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Replacing the EOS rear heated screen glass

5K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  Batjes 
#1 · (Edited)
The previous owner of MY07 had allowed water into the cabin and trunk before I got my EOS. Seals were fixed under warranty but over time I kept fighting track breaks on the defogger. I had repaired so many tracks with silver paint the glass looked horrible. As I repaired a track and applied power, it would burn open circuit further along due to corrosion. In addition, the radio performance was getting worse because they use the rear screen as one of the antennae.

I researched replacing the heater element with a kit, but there's no way they could make their tracks so fine they would look as good as the OE. I bit the bullet and stumped up £250 for the OE tinted rear screen. U.K windscreen shops cannot offer equivalents for the EOS, they can only source the OE glass. My next decision was to have it fitted 'professionally' or do it myself. Having read the shop instructions I went off to local windscreen repairers to see if they knew what they were about on the EOS and what they would charge. At around £85 it was a no-brainer to attempt a DIY fit. But hang on, they had only replaced Peugeot cab glasses. I opened the roof and asked how they would get access in the limited space under the glass frame. Shock and Awe! They said two people would heave on the cutting wire to cut out the old glass. Then I explained the frame could easily be distorted leaving me with a bad roof. Therefore I decided DIY was the only option to avoid collateral roof damage. I've never replaced a bonded screen glass before, let alone done it on an EOS.

My long post with photos will explain the repair. It won't be for everyone because it is 8 out of 10 level of difficulty, but show the post to a repairer and you may get a better job done:

Things you need:

You need one full sunny day, EOS parked front facing South and a top cover in case of a shower! A second pair of watching eyes and hands is very useful, but I managed it on my own. I took most of a day on my own, but could do another in a morning.

1. A windscreen fitting kit containing one 310ml cartridge, glass Pre-cleaner, Black primer and felt application buds. I bought the Dinitrol 500 system kit (Ebay). This is a K1 PUR which means it is self curing by heat and moisture without extra activators. Note: You will only use half a cartridge for the rear glass. Get at least 3 pairs of polythene or surgical gloves - it is black and messy!

2. Two short lengths of adhesive backed black neoprene foam 10mm wide X 65mm X 6mm thick for top corners.

3. Wood alcohol for cleaning any excess PUR - work clean!

4. Stanley or other craft knife blades.

5. Square/flat windscreen removal cutting wire 0.6-0.7mm wide and handles. 2M is enough for this screen, cut into 70cm lengths.

6. Make up an Awl using 1.5mm stainless welding wire about 355mm long with a sharp point set firmly in an aluminium handle. The awl is used to
make the starter hole, but it may be possible using pliers to slowly force the cutting wire through without the awl.

7. Make up a pair of short props to hold back the hinges and keep the glass tray in the optimum position for all round access.

8. Two small 2.5 inch glass lifter suckers. Note: The larger 4" suckers don't work so well due to glass curvature. The glass weight is 5.7Kg.

9. Dust sheets to protect the trunk lid - you will use this as a work surface!

10. 1 inch masking tape and paper.

11. Plastic glazing packers/spacers 4 off 20mm X 100mm X 1.5mm (black), 2 off 20mm X100mm X 1mm (green).

12. Covered workmate to hold new glass.

Preparation is everything! Put the PUR cartridge behind the front windscreen. It will warm up the contents and make getting a decent bead a lot easier. Lower the roof to the position shown in my photos. Stop the roof just above the height of the two props, whilst holding the props each side to catch the hinges as the glass frame slowly drops back. Ignore the warning dings after the key is turned off. WARNING: My first props were dowel wood with notches cut in the end to take the hinge. There is a convenient hole located under the hinge to drop the dowel rod into. However, releasing the frame from the props requires the roof operation to open push switch down. NEVER close which would cause the hinge to bind solid. It is too easy to hit the switch the wrong way. I've therefore redesigned my props by adding a slide over section of tube notched at the end and held in place with a pin. Without operating the roof switch it is possible to have somebody support the rear center of the frame whilst the pins are pulled, release and remove the props, then operate the roof control. The dimensions I've given for my hinge props give the most working space under and around the glass frame.

