As you all know, we don't have frames for our Window/Door. This morning when I opened the door (minus 4 outside), it was really tight. The moisture from over night must have froze so the window/door felt like it was going to shatter.

My previous WRX had the same design (no frame around the window) but I never had problems opening the door. Anyone else experience this? How did you battle it? Put some sort of grease along the rubber edge?

 

And if my luck was that bad and the window did shatter, would this be covered by warranty? I mean, it's not my fault the window has no frame.

 

It's not the rubber edge that is causing the problem. It's water that seeps into the door itself and freezes the window roll down mechanism. Sort of how you wash the car and two days later, you still see water on your window when you roll down and roll up the window. There isn't much you can do. Sometimes it gets so cold even here in NJ, that the window motor fails to function at all. Give it a couple solid taps to break the ice, if not, use the remote to roll down the window an inch. You will hear the ice breaking apart inside the door.

 

Good info Afropuff for those in nothern climes using their G during the winter.

 

Get a good silicone sealant on the seals of the door and that should prevent any future problems. Doesn't take much at all.

Albert

 

or you could drive a winter beater to save yourself the hassle :P

 

In my previous car, silicone spray (not sealant) did help... but with heavy ice buildup it would still stick sometimes. A friend recommended putting a small amount of petroleum jelly on a rag and then wiping down the seals which worked better.

 

Wouldn't petroleum jelly tend to break down the rubber over time?

 

That's right Bill, the petroleum will eventually eat the rubber.

The best thing would be a product that's available from your local BMW dealer called "Gummi Pflege"..... It's a rubber protectant/lubricant that is meant for this task and comes highly recommended.
C.

 

I don't use Amour-All for anything else- except for the rubber seals on the door, trunk, etc.

I've used the stuff this way for about 20 years and it seems to work for me, and is fine for the rubber.

 

Haven't visited the board in awhile....

I think the best protectant out there is 303 Aerospace Protectant. I asked my independent BMW shop about Gummi Pflege once, and the owner did not recommend it for regular protection (I don't recall exact reason -- maybe too messy?)

303 Aerospace provides the best protection for rubber/vinyl/plastics/etc...
Check 303 site for info:

www.303products.com/main.php?infopage=protectant

It's widely recommended by many corporations.

I use it on weather seals, and put it on my summer/winter tires before I store them. I also use occassionally as tire dressing (if you like glossy look, 303 isn't glossy -- it just makes rubber look new).

Used to be sort of hard to find in Canada. Now it's widely available, including at Canadian Tire.

 

For many years now I've used the silicone gel available at GM dealers. (loks like a glue) It has a brush applicator and seems to work well.

 

Every winter, I clean the rubber and spray some Silicone Spray from Canadian Tire (the can with the red cap). Seems to have worked well for me over the years.

 

I've used the same spray as you Will with success for protecting the weatherstripping and to prevent it from freezing in the winter. I saw some of the aerospace303 Protectant at Canadian tire yesterday so I picked it up to give it a try.

Oh, Welcome to the Board Will
Wayne

 

Welcome bro, and thanks for the tip on CTC's Silicone Spray.

C.