Discussion
Any recommendations for a good grease for window mechanism runners? My dear old BMW E34 suffers from slow windows in part due to 30 year old grease. I could do with something that will give a nice smooth action, without frequent regreasing (I don't fancy taking the door cards off every 5 minutes) and I don't want a grease that will pick up crap and gum up.
Advice much appreciated!
Advice much appreciated!
1st off all grease will pick up crap, its inherent in its properties, it needs to be slippery so it lubricates, it needs to be sticky so it does not fall off, or run away.
Best bet is to clean all parts of any old grease, check for tight spots and sort them out, then re-grease with any kind of grease although I would probably use a lithium based white grease, use sparingly, you don't need a lot.
Best bet is to clean all parts of any old grease, check for tight spots and sort them out, then re-grease with any kind of grease although I would probably use a lithium based white grease, use sparingly, you don't need a lot.
Would graphite powder for locks be any good ?
e.g. see: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=graphite+powder+for+l...
e.g. see: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=graphite+powder+for+l...
You may also find that the rubber channels that the sides of the glass run up & down in would benefit from a good clean & check to see if they have gone hard over time.
My Classic Range Rover can sometimes do this & a thorough clean of the channels (the soft material on the rubber can get gunged up with green crud - an old toothbrush works well) followed by a good spray of silicone lubricant can work wonders.
If they've gone hard then the grip on the glass might also cause problems & the only real cure for that is new rubbers.
My Classic Range Rover can sometimes do this & a thorough clean of the channels (the soft material on the rubber can get gunged up with green crud - an old toothbrush works well) followed by a good spray of silicone lubricant can work wonders.
If they've gone hard then the grip on the glass might also cause problems & the only real cure for that is new rubbers.
Give it all a jolly good clean, including runners, check for wear and then reassemble and regrease sparingly with whatever clean grease you have to hand
There are lots of bushes, bearings and sliding contacts in window winders, it only takes a bit of wear in some of them to slow things down. A good clean usually helps for a while anyway.
The type of grease doesn't matter much, it's not the most challenging of applications.
There are lots of bushes, bearings and sliding contacts in window winders, it only takes a bit of wear in some of them to slow things down. A good clean usually helps for a while anyway.
The type of grease doesn't matter much, it's not the most challenging of applications.
It's very common on older cars for the flock coating to be worn off the rubber window channels. It's actually then to your advantage if the rubber is hard (as it won't grab at the glass), and the last thing you want to do is make it grippy by adding a hydrocarbon based oil or grease. Dry silicone spray is your best best, and clean & polish the corresponding edges of the glass too, and ensure that the guides are aligned correctly so the glass is a nice sliding fit before it is reattached to the lifter.
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