Missing rain tray channel?

[UhOh]

Doing some repairs on a friend's car (2003 MKIV Jetta TDI) and I went to install the rain tray (a replacement, used) and could not get it to snap down. Further investigation shows that there is NO channel to snap into. The windshield was recently replaced (really messy job on the sealer). Can someone remove that channel? I thought that maybe the windshield was installed too low but cannot detect edging from any channel material. I think they just stuck the rain tray in while the sealer hadn't set and the sealer held it down.

Here's a pic of what it's supposed to look like (I believe; thin line below glass edge):

 

[mittzlepick]

Follow suit. Cut zipper of plastic "gutter" use windshield sealant tape till bonded and the turd is polished

 

[UhOh]

At this point I don't think any more work is going to get done to this car as it's pretty much toast (01m is crapping out and the rest of the car just really isn't worth sinking any money into). It's kind of a curiosity on my part, how it got messed up: I'd like to make sure that the folks who are responsible are made aware of their screw-up.

 

[UhOh]

Follow suit. Cut zipper of plastic "gutter" use windshield sealant tape till bonded and the turd is polished

OK... car's owners are leaning toward fixing this this car. So, can you explain in different terms so this dummy [me] can understand your solution? (thanks)

 

[UhOh]

Boy was this hard to track down...

Apparently the "channels" come with new windshields (attached). This makes sense but as I could not find any concrete evidence [until now] I couldn't prove it. Here's a picture that shows it:

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/NZkAAOSwMJJkd2iI/s-l1600.webp

The "installer" told the owner that removing the rain trays are risky so they don't do it. Is this a common practice, or are these folks blowing smoke (lazy)?

I wonder how the installers managed to remove the previous glass and channel w/o messing up the rain tray. NOTE: the installers claimed they cut the channel but I see no evidence of any part of the channel.

The whole reason why I started this thread is because of a GP controller melted (I repaired all this damage). Though there were signs of rodents (mice) I cannot help but wonder if a poor sealing job by the mobile windshield folks could have been responsible (water incursion). Impossible [now] to prove.

 

[JETaah]

One time that we had the windshield replaced we had a similar situation. It wound up being that there was a strip of plastic stuck in the channel for whatever reason. Maybe to help protect it during shipping or storage. You might see if this is not the case here. It is hard to tell from your pic.

The installers may be paranoid to remove the rain tray on old cars where the plastic is brittle. Probably most cars that come in have cracking going on somewhere on it. They whack it with the snow brush in the winter to break up the snow and ice. Or simply try to remove it after dirt has been lodging itself in the channel for years.
It doesn't hurt to warm it up a bit with a heat gun to make it more pliable before wrestling with it. Same with snap-together interior pieces. You go to turn a screw and it sticks to the plastic and snaps the mounting ear off of the piece. BRITTLE!

When reinstalling a tray I always clean out the groove with glass cleaner, blow it out with compressed air and apply some silicone grease to the tongue that fits in the channel to ease it back together. It'll snap together and come apart the next time with much less effort.

 

[UhOh]

Not the case here. The installer said he cut off the channel. Not clear what happened with the one on the windshield that got replaced: if it was there then how did it get removed w/o messing with the rain tray? Very sketchy. Owner is going to have another glass outfit come by my place on Monday and evaluate: these folks told her that they pull the rain trays, or that's their preference.

The rain tray I pulled (have on hand) was from a parts car that I'd picked up a long time ago. It's in very good condition. Don't recall pulling it but I clearly didn't mess it up: read: "Even an amateur such as myself was able to do it!"

 

[JETaah]

Looks like it is there to me.
Hard to tell with the windshield so dirty on the bottom edge.
Is there any plastic that overlaps the windshield’s lower edge?
Here is one that I am currently working on.

 

[JETaah]

Look like it is there to me.
Hard to tell with the windshield so dirty on the bottom edge.
Is there any plastic that overlaps the windshield’s lower edge?
Here is one that I am currently working on.View attachment 139767

DOH!
Pardon me. I missed the last line of your first post. The one pictured is not what you are working on.
No wonder it looks similar

 

[UhOh]

Managed to jump through the necessary hoops to upload a pic. Here's what I'm looking at on this car. You'll need to focus on the edge of the glass that shows up, far right in pic is the best view (much of it is obscured by all the sealant smeared around):

1000003349.jpg

• UhOh
• Sep 14, 2024

Jetta w/o windshield channel

 

[Nuje]

apply some silicone grease to the tongue that fits in the channel to ease it back together. It'll snap together and come apart the next time with much less effort.

A friend introduced me to silicone spray a couple years ago (I had a can, but just never used it); now, anything with plastic or rubber gets a spritz of it and you are so right - just makes like so much easier (both removal and reinstallation).

 

[UhOh]

OK, had an obviously professional guy come out and he was pretty clear in stating that the job had not been done right. This car's windshield would have to be replaced in order to get it right: pretty much as I suspected. This helps in figuring out what the costs will be to get this car in proper working order: lots of issues [01m pretty much a gonner, suspension in dire need of refresh and clearcoat really bad] and I suspect it'll be read its last rites (as I believe is the best for it).