized engine
2002 Z3 3.0 Sapphire Black (Peanut) - Keeper awaiting rebuilding having been bought as an abandoned project
Plus Willy, Kodak & Maycee - All 2.2 Sport projects. Yes, 6 is a lot of Z3s :)
Always happy to try and help with spares :)
peter2b
Joined: Sat 01 Nov, 2014 18:47
Posts: 963

  Z3 roadster 2.2i
Location: cheshire

Re: Leaking window seal (weatherstrip)

Post by peter2b »

on my zed the leak it had would fill the little tray by the seat switch turned out to be the plug at the end of the windscreen rubber seal where the soft top meet the windscreen as above puncture patch fixed it, I thought it was some thing to do with the door seals
petrr-2b
mrscalex
Joined: Fri 13 Mar, 2015 09:14
Posts: 910

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Leaking window seal (weatherstrip)

Post by mrscalex »

I will check again in case it's coming from somewhere else. But I am 99% certain it's the external weatherstrip on the door.
ImageImage
2001 Z3 2.2 Topaz Blue (Trudy) - Keeper rebuilt from a write-off
2002 Z3 2.2 Titan Silver (Cookies) - Keeper rebuilt having been bought with a seized engine
2002 Z3 3.0 Sapphire Black (Peanut) - Keeper awaiting rebuilding having been bought as an abandoned project
Plus Willy, Kodak & Maycee - All 2.2 Sport projects. Yes, 6 is a lot of Z3s :)
Always happy to try and help with spares :)
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