A Happy Reader Gives Back…

We received this tip from Troy C. and thought we would pass it along in case anyone else out there is facing (or ever faces) the same situation.

“I am an avid reader of Fast Times and have gotten a lot of useful information from it. Now, it’s my turn to give back. I have a ’99 528i and I had a real problem with the windshield moulding cracking and falling apart. I went to the dealer and asked about replacing it. They told me that the windshield had to be removed before the moulding could be inserted. The part was $35. They charge $110/hr for labor and were quoting me a minimum of five hours, so somewhere between $600 and $700 for the job… IF the glass didn’t crack when they pulled the windshield. They also tried to sell me adhesive to hold the moulding in place. I decided to check it out for myself. I went home and crumbled the old moulding off. What I found was that the moulding has an L-shaped metal shim in it. I got a pair of needle nose pliers, pulled on the shim and it came right out. I did that all the way around the window and the moulding was out in about 3 minutes. When I looked at the trough, I noticed a lot of dirt and debris. This, and the fact it came out so easily, told me that there was no adhesive holding it in. I bought the part and installed the whole thing myself in about 20 minutes. It just snapped right in! I had to remove two little foam blocks at the top of the window, but they came right out. This was the easiest repair I have ever done. Please let your readers know that they can save massive amounts of money with this do-it-yourself tip.”