Faded Perimeter Mouldings and Water Leaks Behind the B-Pillar
ClubRSX and Honda forum threads are filled with owners trying to track down puddles in the spare tire well, often blaming the quarter windows when the tail light gaskets or hatch weatherstripping are the actual culprits. However, the factory glass bonding on this liftback does occasionally break down after two decades. More commonly, the integrated rubber perimeter moulding lip that comes bonded directly to the glass from the factory dries out, oxidizes, and shrinks from years of sun exposure. Because that outer seal is encapsulated onto the glass assembly rather than sold as an individual replacement strip, resolving dry rot or severe edge lifting requires replacing the entire window unit.
Whether dealing with a smash-and-grab or weathered edge trim, the glass design remains consistent across the entire DC5 run. The same stationary, green-tinted tempered unit is shared by the Base, Type-S, and A-Spec package variants without any mid-cycle shape alterations between the early 2002–2004 cars and the facelifted 2005–2006 models. The dealer numbers for these panels are 73511-S6M-003 for the right side and 73561-S6M-003 for the left.
Frameless Door Geometry and Encapsulated RSX Glass
Because the front doors feature frameless glass, the window glass on the door seals directly against the weatherstripping along the B-pillar body seam right at the leading edge of the rear quarter glass. If the quarter window sits too high, too deep, or crooked relative to the unibody, you will hear immediate wind buffeting right behind your head while driving at highway speeds. The upper edge must tuck flush beneath the roof side ditch moulding, while the trailing curve aligns cleanly with the rear hatch frame gap.
Inside the cabin, the rear upper quarter trim garnish panels and C-pillar interior trim covers sit tight against the interior unibody wall. I routinely handle these glass jobs on short notice, usually pulling up to your location about an hour after you get in touch. Unlike the back liftgate glass, this side panel is completely passive: it contains no rear defroster grid lines, embedded radio antenna wiring, or wiper pass-through holes. The challenge lies strictly in positioning the encapsulated unit evenly within the painted unibody pocket.
| Component Feature | Acura RSX Specification |
|---|---|
| Glass Position | Rear quarter unibody (fixed stationary) |
| Factory Glass Shade | Green-tint tempered (Asahi Glass Co. spec) |
| OEM Part Numbers | 73511-S6M-003 (Passenger/Right), 73561-S6M-003 (Driver/Left) |
| Integrated Electronics | None (no defroster, antenna grid, or wiper) |
| Trim Integration | Full perimeter encapsulated rubber moulding lip |
What to Inspect on Your RSX After Glass Service
Once a replacement quarter window is mounted, inspect how the glass sits against the body and surrounding cabin plastics before putting the car back into regular service:
- Verify that the encapsulated outer moulding lip sits flat against the rear quarter sheet metal along the entire curve without curling under or protruding.
- Check the flush alignment between the top edge of the window moulding and the roof side ditch channel.
- Open and close the frameless front door to ensure the door glass seal clears the front leading edge of the quarter window moulding smoothly without snagging.
- Examine the interior C-pillar trim covers and upper rear quarter trim garnishes to confirm all plastic push-clips are fully seated with no loose gaps along the bond line.
- Inspect the trailing margin where the rear liftgate meets the quarter panel to make sure the glass perimeter does not bridge into the hatch drainage channel.
