Repair Procedure For Windshield Header Seal

This repair procedure is applicable when water is evident on the:

Door trim panel
Instrument panel (A-pillar)
Wet front floor carpet

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Remove Header Seal

Remove the rivets on both sides with the use of a drill equipped with a 1/8 in drill bit (1).

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NOTE:
Removing the header seal can often leave excessive adhesive residue on the windshield header and is difficult to remove.

NOTE:
Seal removal can begin with the left or right side.

NOTE:
Pull the seal as shown for the proceeding steps 2 and 3.

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Pull the left side of the header seal from the outside in, until you reach the first position (1) to release the butyl.
Then pull the seal toward yourself (left) at an angle to release the tension of the two-sided tape through the middle area (2) until you reach the right side position (3)
Pull the right side of the header seal from the outside in to position (3) and it will result in minimal adhesive transfer to the windshield header.

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Clean the Surface

Remove all butyl and tape residue; pull remaining two-sided tape at an angle to ease removal.

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A rubber wheel bit can be used to assist with two side tape removal.
Clean the surface with 3M™ adhesive cleaner.
Alcohol wipe the entire surface an allow to dry.

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Install the Header Seal

Butyl square must first be reinstalled on the windshield frame.

NOTE:

The yellow lines indicate the path of the seal's adhesive tape. The butyl must not obstruct the tape or it will prevent adhesion

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Form a 15 mm x 15 mm x 1 mm piece of butyl and align it as shown on both sides of the windshield frame.

NOTE:

Alignment of this patch is critical to avoid interference with the seal's adhesive tape.

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Wipe the entire windshield header frame where the new seal will be applied with 3M™ 4298 Adhesion Promoter or equivalent, and allow to dry. This will make certain of proper adhesion of the seal to the metal.

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Lay the new windshield to header seal across the side bars of the vehicle loosely.

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Locate the slot in the back of the seal.

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Be certain the slot in the back of the seal is seated on the reinforcement flange of the windshield frame.

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Align each end mold of the seal so that it matches the profile of the windshield frame
NOTE:
Cross-car alignment is critical in preventing leaks.
Once the cross-car alignment has been established, seat the seal in the middle to be certain the proper position is maintained. Do not seat the entire seal at this point.
NOTE:
If either liner is disturbed, damaged, or missing prior to installation discard the seal. This conditions will result in failure of the seal and water leaks.

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Rock the seal gently backwards allowing room to access the red and blue adhesive liners.

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NOTE:
The top of the header seal should be close to even with the top of the windshield frame along the entire seal when setting the adhesive.
Carefully pull both release liners until the blue liner is fully removed. Do not continue to pull the red liner past this point. The liners must be carefully pulled directly away from the seal to prevent the butyl from interfering with the adhesive tape.

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Grasp the rear cup of the seals end mold and gently push the seal forward to the frame. Do not allow the adhesive to contact the windshield frame at this point.

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Be certain that the end mold corner matches the profile of the windshield frame once again before moving forward. Cross-car location is critical.
NOTE:
Take care not to touch the adhesive as it is sensitive to containments.

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Firmly seat the corner of the end mold to the windshield and hold into place and use your opposite hand to seat the rest of the end mold to the windshield frame.
NOTE:
Take care not to touch the adhesive as it is sensitive to contaminants.

NOTE:
The pressure specification for seating the adhesive on the seal is a minimum of 5 PSI. That is the required force to properly wet out the adhesive tape.

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Apply firm pressure to be certain the butyl is compressed properly.

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Firmly compress the butyl along the remainder of the end mold. Be careful not to seat the adhesive tape beyond the mold line in this process.
NOTE:
When the cross-car location has been properly set, the holes in the seal and the windshield frame will align perfectly.

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Install the rivet on the side you are working on. Rivet should effortlessly slide into place.

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Seat the seal to the windshield flange starting at the outside and working inward using a small hand roller ending at the center.
NOTE:
The liner should be pulled no more than 2 inches beyond where the seal has been adhered to the frame to prevent uneven application.

NOTE:
Apply an additional firm pass along the previously pressurized length of the seal using the small hand roller to help be certain the proper bonding of the adhesive to the windshield frame

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Begin pulling the red release liner and seating the seal starting at the outside and working your way to the center.
Pull the red liner away as you seat the seals adhesive tape using firm pressure along the top of the header seal as shown. Use a small hand roller to be certain the seal remains fully seated on the flange to prevent a low to upper windshield frame seal application.

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End at the center of the windshield frame leaving the other half of the tape release liner attached to the seal
Repeat steps on the other side of the vehicle working from the outside to the center.

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NOTE:
A properly installed windshield to header seal will have a uniform height and even appearance along the entire length of the seal, with the seals ends aligning perfectly to the profile of the windshield frame.
Allow the seal to set undisturbed for a minimum of 20 minutes before reinstalling the top(s).