997 (&996) Sub zero temps & opening doors
Discussion
The main problem is the window doesn't drop when the door is opened due to it being stuck (frozen) to the seal. The problem this then causes is twofold: the motor is still running trying to drop the glass and the door usually won't close due to the glass not clearing the appeture.
The simple solution is to use de-icer.
The simple solution is to use de-icer.
As said above but perhaps just to clarify... it is the horizontal seal that is fixed to the top of the door skin that we are talking about here (and not the seals that are on the a-pillar/roof/convertible top/b-pillar).
I believe that the inside face of the culprit rubber seal is covered in 'some sort of synthetic fuzz' and from new it has 'magical' water repellent properties....
Fast forward several years and those qualities have long since departed and any water that lands on the side window glass (including melted snow) simply drips down and soaks into this fuzz upon which, it readily freezes solid.
The plastic "credit" card is generally good tool break the seal but if it's really cold, you may need a kettle of warm (not hot!) water to heat the glass. Should you worry about more/getting too much warm water on there? I don't beleive so the chances are that if you have this problem you already have enough water soaked into the fuzz to repeat the problem the next time it freezes as it is unlikely that it will dry out unless left in the sunshine!
I wonder what the replacement seals cost and how easy they are to fit? I imagine you need to strip the door but are they a push fit or riveted on?
I believe that the inside face of the culprit rubber seal is covered in 'some sort of synthetic fuzz' and from new it has 'magical' water repellent properties....
Fast forward several years and those qualities have long since departed and any water that lands on the side window glass (including melted snow) simply drips down and soaks into this fuzz upon which, it readily freezes solid.
The plastic "credit" card is generally good tool break the seal but if it's really cold, you may need a kettle of warm (not hot!) water to heat the glass. Should you worry about more/getting too much warm water on there? I don't beleive so the chances are that if you have this problem you already have enough water soaked into the fuzz to repeat the problem the next time it freezes as it is unlikely that it will dry out unless left in the sunshine!
I wonder what the replacement seals cost and how easy they are to fit? I imagine you need to strip the door but are they a push fit or riveted on?
action09 said:
Credit Card down the side of the window rubbers sorts it.....2010 winter in the NE of Scotland...was nearly every morning!!
Whats worse is when the door lock opens and then freezes open!!
Haha! Great isn't it. You spend ten minutes deicing the car, then jump in pulling the door shut and it just bounces open again. Whats worse is when the door lock opens and then freezes open!!
I left the car out the other night and windows were frozen. Couldn't get a card down the driver's side, frozen solid. As wifey had opened passenger side door to tell me something (grr) I had to free up the passenger side window which I could do. No real issue, window motor tries to go up and down a few times before stopping (designed to do this). It does mean though that the window sits on the outside of the door seal and is not seated properly but no damage is done. Just wait till the car is warm on the inside and then as soon as the window is free, wind it down and then up and it will sit perfect again. Just one of those things.
I believe that any silicon spray from Halfrauds is the answer, I have some Auto glym
http://www.autoglym.co.uk/enGB/product-proddetail....
dw
http://www.autoglym.co.uk/enGB/product-proddetail....
dw
Left my car out recently and had the usual problems after a wet evening>hard frost...
I keep a good scraper (and de-icer spray) in the rear trunk as there's no point keeping these in the passenger compartment if you can't open the feckin' doors!
My tip is to first run the scraper along the top of the seal clearing a narrow strip (I do the whole window or at least a strip a couple of inches wide as that's how wide my scraper is but you only need 1/2inch) all along the top of the seal.
Then slide the scraper/a credit card/ some other tool between the rubber seal and the door glass *** as it is the ice that you cannot see between the seal and the glass that is holding the glass in place***
If you have cleared the strip of frost above the seal in advance as described above, there should be nothing to stop the glass dropping once the bit that you cannot see has been freed.
Personally, I avoid putting de-icer or anything else on the seal and I really don't believe that it is possible to truly resolve this issue once and for all without replacing the door/window seals with new parts that are impregnated with / or have some other magical water repellent qualities as the inner 'flocked' surface resembles a sponge and will retain any moisture that it cannot repel.
I keep a good scraper (and de-icer spray) in the rear trunk as there's no point keeping these in the passenger compartment if you can't open the feckin' doors!
My tip is to first run the scraper along the top of the seal clearing a narrow strip (I do the whole window or at least a strip a couple of inches wide as that's how wide my scraper is but you only need 1/2inch) all along the top of the seal.
Then slide the scraper/a credit card/ some other tool between the rubber seal and the door glass *** as it is the ice that you cannot see between the seal and the glass that is holding the glass in place***
If you have cleared the strip of frost above the seal in advance as described above, there should be nothing to stop the glass dropping once the bit that you cannot see has been freed.
Personally, I avoid putting de-icer or anything else on the seal and I really don't believe that it is possible to truly resolve this issue once and for all without replacing the door/window seals with new parts that are impregnated with / or have some other magical water repellent qualities as the inner 'flocked' surface resembles a sponge and will retain any moisture that it cannot repel.
was8v said:
This, every time.
Too far from the kitchen for me - I've gone down the Gummi-bear, sorry, Gummi-Pflege route. Drop windows, rub on back of seal. Wait a while (best on a dry day!) and see what happens. I find it best to wipe most of it off otherwise the windows develop some interesting streaks…Gassing Station | Porsche General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff