im just bumping this thread to ask if anyone else has theirs sitting inside the weather strip despite the instructions saying it let it sit on your rubber strip? I slammed my door slightly harder than normal the other day and the driver side deflector almost fell off the car and nearly scratched my door on the way down. i blame this due to improper installation obviously but i was only following their instructions about letting it sit on the rubber strip not inside it. now its inside it and it fits much nicer and tighter despite there now being a very small bulge in the weather strip where it sits. id rather it be this way than have the wind deflector sitting directly on the strip and digging into it over years of body vibration from spirited driving. it already left an indentation and it was only installed that way for like 2 weeks, that's obviously why they put the piece of clear thick rubber tape there to prevent weather strip damage.
do the oem fit exactly the same like the interior pieces just being rebranded ?
Which part is outside the rubber strip? The only part that needs to be outside the "channel" on the fronts is the lower point that contacts with the rubber at the base of the window near the side mirrors:
The upper part of the deflector should be inside the window channel as these are not "Stick on style" that sit outside the window on the doorframe, they go into the window channel at the top - the fronts using the wedge force to stay in, the rears have added adhesive that needs to set (At least on the Sportwagen, can't speak specifically to the GTI).
https://www.weathertech.com/blog/how_tos/how_to_install_side_window_deflectors/ - See here for more info, it isn't vehicle specific, but it reads the exact same as the paper instructions that came with the set if I recall correctly. You have to "Tuck" the upper part of the deflector into the window channel, see step 5:
OEM is WT as far as I recall, the only difference being OEM wagons do not come with fitting rears from VW, you have to order WT to get all 4 doors with the long roof. Learned this the hard way after ordering a set of OEM fronts that are sitting in my closet still.
Edit: Also worth a note mine came with a clear gummy/rubber piece on the lower window contact point that I did not remove on install. Did you pull these? Seems to help with front not shifting or digging into the rubber at the bottom of the window sill. My concern with it inside the sill is you may allow water to drain into the door from that point, though you may be fine. WT claims the concern is damage to the window or the deflector as it's sitting over the window path, or the window edge may fall below it when fully down.
Clarifying - only the horizontal portion should be outside the channel (Small inch or so piece that sits flat at the base of the window sill). You should tuck the front leading edge into the window channel with the rest of the deflector lip before pulling outward once it's completely tucked to lock it in place.