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If wind or water are getting into your car, your weather stripping could be the culprit. Here's what to do about it. Car Door Seals
Weather stripping on our cars is an unsung hero. We rarely notice it, but if we didn’t have it, driving around would be a noisy, wet and miserable experience.
“Weather stripping, like the spare tire, or sway bar links, are totally ignored until they go bad or are damaged,” says master technician, author and instructor Bob Lacivita. “But they are important to your driving experience, comfort and health.”
Weather strip on cars (aka gasket) is apt to get damaged if it freezes to the door frame or glass, then tears when you open the door or trunk. Ultraviolet rays from the sun can also break down, or dry rot, the rubber, causing it to leak, lose shape or get folded.
“Although weather stripping is resilient, normal wear and tear, such as dragging your feet getting into and out of your car, or moving items in and out of the trunk, can quickly damage the rubber seal,” says Lacivita.
If that happens, it’s usually a DIY job, but you might want to call a pro if:
Car weather stripping is the rubbery lining that seals the gaps between the vehicle body and the doors, windows, trunk, hood and windshield. Weather stripping on a car serves various purposes:
“To test weather stripping fit, place a dollar bill between the weather strip and the part being sealed,” says Lacivita. “Feeling resistance when pulling the bill out signifies a good seal.”
If you suspect you have a weather stripping issue, here’s how to repair, replace and maintain weather stripping on a car.
If you see dry rot or chunks missing, it’s time to replace your weather stripping. Also, if you have wind noise or water leaking near the door frames, check them for damage.
“It does get damaged by dry rot, or exposure to the heat of the sun and the cold of the winter,” says Thomas Patterson, Director of New Product Development and Technical Training at Glass Doctor. “Expanding and contracting causes fatigue in the EPDM [rubber] and causes it to loosen.”
Time: 20 minutes to several hours
If you only have small tears or cuts, you can probably patch those with weather strip adhesive (be careful, it’s really sticky). Make sure to promptly wipe off any excess glue using a cloth and solvent-based liquid cleaner.
Similarly, if your weather strip is just falling or popping out a little, use a few drops of weather strip adhesive to hold it in place.
If your weather strip has lost shape or gotten folded over, you may also be able to repair it by cutting a small opening with a utility knife and inserting a piece of foam backer rod (lubricate it with silicone first). Use a metal rod or coat hanger to push it in.
If you can’t repair your weather stripping, you’ll need to replace it.
Pro-tip: “I recommend 3M Black Weatherstrip Adhesive,” says Lacivita. “I am not a fan of 3M Yellow Weather Strip adhesive. Once it fully cures, it’s worse than contact cement to remove.”
“It’s vital to allow the adhesive to cure and bond to the surface of the door!” says Patterson. “During this time, do not close the door before it’s done curing as it can cause the strip to shift.”
Maintaining weather stripping on a car will help keep it soft and flexible. From time to time, or when you find dust and debris on the weather stripping:
“A good coating of any silicone-based protectant can always extend the life of the weatherstrip,” says Patterson. “When detailing the inside of the car, use the same protectant on the seals you used on the leather or vinyl trim.”
It depends. A roll of generic self-stick or friction weather stripping costs less than $25. “On the other hand, a vehicle-specific weather strip that requires removing trim, or removing the sunroof, can run up to $800,” Lacivita says.
Yes, but why? says Lacivita. “Besides being open to the elements and annoyed with road noise and parts slamming into each other, driving without weather stripping would be uncomfortable since the HVAC system has to work harder to compensate for temperature changes.”
If cared for properly, it should last the lifetime of your vehicle. “I would highly doubt that any normal vehicle owner will ever need to replace such items on their car,” says Patterson.
If your weather stripping is vehicle or part specific, you’ll need to order it from a dealer or an aftermarket supplier. You can also try to carefully remove a small piece to determine what type you need, such as if it fits into a channel, attaches with clips or is glued to the vehicle’s body. If you’re lucky, you can save money by ordering a generic roll.
Bob Lacivita was an award-winning General Motors master technician for 27 years and has been an ASE master technician since 1978. For 25 years, he also worked as an automotive technical educator and administrator. Today he writes about DIY car repairs and vehicle maintenance for Family Handyman, Reader’s Digest and other outlets.
Thomas Patterson is Director of New Product Development and Technical Training at Glass Doctor. He has been in the glass business for 45 years and worked on thousands of vehicles. Glass Doctor is a Neighborly Company, with more than 300 retail locations.
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