Stopping frozen doors

[VertVega]

Up in north car owners use a product called Silicone Stick for preventing door seals sticking.
It happens especially in the beginning of winter (humid & cold) or after car wash during winter.
May be you should look for a similar product.

From the manufacturer's pages:
"Protective agent for sealants. Keeps rubber soft and supple. Prevents sealants from chipping,
breaking and freezing. Removes squeaky noises.
Application: Squeeze some liquid onto a sponge, spread on the surface. Close the stick carefully after use."

[Bannedbiker]

Also when de-icing the rear window this morning I noticed this:

IMG_4820.jpg

The rubber has completely curled around away from both the glass and the metal leaving gaping gaps. As far as I know before the last few days of freezing weather the rubber was fine - I would have noticed something like this if it had happened earlier.

My question is, has the cold temperature and ice caused this damage, or has it been liberal use of de-icer in the last few days that has swelled the rubber up ? Anything I can do to fix it ?

My Xantia does this in the cold weather too, has done the last 3 winters but goes back to normal as soon as the warmer weather comes.
Roll on Summer!!!!

Martin.

[Xantippa]

Here in Finland we use silicone-stick like this:


It works well, and it´s easier to apply than spray.

[Mandrake]

Here in Finland we use silicone-stick like this:


It works well, and it´s easier to apply than spray.

Just what the doctor ordered....now where to find something like that in the UK...

[Mandrake]

That does look very strange!

Did you try and pull the top of it from under the glass? Perhaps that will flatten it out. It shouldnt be a reacion to the de-icer, but you never know.

Well I was in a bit of a hurry to get to work and the rubber was very stiff in the cold and wouldn't budge anyway. I think I'll have to wait for mid day tomorrow for it to warm up enough to make the rubber pliable again before I can tease it back into position. Perhaps some silicon treatment (along with the door seals) will prevent it happening again.

[Xantidote]

My Xantia does this in the cold weather too, has done the last 3 winters but goes back to normal as soon as the warmer weather comes.

Yes, mine too. Only the length of seal which lies horizontally on the hatch/tailgate seems to affected. Started 1-2 winters ago, and yes, it disappears again when weather gets warmer. Maybe the rubber is degrading with long term exposure to sunlight/UV?

[Mandrake]

Checked the seal today, the rubber along the bottom of the glass is soft and flimsy in the cold - I can push it back into place but its so soft that it doesn't hold it's shape. It's also doing it on the right hand side. If there was a heavy downpour the water would go straight into the boot. I guess it just needs a new rubber seal

[Jaine]

I used silicone spray on a cloth on the Williams & it worked great this morning.
Jaine

[myglaren]

I used silicone spray on a cloth on the Williams & it worked great this morning.
Jaine

I meant to do that today but by the time I had fixed the lights it had been completely forgotten. Will probably have to break into the car with a lump hammer and crowbar tomorrow.

[Mandrake]

Looks like getting ice off the car is the least of my worries now, the snow has begun:

(spot the Xantia)

image.jpg

Will be interesting to see how my Michelin Energies cope in the snow. They're not winter tyres but still street loads better than the nearly bald, junk tyres that graced the front wheels a few months ago. Before the snow fall the car park was already an ice skating rink that was scary and slippery to walk on but I had been driving in and out of it without problems but tomorrow will be a new test, and the first time I've ever driven a car in snow.

The roads around here are usually gritted so shouldn't be a problem but in previous winters the neighbours have had trouble getting in and out of the car park, especially up the slight incline from the main road...

[andy5]

Thanks to this discussion I've bought one of these stick products - the German one

Doing a search for silicone stick produced some other kinds of results

[Mandrake]

Thanks to this discussion I've bought one of these stick products - the German one

Doing a search for silicone stick produced some other kinds of results

Same problem here. What did you search for and where did you find it ?

[andy5]

gummi pflege on ebay, from 5.95

[mooseshaver]

I ordered my gummi from eBay too. Not arrived yet so can't review

[Johnny Cogs]

You'll probably all larf at this... but when I had the s1 estate and that was all frozen up, I would lob a couple of buckets of water over it... Was enough to clear the windows, unstick the doors and electric windows and get her running... Used to heat up real quick too (1.9td vsx) so only took a couple of mins to get motoring...