When Should You Replace Car Door Seals?

Car weather stripping is known by many names such as car door seals, automotive seals or car window seals and refers to the rubber seal found around car doors and windows. These seals are responsible for keeping warmth in and keeping the rain, dust, dirt and bugs out when your car door is shut. Weather stripping for cars also helps to make a car journey comfortable as they prevent drafts and help to keep outside noises to a minimum.   
As useful as they are, rubber seals for cars don’t last forever, so it’s useful to know what to look out for when it comes to car window rubber and car door seal replacement.

When Should I Replace Weather Stripping On My Car?

As we drive around in our cars, we seldom think about car weather stripping until something is wrong with it.  
Have you noticed that your car doesn’t stay warm when the heat is on or perhaps you’ve heard a whistling noise while driving? Either example could indicate that it’s time to replace your car door rubber seal.  Here are some signs that your car door seals need to be replaced:

• Leaks in the car. Water can travel down the car door seals, into the car interior, leaving damp areas that over time can leave a smell.
• A whistling sound is heard while driving. This usually means that there is a gap in the car window trim seal.
• Loss of heat. If you notice that the car is no longer retaining heat well when windows and doors are shut,  this is a good sign that the car door weather stripping should be checked and replaced if necessary.
• The rubber seal doesn’t feel bouncy. If your car rubber seal looks flat, feels stiff and doesn’t bounce back to its natural shape after squeezing, then this is a sign of an aged car window rubber seal. The effectiveness of the seal relies on good quality, flexible material that retains its shape after being compressed by the door. If the rubber seal isn’t sealing properly, you’re at risk of water inlet during wet weather and creepy crawlies finding their way in.
• The car door seal has visible holes and gaps. An old, worn seal will begin to crack and crumble away leaving holes and gaps and will render the seal useless. 
• The door sounds louder when shut. This is another clear indication that the seal has worn out and is not as flexible as it once was. The door isn’t being cushioned by the bouncy seal anymore so the door sounds louder when closed. Being able to hear outside noises loudly from inside the car can also mean the seal isn’t doing its job.
• The car is an older model. If the car is more than 20 years old, it’s worth replacing the automotive seals. The older the car door rubber, the less effective the seal will be. The quality of car weather stripping has improved greatly over the years so a new seal will always be more effective than one that has seen 2 decades of use.

How Do You Check Weather Stripping On A Car?

You can perform visual and physical checks to assess the condition of your weather stripping. Open the car door and visually check the door seal, you can also feel it simultaneously to ensure it feels the same all the way around. Any holes, cracks, or dry and brittle areas are signs that it’s time to replace the weatherstripping .

When it comes to troubleshooting car window weather stripping, sometimes it’s unclear where the weakness in the seal is. You can perform another check with the help of a friend. Whilst the vehicle is moving, use a mobile phone to record a video and move the phone along the inside of the window and door seal. When you playback the video, you should be able to hear where the whistling sound is coming from and locate where the gap is.

How To Get Replacement Car Door Seals

JA Seals produces a range of high-quality made-to-order products that offer you exactly what you need. We supply replacement car door seals to suit all types of vehicles so you’re sure to find the right product. Our bespoke, premium automotive seals can be cut to your specification to avoid waste and are built to last so you can be confident that your automotive rubber seals will keep your vehicle free from pests and protected against the elements. If you need to replace your car door seals, contact our helpful sales and support team on 01952 291903 or make an online enquiry today 

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