3M makes a "Bedding and Glazing" compound that is non-hardening. You apply it with a caulk gun. The MB procedure tells you to apply the MB equivalent of this to the bottom channel before you put in the glass/seal. You should be able to get something like this and carefully force some of it between the seal and the pinchweld (you may meed to have someone go ahead of you lifting the seal up with a putty knife). If it seems to leak more while you are driving, it could be that the leak is between the steel and rubber as water is forced there under pressure. If the leak is between the glass and the rubber I would use some of that clear flowable RTV sold at McParts.

Rick

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

is not doing it's job. It is all wet and dosen't seem to be making contact with the hood. There is water dripping on the battery and running down under the battery tray, where it is presumably making it's way into the cabin.

I went to a hardware store and purchased some clear vinyl tubing, about 5 1/2' is what I needed. I used 5/8" tubing, and split it open. I then pressed it over the round part of the seal to increase the diameter and hopefully create a seal to the hood and decrease the inflow of H2O.

I will report on the effectiveness of this cheap fix.
tubing cost= $5.50
new part = $35.00

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1984 300D

So the use of a 5/8" vinyl tube to create a seal for the hood/engine compartment seal works. It serves to divert water into the drain hole. It may not create a perfect seal but it keeps the H2O out of the engine compartment without having to be spendy.

The major issue lies with the windshield gasket, as most of it lies flat along the bottom of the windshield but there is a 3 inch segment that is not as flat towards the corner where I'm having the leak.

I attempted to push the gasket back into place seating it in the groove with a gasket tool but to no avail.
Even though it presses in further , the leak persists.
d*mnit.

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1984 300D