Front Door Weatherstrip: Service and Repair
Door Seals
Special tools, testers and auxiliary items required
• Roller (3356)
• Adhesive strip remover (VAS 6349)
Roadster Inner Door Seal
• The inner door seal is glued on and must be replaced.
• Adhesion surfaces must be free of dust and grease.
• Both the vehicle and the seal must be room temperature.
Coupe Inner Door Seal
1 Door seal
• Removing and installing with lower A-pillar trim, sill trim and B-pillar trim removed.
• Removing
- Remove door seal all around from flange or from upper seal guides and side window.
• Installing:
- First press door seal into seal guide at upper B-pillar - arrow -.
- Then press door seal into seal guide at upper A-pillar - arrow -.
- First press door seal into seal guide at center of door frame, then along the entire length.
- Press bottom of door seal onto side window seal guide.
- Then, beginning at center and working out, press door seal completely into seal guide in the side window area.
- Press door seal onto door flange at lower B-pillar.
- Then press door seal on between side window and lower B-pillar, beginning at center and working out.
- Press door seal onto door flange at lower A-pillar.
- Then press door seal onto door flange between A-pillar and lower B-pillar, starting at the center and working out.
- Press door seal on completely between upper and lower A-pillar, beginning at center and working out.
2 Roof frame seal
• Pressed onto flange in roof frame
3 Roof trim molding
Roadster Inner Door Seal, Removing and Installing
1 Front seal
• Pull out the protective films of the adhesive strips on the side only at the end of installation and firmly press the seal onto the roof frame.
• Upper A-pillar trim and roof frame trim removed.
- Unscrew the screws and remove the front seal starting at the A-pillar.
- Remove any adhesive residue from where the seal was secured with adhesive tape.
- Adhesion surfaces must be free of dust and grease, clean with cleaning solution D 009 401 04.
- Attach the seal to the upper left and right corners of the roof flange.
- Slide the seal on the roof frame
- Attach the seal in a downward direction onto the flange of the A-pillar.
- Secure the upper seal with the left and right screws.
- Gradually pull the protective film to the side via the removal tabs out from between the roof frame and the seal and press the seal onto the roof frame with a roller (3356).
2 Inner door seal
• Lower A-pillar trim, sill panel, and rear panel trim removed.
- Remove the door seal around the body flange and under the front seal.
- Remove any adhesive residue from where the seal was secured with adhesive tape.
- Adhesion surfaces must be free of dust and grease, clean with cleaning solution D 009 401 04.
- Place the door seal in the vehicle following the contour.
- Remove the protective films from the double-sided adhesive tape and press it onto the B-pillar on the left and right.
- Press the door seal on the B-pillar down onto the body flange
- Slide the door seal onto the A-pillar on the front seal.
The door seal must be installed without a gap at the junction to the front seal.
- Press the door seal in the lower radii areas onto the flange while distributing any excess length in the sill area.
- Align the molded pieces of the door seal on the upper B-pillar with respect to the side piece and install.
- Press the door seal on both sides backward in the convertible top compartment onto the body flange.
3 Water tray
• Attach the door seal to the water tray as shown in the magnified area of the illustration - arrow -.
Replacing Outer Door Seal
• The door outer seal is completely bonded and can only be replaced.
• Adhesion surfaces must be free of dust and grease.
• Both the vehicle and the seal must be room temperature.
1 Outer door seal
• Before removing, mark the position on the door, for example with adhesive tape.
• Removing
- Bend the seal lengthwise and then pull it off little by little.
• Installation
- Clean the adhesive surface, if necessary, remove any remaining adhesive with adhesive strip remover (VAS 6349).
• Align the outer door seal to the corner of the lower B-pillar.
• Press the outer door seal beginning from the lower b-pillar according to the markings, working outward towards the top and front in steps.
• Position the distance marking for new doors - a - = 14 mm along the radius on the under side of the door.
- The outer door seal must make contact with - arrow - the door cover in the upper B-pillar area.
- Remove the protective film from the under side of the door to the B-pillar.
- Press on the outer door seal beginning from the lower B-pillar on the under side of the door and working forward and upward.
- Remove the protective film in stages upwardly and press on the outer door seal.
• Do not stretch or crush the seal when installing it.
• The seal will come off wherever it is stretched or crushed along the bottom or on the B-pillar.
- Only press the outer door seal onto the outer door seal end with a roller (3356).
Do not close the door for at least 2 hours to prevent loosening or moving the door outer seal. The vehicle must be at room temperature.
2 Window shaft strip
• Press the window shaft strip tab - arrows - completely into the door cover on the upper B-pillar.
Removing Outer Door Seal
• Pulling the seal laterally will loosen the adhesive and then it is possible to remove the door outer seal without any left over adhesive on it.
- Bend and remove the door outer seal laterally as illustrated - arrow -.
- Proceed the same way and remove the door outer seal completely.
- Remove any left over adhesive with adhesive strip remover (VAS 6349).
Press on end of Outer Door Seal
- Raise the outer door seal in direction of arrow - A - and press down firmly on the end of the outer door seal in direction of arrow - B - using the roller (3356).