I have seen that most older E36s have weathered cracking of the moulding at the base of the windshield, that plastic across the windshield down at the wipers. I replaced mine tonight and you really should fix yours too. Underneath that moulding are some openings that appear to lead into the body cavities and are not intended to take on lots of water. I also noticed a little bit of rust directly underneath the moulding, nothing serious.
The two pieces are about $45 total at the dealer, and are easy to install. Use a piece of tape to mark the positions of the wipers on the windshield so you can realign them easily. Pop open the hood and remove the wiper arms. There is a cover over the wiper stud that just pops off with a screwdriver. Remove the securing nut and wiggle the wiper arm while pulling it off.
The driver moulding is secured by five plastic trim pins, similar to door panel trim pins. Gently pull up on the moulding and wiggle it to pull the pins out. The passenger moulding has two plastic screw covers and three plastic pins. Clean out all the dirt and crap, and use a razor blade to clean the scum off the windshield so the new moulding seals well.
Put the new mouldings on, the PASSENGER side FIRST, then the driver side. It took about an hour to do. It looks so much better, and it should keep water out of the nooks and crannies.
The two pieces are about $45 total at the dealer, and are easy to install. Use a piece of tape to mark the positions of the wipers on the windshield so you can realign them easily. Pop open the hood and remove the wiper arms. There is a cover over the wiper stud that just pops off with a screwdriver. Remove the securing nut and wiggle the wiper arm while pulling it off.
The driver moulding is secured by five plastic trim pins, similar to door panel trim pins. Gently pull up on the moulding and wiggle it to pull the pins out. The passenger moulding has two plastic screw covers and three plastic pins. Clean out all the dirt and crap, and use a razor blade to clean the scum off the windshield so the new moulding seals well.
Put the new mouldings on, the PASSENGER side FIRST, then the driver side. It took about an hour to do. It looks so much better, and it should keep water out of the nooks and crannies.