LCI 325i. Big gap on exterior window trim? (pictures)

[NCH]

Hello everyone!I was away from the country for one week and while I was gone, there was some tiling work done to my garage. Consequently, my car was parked outdoors for 5 days.When I got home, I noticed something about the exterior window trim. My car is a 325i M-sport so it comes with Shadowline trim.Needless to say more, please take a look at the pictures and you'll know what I mean.I went to the dealership and pointed out the issue. If something is not right, I'd like to get it repaired under warranty. The service consultant wasn't sure of its cause. The look on his face told me the windowtrim isn't supposed to be like that. Before he confirmed anything, he showed me some other E90s at the dealership. We looked at brand new showroom cars, demo cars, customers' cars. The window trims all looked like that! Since my car wasn't the only one with the "problem", he simply said "ohh it's designed like that to trap rain water". I wasn't convinced at all man and I didn't leave satisfied.By the way, all the cars I looked at have something in common: They are all locally-assembed in Malaysia and they are all LCI models.If you drive an LCI, please look at your window trim. Tell me, is the "gap" normal? If yours fit perfectly and not like mine, then I think I have a case.Can anyone take some pictures of their perfect-fitting LCI windowtrim? Maybe I need those to show to my dealerThank you!http://www.e90post.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=388107&stc=1&d=1274320105

 

[B33mEr]

The sales person has got a point bro ... Our window trim is also known as rain gutter And yes it looks normal to me cos the E90 shadowline trim is in the same proportion as the E46 (do correct me if i'm wrong )

 

[evilnickwong]

It's a gutter to channel water from the roof to flow off the A or C pillars rather than all over your side windows. Having said that, they do look like they're sticking out abit more than I would like?

 

[astroboy]

Haha... that's the rain channel, we call it gutter so water from the roof won't drip into the cabin thru open windows, or open doors.

Its like that, bro!

 

[NCH]

ohhh i see

some replies on E90post are suggesting the same thing. but i don't really like how they look

stick out too much and it looks kinda awkward

 

[Vroom325]

It's the same on my e46 325i too.

 

[racheltoh]

is the 325 equip with this gutter too? cos when i open my door after rain...there is water going in le..

 

[achtung]

looks like out a bit ... but then again could be the camera angle.. as long there is no wind sound , it should be ok.

tried to capture some ... cheers NCH

 

[achtung]

is the 325 equip with this gutter too? cos when i open my door after rain...there is water going in le..

NCH's car is a 325 ...

 

[Schwepps]

Bro, Rachel's and mine are pre-LCI 325i Sports. Ours come without the gutter and the doors are flush with the body. IMO, it looks better and is rattle proof.

 

[astroboy]

Bro, Rachel's and mine are pre-LCI 325i Sports. Ours come without the gutter and the doors are flush with the body. IMO, it looks better and is rattle proof.

WHAT!? where got 3-series without the gutter le? Too flush until u didn't notice izzit? Part of the Hoffmeister curve on the C-pillar. The pre LCI 325i non sport gutter is chrome, pre LCI 320i is matt black, the M-Sport is polished black. Some are plastic, some a metal. The strip cost more than RM1k..

Item 11: Trim strip, side frame

 

[Schwepps]

Yup, no gutter. No shadowline trim on my pre-LCI. Better.

 

[NCH]

looks so much better without the gutter. the LCI ones just look like they're not property installed.

 

[jc@]

better be careful with that thing.
had mine drop down once and auto bavaria quote me rm1800 for that thing(msport black)
and each clip inside is rm120 each(if i remember correctly).

non msport version is a lot cheaper. the only difference is colour i think but huge difference in price.

 

[M5POWER]

Wah, didn't know that these cars have the gutter. It does looks awkward but some people just don't notice it I guess

 

[alexkhoo]

Hello everyone!

I was away from the country for one week and while I was gone, there was some tiling work done to my garage. Consequently, my car was parked outdoors for 5 days.

When I got home, I noticed something about the exterior window trim. My car is a 325i M-sport so it comes with Shadowline trim.

Needless to say more, please take a look at the pictures and you'll know what I mean.

I went to the dealership and pointed out the issue. If something is not right, I'd like to get it repaired under warranty. The service consultant wasn't sure of its cause. The look on his face told me the windowtrim isn't supposed to be like that. Before he confirmed anything, he showed me some other E90s at the dealership. We looked at brand new showroom cars, demo cars, customers' cars. The window trims all looked like that! Since my car wasn't the only one with the "problem", he simply said "ohh it's designed like that to trap rain water". I wasn't convinced at all man and I didn't leave satisfied.

By the way, all the cars I looked at have something in common: They are all locally-assembed in Malaysia and they are all LCI models.

If you drive an LCI, please look at your window trim. Tell me, is the "gap" normal? If yours fit perfectly and not like mine, then I think I have a case.

Can anyone take some pictures of their perfect-fitting LCI windowtrim? Maybe I need those to show to my dealer

Thank you!

After reading your post, I immediately went down to check our LCI 323i, the gap doesn't look that big to me, so I guess it should be the same for all LCI 3-Series?

 

[B33mEr]

better be careful with that thing.
had mine drop down once and auto bavaria quote me rm1800 for that thing(msport black)
and each clip inside is rm120 each(if i remember correctly).

non msport version is a lot cheaper. the only difference is colour i think but huge difference in price.

That's why it's hard to fake an M-Sport model (for 2nd hand car dealers) cos the shadowline trim is very expensive ... :rock:

 

[affan66]

if you don't like it, go get some superglue and glue it flush to your door. Don't complain if you can't open the door. hahahaha

 

[NCH]

Thank you! I'm already convinced that the "gap" is actually a rain channel.

 

[alexkhoo]

Thank you! I'm already convinced that the "gap" is actually a rain channel.

Actually NCH, until you posted this up, I thought the space in between the trim and the car was some sort of design. =) Now I know it's a rain channel