Hey guys! Its been a while. I just wanted to know what are your thoughts on putting lotion, or wd 40, or white lithium grease on the door seals to keep them pliable and keep door from freezing shut. I know your supposed to use silicone spray but just curious. Some say that the petroleum products will damage the rubber.
What you heard is correct. Petroleum products degrade rubber. That's why service manuals specify using silicone to condition weather seals etc.
use silicone grease, not spray
Wax the painted parts of the door that touch the rubber seal. Moisture beads up and won't freeze the metal and rubber together. Combine that with some silicone grease on the stripping and they'll certainly never freeze again. The wax will help prevent door bottom rust, as well.
While you're at it, give your door keyholes and the mechanism that latches your door to the frame a shot of the silicone.
How do I stop my doors from sticking shut during the winter? Sometimes I have to pry them open.
Get a tube of silicone oil. Put some on a small rag, and rub it over all the rubber seals on your doors.
There is also silicone spray in a can. Spray it on the black rubber seals, and just wipe off the excess.
Make sure it is "silicone". The regular oils and grease will attract dirt.
Look up "WD-40 Silicon" or "3in1 silicone oil".
@concretesnowman
silicone grease can also come in the form of electrical anticorrosion sealer. Also brake lube is silicone. This will also keep your rubber weatherstripping soft, supple so it doesn't shrink/crack and will keep sealing out the weather.
Careful here. I have used some silicone slide pin grease that claims its safe on metal, rubber, wood, etc. but it still swells and makes rubber tacky.
@lokmaly the boots that cover the slide pins are rubber are they not?
They are, but I'm sure you know not all rubber is equal. I'm just sending out a warning that not all silicone grease is equal either. Like you I assumed that the silicone grease would be a good option. I applied some to O-rings in a faucet and to the stripping around a sunroof. Now a year +/- later the o-rings have swollen and no longer fit and the sunroof sticks worse than it did before I used the silicone to stop the sticking. Edit to include I believe it was Permatex brand.
That's very strange and has never been my experience. Silicone grease is used specifically because it doesn't swell most rubbers. Either it got contaminated with something else, or you applied it to silicone rubber.
Knock yourself out. Just don’t use something that’s corrosive, which will damage the paint.
In Boston here Albano . Shqipe just use silicone thats it.
haha faleminderit.
Hey guys, i have a 2010 lexus IS250 and i want to know what i should use to help keep the weather stripping and window seals nice and soft. I have the wd 40 silicone spray and i also have at205 reseal. I know the at205 should rejuvenate the rubber but i also dont want the rubber to stick to the doors when it is extremely hot outside. Should i use one or the other? Should i use both? Any advice is appreciated.
Super Lube 56104 Silicone Oil 100 CST
I've been using it on sliding vinyl window and car weatherstripping for many years. It is pure silicone. No chemical additives.
The sprays and 3-in-1 formulas will work, but all have additives that can actually dry out rubber.