Ok, so one thing we all hate is rattles, squeaks, noises in a car. At best, its a occasional distraction. At worst, it's a complete buzz-kill that ruins the entire journey. For me, it started to utterly destroy any enjoyment from even using the car.
We have (or rather 'had': we've just taken a deposit on it) an S3 8P 3-door. It always had a mildly irritating and occasion window rattle on the pax side, nothing too bad but a little annoying. However this summer, the drivers side started making the same rattle/creak, which got bad - quickly. Up until recently both window/door areas were making so much racket it was driving me potty. It was the wifes car so fortunatley I didn't have to put up with it on a daily basis. My wife overcame the issue by turning the stereo up.
Well, I wanted to sell the car. But me being very fussy myself, I knew it'd be embarrassing to try and sell with such an obvious flaw. So I felt I had to address the problem ASAP. Funny how we only get around to sorting niggles just before we sell eh?
After a lot of reading threads on here (it's a well known flaw), I came to the conclusion it can be sorted with pretty good success by using a DuPont lubricant called Krytox, available from VW to treat EOS roof seals. It's available in small bottles for around £38 - part number G 052 172 A1.
The problem was that none of the threads gave a definitive answer as to it's effectiveness, nor were there any guides on exactly where to apply the lubricant. Being quite costly (for such a small amount), I wanted to be sure that
A) It would work
B) Where it needs to be applied and how liberally
Well I'm pleased to be able to share my findings on the product, after using it with great success!
Many of the sufferes of this issue realise that if you drop the window by even a few mm, the sounds largely dissappears. This lead me to logically assume it could be the seals that house the window glass.
So my first attempt, I wore a glove, and used my finger to massage some of the product into the rubbers inside the void which the glass seals up into (be aware, a little goes a long way). To be sure, I then ran a bead of the oil into the felt part of the same seal, and also another bead into the the rubber crease. Essentially everywhere highlited in red in the below image:
Confident I would achieve some result, I set of for a test drive.
NO CHANGE! Creaky rattle still as apparent as before. Evidently, this is NOT where to apply the precious lubricant.
For my next attempt, and to try and be slightly scientific about it in order to confirm the exact location of the sound, I left the drivers door and moved over to the pax side (pictures are of the same side but for illustration only).
On this attempt I would only lubricate the seals where the door meets the body of the car. I applied a bead to the fat rubber strip as highlited and massaged it to cover it all - again, a little goes a long way.
I then moved to the door, and ran a bead on the upper and side felt part, another into the crease/fold, and another on the lower rubber part (the outside of the fold, that meets the car body when shut). Everything shown in red essentially:
Took the car for a test drive and... SUCCESS! No sound at all from that side. This proves that the source of the sound is the rubber seals where the door and body meet - nothing at all to do with the window seal in fact. I do believe that the window in it's completely raised position actually bends the frame slightly which perhaps causes extra pressure/contact on the seals, and thats why a slight drop ofthe glass eliviates the issues slightly.
Anyway, I proceeded to repeat on the other side and the car is 100% free of noises. On the pre-sale test drive, the new owner even commented on the silent and well built cabin!
If you have the same issue, feel confident that this will work for you. You may be able to use other cheaper lubricants, but the Krytox is exceptionally durable, tactile and long lasting. Im sure a bottle would last a couple years with bi-annual applications. And you can't put a price on a silent cabin! Well worth buying the proper stuff.
I truly hope this helps others escape the torment of a rattly window/door. Dont live with it until sale time like we did - sort it now!
We have (or rather 'had': we've just taken a deposit on it) an S3 8P 3-door. It always had a mildly irritating and occasion window rattle on the pax side, nothing too bad but a little annoying. However this summer, the drivers side started making the same rattle/creak, which got bad - quickly. Up until recently both window/door areas were making so much racket it was driving me potty. It was the wifes car so fortunatley I didn't have to put up with it on a daily basis. My wife overcame the issue by turning the stereo up.
Well, I wanted to sell the car. But me being very fussy myself, I knew it'd be embarrassing to try and sell with such an obvious flaw. So I felt I had to address the problem ASAP. Funny how we only get around to sorting niggles just before we sell eh?
After a lot of reading threads on here (it's a well known flaw), I came to the conclusion it can be sorted with pretty good success by using a DuPont lubricant called Krytox, available from VW to treat EOS roof seals. It's available in small bottles for around £38 - part number G 052 172 A1.
The problem was that none of the threads gave a definitive answer as to it's effectiveness, nor were there any guides on exactly where to apply the lubricant. Being quite costly (for such a small amount), I wanted to be sure that
A) It would work
B) Where it needs to be applied and how liberally
Well I'm pleased to be able to share my findings on the product, after using it with great success!
Many of the sufferes of this issue realise that if you drop the window by even a few mm, the sounds largely dissappears. This lead me to logically assume it could be the seals that house the window glass.
So my first attempt, I wore a glove, and used my finger to massage some of the product into the rubbers inside the void which the glass seals up into (be aware, a little goes a long way). To be sure, I then ran a bead of the oil into the felt part of the same seal, and also another bead into the the rubber crease. Essentially everywhere highlited in red in the below image:
Confident I would achieve some result, I set of for a test drive.
NO CHANGE! Creaky rattle still as apparent as before. Evidently, this is NOT where to apply the precious lubricant.
For my next attempt, and to try and be slightly scientific about it in order to confirm the exact location of the sound, I left the drivers door and moved over to the pax side (pictures are of the same side but for illustration only).
On this attempt I would only lubricate the seals where the door meets the body of the car. I applied a bead to the fat rubber strip as highlited and massaged it to cover it all - again, a little goes a long way.
I then moved to the door, and ran a bead on the upper and side felt part, another into the crease/fold, and another on the lower rubber part (the outside of the fold, that meets the car body when shut). Everything shown in red essentially:
Took the car for a test drive and... SUCCESS! No sound at all from that side. This proves that the source of the sound is the rubber seals where the door and body meet - nothing at all to do with the window seal in fact. I do believe that the window in it's completely raised position actually bends the frame slightly which perhaps causes extra pressure/contact on the seals, and thats why a slight drop ofthe glass eliviates the issues slightly.
Anyway, I proceeded to repeat on the other side and the car is 100% free of noises. On the pre-sale test drive, the new owner even commented on the silent and well built cabin!
If you have the same issue, feel confident that this will work for you. You may be able to use other cheaper lubricants, but the Krytox is exceptionally durable, tactile and long lasting. Im sure a bottle would last a couple years with bi-annual applications. And you can't put a price on a silent cabin! Well worth buying the proper stuff.
I truly hope this helps others escape the torment of a rattly window/door. Dont live with it until sale time like we did - sort it now!