With both rear glass frame hinges sat on props, mask inside the channel between the glass edge and the painted frame to protect the paint finish, then cover over the outer painted wings with newspaper. Make some important observations. Check the gaps between each side of the glass and the frame. Mine were both equal at 1.5mm try the black plastic packers. We will use the black plastic packers when the new screen goes back to get the same spacing top and bottom both sides. Now check the top left and right corners of the glass relative to the painted frame. As you look along the top edge of the glass it should by true and aligned at each corner. Now look at both bottom corners. Take photos before starting glass removal! Now look at the depth the glass sits in the frame. This will be determined by small rubber spacer blocks fixed on the OE glass, but check the glass just sits a fraction below the frame height evenly down both sides.

Trim removal: Working from the rear seat inside, The black trim at the top and bottom of the frame must be removed. The bottom curved trim is held by 3 black push in porcupine studs which need lifting out with a forked tool or prised up each side with a screwdriver. If you break them, replace with new. The front edge of the trim is held with 4 steel gripping clips. With the pegs removed, push the trim parallel to the glass and the front clips will release. Some or all clips may stay fixed to the metal frame. Note which way up they are, then remove each one and fit to the plastic trim. The top soft trim is a little easier. Start pulling the bottom left corner then work along the bottom edge to the opposite corner then lift off. Disconnect the heater wires (pull back out of their sockets).

The black elasticated cords that tension the side flaps are now clearly visible. GOTCHA: Attach a loop of string to each cord and pass it around a headrest to pull the cord away from the frame. When you start cutting the foam bead along the bottom, unless you have an observer or synchronized puller on the inside it is easy to trap and cut an elastic cord!
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#2 · (Edited)
Replacing the EOS rear heated screen glass Part 2 of 2 long posts

A photo of my old screen shows the black adhesive bead line. Note there are areas with more adhesive - the bottom center and the corners. These areas will be harder to cut through, the sides are easiest. I started at the top right corner edge. The principle of using the cheese wire is to try and keep the inside close to the glass surface and the wire outside at an angle away from the painted surfaces.

Using a straight edge and wax crayon, mark the entry point for the cutting wire on the painted frame and an exit point on the glass. Either using the awl as a pilot pushing inwards from the top, or the cutting wire with pliers pierce through the PUR bead until the wire exits underneath behind the old glass. Attach the pull handle. I used 2 lengths of dowel, center drill a hole 1mm dia, feed the wire through and use terminals from a terminal block to clamp the wire. bend over the loose end to make the clamp stronger.

Using a sawing action, holding the inside and outside handles work across the top bead to the opposite corner, then down one side. The corners are
hardest and progress can be slow. Replace the wire with a new 70cm length fed in at the start point and continue cutting down the right side and bottom. be careful to avoid the elastic cords and be aware of a larger area of bead to cut bottom center. Minimise collateral damage to paint by keeping the wire close to the glass and away from the masked edges. When the foam bead is cut all the way around, lift off the old glass - it is not heavy, but suckers help. Look carefully at the top right and left corners and you will see 10mm wide foam insert, sketch its shape and dimensions. Apparently this foam is required to stop wind noise. MY07 had what looked like cheapo draught excluder, it should be black neoprene.

The old PUR foam MUST NOT BE CLEANED WITH ALCOHOL. Clean debris with a new paint brush. Approximately 1-2mm depth of old PUR foam should be left bonded to the metal frame. In my case the wire cut had left 3 high spots and one top corner with no old foam and bare metal. The depth of channel into which the old foam is bonded is about 2 mm. I taped over half a craft knife blade and using some thin plastic underneath to protect the steel surface, worked over the high spots it takes quite a while. I tried a multi-tool electric knife, but that tended to pick up the paint coating. Now check for paint or primer damage. I had very little and applied some top coat clear lacquer. Fit the two shaped pieces of foam to the top frame corners.

