Door rubber gasket care

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
42,359
Location
Great Lakes
What do you guys recommend? I've seen a post in the archives about rubber treatment, but nothing definitive. The BMW gummipflege was highly regarded in BMW circles, alas BMW replaced it with something else that's 4 times as expensive (and the original stuff wasn't cheap either).

Someone recommended Zymol Seal to me. Wurth and Einszett also have some rubber protection products.

I have the 303 Aerospace Protectant that I use for interior plastics. Not sure if that's a good thing to use for those door/trunk gaskets.

Thanks.
 
I am currently using Zymol seal & like it pretty well. I intend on trying the Wurth next. As someone else on here suggested, you might also look into glycerin from the pharmacy.
 
I tried Wurth and Einzett. Neither are anything like the original BMW product as they are thin and water like. Wurth is better though.

I have tried syrup like glycerin from teh pharmacy. It seems to work ok. best to wipe it on, let soak in with doors open and then remove the excess as itt does not seem to harden or dry.
 
There is no definitive answer for rubber seal care. Most any good water based protectant will work, as will 303, Einszett and Wurth products. Stay away from oily or solventy products and you'll be fine.
 
EXPENSIVE!!!
I bought a tube years ago.
Last a long,long time.



http://www.ecklers.com/product.asp?pf_id=A2524&dept_id=123



Originally developed for the U.S. Space Program, Krytox® Fluorinated Lubricants are a family of synthetic oils and greases that perform where conventional lubricants fail. They exhibit superior lubricity, high load carrying ability and extra wear protection. Excellent for high temperature and chemically aggressive environments. Available in general purpose, mil-spec, and food grades.

• High Temperature Stability, to 800ºF/426ºC
• Wide Operating Range, -103ºF/-75ºC to 800ºF/426ºC
• Oxygen Compatibility, safe for oxygen service
• Chemical Inertness. Insoluble in hydrocarbons, petroleum distillates,
water, steam, chemical solvents and acids/bases.
• Ionizing Radiation Resistance
• Compatible with plastics, elastomers, metals, ceramics
• Extends Service Life of critical components. Reduces down time and
maintenance costs.
• Low Vapor Pressure
• Low Outgassing
• Nonflammable
• Nontoxic
• No Migration, contains no silicones
• Food Grades (USDA/NSF H-1 & H-2)
• Aerospace Grades
• Mil-Spec Grades
 
Last edited:
Door seals don't really need any conditioner and in fact, some conditioners may do more harm than good. Just keeping them clean is all you really need to do and for this I use 303 protectant. This is based on information from the 303 website which I posted below.


Rubber Seals - Not `Rubber' Anymore
Maybe not a surprise, but no longer are a car's rubber seals made from `rubber'. To keep the inside of your car quiet and dry, car makers use a specialized synthetic material called EPDM, (ethylene propylene diene monomer).

Real rubber, or blends containing real rubber, just cannot endure the direct exposure to sunlight(ultraviolet light) and the harmful-to-rubber oxidizing gases in our atmosphere (see Tech Facts Vol. 1). To quote from the engineering specs, EPDM is "Ideal for outdoor applications because of its excellent resistance to ultraviolet light, ozone, oxidants, and severe weather conditions".

EPDM is great stuff, but it has some downsides. It's tear resistance is only fair, so sticking & tearing is not uncommon. And just like real rubber, it has extremely poor resistance to solvents (petroleum distillates) and oils.

"You mean I don't have to `protect' my car's door & trunk seals?"
That's right, and treating your seals with a leading-brand "protectant" is almost always exactly the WRONG thing to do to your seals. Any chemical product that contains oils or petroleum distillates is incompatible with EPDM.

TIP: NEVER apply any rubber or vinyl treatment that has an oily or greasy nature or contains petroleum distillates. READ THE LABEL! If a product contains petroleum distillates, do not apply it to your rubber seals.

Though its powerful UV screening benefit is not needed in this application, 303 Aerospace Protectant is great for cleaning EPDM seals and to keep them clean. 303 Aerospace Protectant makes EPDM seals look like new and PREVENTS sticking and tearing. Because it is safe for EPDM and prevents sticking & tearing, manufacturers exclusively recommend 303 Aerospace Protectant for this application.
 
3003 is great stuff and hard to beat with it's uv protection. However, i have never seen anything like BMW's gummi-pflege product for keeping door gaskets pliable, soft and non-sticking. Shame it is not available.

pure Glycerin comes as close to it as I have found. BTW, even Armor-all original is water based.
 
Thanks, Harry, for posting those comments from 303. Now y'all know why I said to stay away from solventy and oily products.

Clip & Paste from above:

EPDM is great stuff, but it has some downsides. It's tear resistance is only fair, so sticking & tearing is not uncommon. And just like real rubber, it has extremely poor resistance to solvents (petroleum distillates) and oils.

"You mean I don't have to `protect' my car's door & trunk seals?"
That's right, and treating your seals with a leading-brand "protectant" is almost always exactly the WRONG thing to do to your seals. Any chemical product that contains oils or petroleum distillates is incompatible with EPDM.

TIP: NEVER apply any rubber or vinyl treatment that has an oily or greasy nature or contains petroleum distillates. READ THE LABEL! If a product contains petroleum distillates, do not apply it to your rubber seals.
 
Last edited:
Door seals have been made from EPDM rubber for decades. Glycerol (glycerine) C3H8O3 is very compatible with EPDM & most everything. Maybe this is why it has been used in the past?
303 doesn't list their ingredients except as trade secret on their MSDS. Does anyone know what it contains especially for the UV treatment?
 
I ude Black Magic Tire shine stuff on my 92 Toyota p/u the interior vinyl and door trim and gaskets looked great at 14 years.
 
Quote:


i guess silicone is bad




There are over 30,000 formulations for silicone. Not all of them are bad. This thread has given you ways to determine if a silicone product is potentially good or bad for your door seals.
 
OK, I guess I didn't specify that the reason I really want to treat my door gaskets is that they cause creaking noises while driving, and I want it stopped.

From what I have just learned, it's actually the upper door seals (with the felt type material) that are on top of the door frame that are usually responsible for the creaking in e39. Someone suggested I use Door Ease (stainless stick lubricant) on it. I'm not sure what the Door Ease is comprised of, but I'm a little hesitant putting any kind of gunk on the seal. I guess I'll go to my local Ace Hardware and check this stuff out.
 
I think it some sort of white grease stick. I use the 303, Wurth and Glycerin on my BMW seals. I also have some Gummi-pflege left over that use very sparingly.
 
I use armor all on mine. Mine had a sticky problem and would make a slight noise over mild bumps. I slicked them up with armor all and now they are completely silent. I'm sure someone here will tell me how my car is going to blow up now, but it seems to be working for me and the rubber in the door seals looks great.
 
I was still able to buy some gummi-fledge from pelicanparts.com I believe. Works good, but its very similar to 303.

About the felt seals in teh e39. My e39 used to creak over bumps, but I never imagined a felt seal could do that. I apply white lithium grease to all my door mechanisms and it works great.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top