Automotive weatherstripping is the rubber material that seals the edges of a vehicle's doors, windows, windshield, trunk lid, etc. It could also be called a weather seal, a weatherstrip, or just a seal. Weatherstripping prevents the outside elements like rain, snow, sand, and wind from entering a vehicle and ruining your day. There is a massive variety of auto weather seals available these days because cars and trucks have been using them for over 100 years. With that variety comes plenty of confusion. Luckily, 1A Auto is here to sort through this rubber madness. Here is a guide to some of the different types of weatherstripping you will find on cars and trucks.
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Door seals are the weatherstrips that attach to the outside perimeter of the car door and seal the door to the body of the vehicle. They are usually held on with clips that slide into the door seal and then snap into holes in the doors. If the door has a frame around the window, the rubber door seal will likely be O-shaped and surround the entire perimeter of the door and window frame. If a vehicle does not have a frame surrounding the window, the door seal will be U-shaped, and attach vertically to the front and rear of the door and connect across the bottom.
Roof rail seals attach to the roof of a vehicle where the door window frame comes in contact with it. This helps seal the wind, rain, snow, and dirt from entering the vehicle with the door closed. Damaged roof rail weatherstripping is a very common cause of wind noise at high speeds. If they are not in great shape and installed properly, wind noise will definitely be a part of the daily commute.
When it comes to weatherstripping, quarter windows are often overlooked because they don't have much attached to them. One seal that they do have though, is the vertical quarter window seal. It attaches vertically to the front edge of the quarter windows. It seals the door glass to the quarter window on hardtop and convertible models. Sedans would not use this type of window weatherstripping because they have a frame around their quarter windows.
Window sweeps, also known as "window felts," live on each side of the door glass toward the bottom. They are often made of a flexible piece of rubber, and some have a felt-like material on the inside edge. Their purpose is to allow the glass to roll up and down, but prevent debris from falling down into the door. On some vehicles, the interior window sweeps are mounted to the door panel, and others may be mounted to the steel door shell itself. Exterior window sweeps most often clip onto the door shell.
Window channel seals, also known as window run channel seals, attach to the insides of the door window frame. The door glass then rolls up into them. They prevent wind, water, and debris from entering your vehicle when the windows are rolled up. They also prevent the window from rattling in the door frame. The insides of these weather seals are frequently made of soft rubber or felt to prevent scratches on the glass.
The windshield weatherstrip is the rubber seal that surrounds the windshield glass in its entirety. It helps prevent water and wind from leaking in around the edges of the windshield. Some vehicles have windshields that are glued to the car with the windshield weatherstrip laid on top of it. Other vehicles need the windshield weatherstripping installed at the same time as the windshield itself, which means it cannot be installed after the fact. These weather seals are held in by pressure, clips, or weatherstrip adhesive, depending on the vehicle.
U-jamb seals, also known as "lock pillar seals" on older vehicles, install right in front of the quarter windows at the bottom corner. This is also the upper front-most corner of the quarter panel. They are often U-shaped and made of a solid or hollow piece of rubber. This piece of weatherstrip is held on with screws, clips, or adhesive, and prevents debris from entering the insides of the quarter panel.
When you think of the word "header", you may automatically think "exhaust system", but that is not the case when we are talking about weatherstripping. The header seal can be found on cars with convertible tops or targa tops. It crosses the span of the top of the windshield and seals either the convertible top frame or the front section of the targa top to the windowshield frame. Some header seals also run down the A-pillars as well, which means that they seal the door to the windshield as well. They are held on with clips, glue, or screws depending on the application.
The A-pillar weatherstrip can also be called a "windshield pillar seal." This type of weatherstripping attaches to the A-pillar, which is the side of the windshield. A-pillar seals are intended to seal the door glass or window frame to the windshield. Like so many other weather seals, they are made of soft rubber and prevent the outside elements from entering in.
Convertible top seals usually come in a kit, and include all of the side weather seals that attach to the bottom side of a convertible top. These types of weatherstrips help seal the gap between the door and quarter window glass and the convertible top. This obviously prevents wind noise, rain, and other elements from entering the luxurious interior of the fancy convertible. The beauty of these weather seals is that they are designed to fold up with the top without stretching or becoming damaged.
When it comes to T-tops, you have to accept that 99% of them will leak water inside the car. That is why replacement T-top weatherstripping exists. The original rubber seals dry out, crack, and become brittle, especially in the hot summer sun. Replacing them solves this problem. They most commonly attach to the body of the vehicle and are held on with a combination of clips and weatherstrip adhesive.
The weatherstripping around the trunk lid is called a "trunk seal." It seals the trunk lid to the body of the car and also channels water down to the ground rather than into the trunk. As you can imagine, with trunk lids being used so frequently, these seals have a hard life. They often have objects dragged across them, along with water, snow, and ice beating on them mercilessly. Luckily, replacing them is easy, and they are usually held in with nothing more than weatherstrip adhesive.
