Replacing window weatherstripping in 1990 300CE
 

Hey guys, I've tried like crazy to find a post that clearly describes this, but the only other post on this topic had no responses.

How are the window seals fastened in the W124 coupes? I purchased new rubber seals for my '90 300CE, but I don't want to destroy anything taking the old ones out. I looked at the service manual on CD-ROM, but the diagrams aren't terribly clear.

It looks like the rubber seals are held in by clips that just pop out. However, I'm conerned about damaging the piping along the edge of the headliner.

The wind noise is driving me nuts, so I hope someone will respond before I'm forced to risk breaking something.

Thanks,
Jay

Jay,

Hope you get a response as I would love to know how to do this also.

From what I can see from the exploded views in the parts manual there are many many parts. Which parts did you get and from where?

Thanks,

glenmore
1991 300CE

Jay,I'm waiting for the RESULTS also. One of mine is cracking and one day it will open up. Please share your good or bad luck with this change out. How much did they cost and where did you get the strips

Looks like us coupe guys are going to have to band together. There seems to be a lack of insight on the topics that are coupe-specific. An old acquaintance of mine worked at a Benz shop, so I'll see if I can track him down. It's been 3 years so that might not be so easy.

If any of you master techs are reading this, please throw us a bone! :)

Oh yeah, forgot to respond to a question...

All I ordered were the rubber seals. Based on the diagram, it looks like the clips are probably reusable, but I can't say for sure.

Like I said, my main concern is with messing up the interior trim that runs alongside the rubber seal at the roofline. The A-pillar trim is fairly straightforward, as far as I can tell.

I asked a Mercedes Dealer, just for my info, about how much it would cost to replace that strip. If I remember right, it was somewhere in the $150 area. Not sure if thats both sides or one. This was about a year ago.

Interesting stuff.. actually I was asking about the weatherstrips for the side windows. They should be fairly easy to do, I'm just a ninny about breaking stuff.

I just took the rear window out of my 450slc. It doesn't have clips, aside from the two outside that hold the metal trim in place, but it does have a defroster in it. The window came out very easily. Mine has an aluminum strip that runs around the outside edge of the window. It is not only for decoration but helps expand the rubber seal and keep the window in place. The strip is held together at the ends with 2 little sliding clips. These just slide back revealing the joint.

Take a wide screw driver or the likes and gently pry the edge up. I used a Wunder Bar, a wide slightly bent, pry bar that made the job very easy. It has a V in the end that fits on either side of the T that holds the trim into the seal. Don't go too fast or you will put a curve into the strip. The strip is very soft so I think that if you did bend it you could easily straighten it out.

Once the trim is gone I just cut the outside layer of the seal off and lifted out the window. BE CAREFUL if you go this way on a window with a defroster. Not only is there a wire that goes from the window into the trunk on the pass. side where the edge of the window goes from vert. to horz. (at least on my 450 slc) but the top and bottom edge of the window has a black plastic strip that covers where the defroster wires connect. If you damage this strip your defroster might not work again. Of course if you live in S Texas as I do, who gives a damn, we never have frost down here anyway.

I warn about the wire because if you take it to a glass shop that doesn't know this they often remove windows by sliding a wire around the the seal from the inside to the outside of the car. This might damage the connecting wire.

If you have ever thought about getting you head liner renewed you might want to so it now. My headliner, atleast in the back, wraps around onto the lip where the window fits. To do this job later means taking out the window again.

Also, when you take out the rear window, check for rust at the hole where the drfroster wire goes into the trunk. This is a prims area for rust. I just had a large rust bubble fixed there.

The cost. The new seal cost me about $100 and the glass shops wanted about $75 to $125 to take out the back glass and replace it when the body work was done. I took the window out so I reckon I can get it back in for $50 labor.

Okay guys, replacing the weatherstripping is REALLY easy! The rubber is just held in a metal "channel", for lack of a better term. It just pulls right out. The new rubber can simply be pushed into place with the help of a dull implement - I used a popsicle stick. Also be sure to lubricate with lots of soapy water or glass cleaner. It takes some patience, but now that I've done it once I'll bet I could do both sides in 30 minutes. Took me a little over an hour the first time.

Where did you get the weatherstripping from?
 

Jay, can you tell me the cost and the source for the 300CE weatherstripping? Thank you.