QuestionDave, I don't know if you know much about replacing the cowl under the hood, but thought I'd try. I have a 2014 Nissan and the plastic cowl stripping part that rests against the windshield wasn't fitting tight, making a vibrating noise. I looked at other Nissans and that part of the cowl definitely fits tightly against the windshield, but mine has some flex or play in it, hence the noise. The tech put felt strips underneath, but it still had lots of flex in it, so he tried to make it fit tighter by heating it up and molding it, and ended up damaging it. They ordered a new Nissan cowl to put on. My question is, when they assemble it at the factory, do you know if they do anything extra or special to make that plastic part of the cowl fit tightly against the glass? I don't see how it can without doing something to it and I doubt the tech would know about it. So my concern is that even though he'll install the new cowl, that plastic cover or stripping still won't fit tight against the glass like it's supposed to. Thanks
AnswerHi Lee....As long as the vehicle has not sustained any minor/major damage in a collision to the actual firewall area, (the steel panel the actual top cowl attaches to), and all vehicle components are original and factory installed, the very first thing that comes to mind, is the possibility of the cowl being distorted by heat from hot weather temperatures and the sun. A new factory cowl panel should solve your alignment/fit issues.
One other possibility, is if the windshield has been replaced. What occasionally happens in this scenario for the cowl to not fit tight/flush against the glass, is when the tech installing the glass, does not build up the urethane windshield adhesive high enough. The end result is that the glass will sink down too far down, therefor the cowl will not seal properly against the windshield. The only true remedy for this situation, would be to cut the glass out, and reinstall it properly.
In regards to your question about if the factory does anything extra or special when installing the cowl to ensure a proper fit, in all honesty, I have never heard of any instances. On the other side of the coin, I have seen some Autobody techs use foam tape on the back side of a cowl to ensure a tight seal and to make it look properly aligned, but the reason they have to do this, is due to an improper repair or windshield installation as well.
Hope this helps you out Lee.....If you have any other questions or concerns, please drop me another line anytime....Thanks....Dave.
