Originally Posted By: qwertydude
Originally Posted By: benjamming
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?
There's a thread about this very topic. For all the 303 die hards out there. You'll save a lot of money simply using Armor All. As far as all my research has gone into plastic protectants, all the milky white stuff seems to just be a silicone emulsion. Even the ones that claim UV protection don't seem to have any real specific UV absorbers but the silicone.
Our Honda 1997 Civic sits outside 24/7, so it makes for a good test of the durability of rubber treatments. In the past, I have used Einszett GummiPlege with good results. During the hot summer, the door seals sometimes stick, especially the rear doors. Not wanting them to stick and rip is what led me to try different products on them. The Einszett works well, but after a short while they start sticking again. Next, I tried some silicone paste. It seemed to work okay, but I didn't care for the fact it didn't really seem to "soak in" and "condition" the rubber seals to keep them soft and flexible. It just seemed to sit on top of the rubber, but if it kept the doors from sticking, then I could be okay with it. But, after a couple of weeks, the doors were sticking.
Then, I tried Optimum Opti-bond tire gel on the rubber seals. I wasn't expecting dramatic results, but I was pleasantly surprised! Not only did the Opti-bond make the rubber look really good, (turned the rubber dark black) but it also "soaked in" and "conditioned" much better than I was expecting. So, I'm impressed so far.
Now, comes the real test, how long will it keep the door from sticking. It has been about a week and half and so far so good, we have been having temperatures in the mid 80's this week and we will have 90's this week. I'll give it a couple more weeks, if it doesn't stick after the 90 degree days, I'll have a winner!
Added benefit is Optimum states it has UV and ozone protectants!