Put the workmate bench behind the rear fender and place the new screen correct face outwards to fit the two lifting suckers. NEVER FIT THE SUCKERS ON THE INSIDE OVER THE ELEMENT! Make sure at all times you do not damage the heated screen element! Do a dummy run, carefully lift and try the new screen on the frame. Stick a masking tape marker on the glass outside center bottom. I used 6mm thick foam on the top corners (they said 10mm) but my neoprene seemed denser than theirs. With the new glass sitting on the frame check the top edge is not kicked up by using too thick foam. Protect the trunk lid with a cover and place a piece of plywood just behind the bottom glass edge. I stood 3 house bricks on the ply to push up against the back edge to stop slippage. Put the new glass on to the workmate with suckers underneath. Now you can see the bead area clearly marked. Note there are small rubber depth spacers dotted about, but check they are all stuck correctly within their marked areas, I had two slightly misaligned.

The adhesive kit comes with pre cleaner which is applied to the marked bead areas on the glass and any metal on the frame not coated with old adhesive. It is not recommended to clean or prime the old bead remaining! Now apply the black primer to the bead outline marked on the glass. In my case I added some around the bottom center. I think they add more adhesive there to reduce tendency to slide. With the new glass primed, turn it over suckers outwards and bottom at the bottom!

I used a cheap air mastic gun to give smooth control, but a manual gun should work just as well. The aim is to lay down a bead whose final height is 10mm including the old mastic left on the frame. If I was replacing a frame and glass I would probably apply PUR to the glass. In this case with old PUR attached to the frame, it is easier to follow that line and overcoat it to get a final height of 10mm. 10mm bead height is quite a lot. if the depth is shy in places you can over coat the bead. This K1 PUR is slow to go off and you have plenty of time. Preferably with two pairs of hands or a short step ladder, lift the primed glass on to the frame trying to get it aligned at the top corners with equal gap both sides first time. The PUR has a lot of grab and there is plenty of time to slide it square. Push the 1.5mm black spacers down each side at the top and bottom.

When the top corners are level with the painted parts, slide the house bricks up as a back stop. Apply gentle pressure with fingers all around the outside of the glass to push it on to the rubber spacer stops. Check the glass both sides is set at the same depth. Using a 2.5mm plastic spacer inside, carefully run around the gap at the bottom between the glass and the frame. This spacing is essential for the bottom trim to slide in and there is no going back! Clean off any PUR from paint with alcohol spirit. After 1/2 hour you can carefully remove the masking tape and clean.

Go have a cup of tea for a couple of hours, checking occasionally that the glass is still correctly aligned. After 2 hours you can replace the top and bottom trims. The bottom trim is a pain. The top edge is slid between the glass inner surface and the metal until held by 4 metal fasteners, then the 3 pegs are pushed in. Take care not to scrape and break heater tracks with the trim! You allow 21/2-3 hours to make sure seal pressure does not lift the glass when you first close the roof!

Finally, collapse and remove the hinge props whilst somebody supports the center of the frame, ignition on, then PUSH THE ROOF SWITCH DOWN to continue opening the roof and lift the frame. GOTCHA: You probably left the workmate behind the rear fender like I did and got roof error messages! Therefore remove all the tools and any obstacles from behind the car.

If you got this far you can decide if you would allow a windscreen fitter with no previous EOS experience to replace your rear heated window glass!


Voxmagna 04/05/2016
 

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#3 ·
Hi Vox,

Thank you for taking the time and effort to document this task - I am certain this will help other owners faced with this problem in the future.

I have combined your original two threads in the interest of keeping everything in one place for ease of future reference.

P.S. I appreciated the "GOTCHA" comments - pleased to see you experience the same moments as I do :).
 
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