Replacement weatherstrip is needed anytime that a vehicle has excessive wind noise, rain leakage, or outside elements finding their way in. It can crack, split, or become brittle over time. Weatherstripping can also unseal and loosen over time.
Usually trying to find a water leak is the most challenging part, because you need to be in a rain storm to watch the leak take place. If the weather isn't on your schedule, you can always run a water hose over the car or truck and watch for water to pool in the interior.
The difficulty level of replacing weatherstripping varies from one vehicle to the next, but overall, most weatherstripping is easy to install by any do-it-yourselfer. It will usually involve removing the adhesive, cleaning the channels, test fitting, and reinstalling by the same method the weatherstripping was applied. For tips to make a weatherstripping replacement easier, check out this article. To replace weatherstripping yourself, check out our how-to videos covering many years, makes, and models.
Weather stripping on our cars is an unsung hero. We rarely notice it, but if we didn&#;t have it, driving around would be a noisy, wet and miserable experience.
&#;Weather stripping, like the spare tire, or sway bar links, are totally ignored until they go bad or are damaged,&#; says master technician, author and instructor Bob Lacivita. &#;But they are important to your driving experience, comfort and health.&#;
Weather strip on cars (aka gasket) is apt to get damaged if it freezes to the door frame or glass, then tears when you open the door or trunk. Ultraviolet rays from the sun can also break down, or dry rot, the rubber, causing it to leak, lose shape or get folded.
&#;Although weather stripping is resilient, normal wear and tear, such as dragging your feet getting into and out of your car, or moving items in and out of the trunk, can quickly damage the rubber seal,&#; says Lacivita.
If that happens, it&#;s usually a DIY job, but you might want to call a pro if:
Car weather stripping is the rubbery lining that seals the gaps between the vehicle body and the doors, windows, trunk, hood and windshield. Weather stripping on a car serves various purposes:
&#;To test weather stripping fit, place a dollar bill between the weather strip and the part being sealed,&#; says Lacivita. &#;Feeling resistance when pulling the bill out signifies a good seal.&#;
If you suspect you have a weather stripping issue, here&#;s how to repair, replace and maintain weather stripping on a car.
When to Replace Weather StrippingIf you see dry rot or chunks missing, it&#;s time to replace your weather stripping. Also, if you have wind noise or water leaking near the door frames, check them for damage.
&#;It does get damaged by dry rot, or exposure to the heat of the sun and the cold of the winter,&#; says Thomas Patterson, Director of New Product Development and Technical Training at Glass Doctor. &#;Expanding and contracting causes fatigue in the EPDM [rubber] and causes it to loosen.&#;
You will get efficient and thoughtful service from I-ECO.
How to Repair Weather Stripping on a CarFamily Handyman
Time: 20 minutes to several hours
Cost: varies
Complexity: beginner
If you only have small tears or cuts, you can probably patch those with weather strip adhesive (be careful, it&#;s really sticky). Make sure to promptly wipe off any excess glue using a cloth and solvent-based liquid cleaner.
Similarly, if your weather strip is just falling or popping out a little, use a few drops of weather strip adhesive to hold it in place.
If your weather strip has lost shape or gotten folded over, you may also be able to repair it by cutting a small opening with a utility knife and inserting a piece of foam backer rod (lubricate it with silicone first). Use a metal rod or coat hanger to push it in.
If you can&#;t repair your weather stripping, you&#;ll need to replace it.
Pro-tip: &#;I recommend 3M Black Weatherstrip Adhesive,&#; says Lacivita. &#;I am not a fan of 3M Yellow Weather Strip adhesive. Once it fully cures, it&#;s worse than contact cement to remove.&#;
&#;It&#;s vital to allow the adhesive to cure and bond to the surface of the door!&#; says Patterson. &#;During this time, do not close the door before it&#;s done curing as it can cause the strip to shift.&#;
Maintaining weather stripping on a car will help keep it soft and flexible. From time to time, or when you find dust and debris on the weather stripping:
&#;A good coating of any silicone-based protectant can always extend the life of the weatherstrip,&#; says Patterson. &#;When detailing the inside of the car, use the same protectant on the seals you used on the leather or vinyl trim.&#;
How Much Does It Cost to Replace Weather Stripping?It depends. A roll of generic self-stick or friction weather stripping costs less than $25. &#;On the other hand, a vehicle-specific weather strip that requires removing trim, or removing the sunroof, can run up to $800,&#; Lacivita says.
FAQsYes, but why? says Lacivita. &#;Besides being open to the elements and annoyed with road noise and parts slamming into each other, driving without weather stripping would be uncomfortable since the HVAC system has to work harder to compensate for temperature changes.&#;
If cared for properly, it should last the lifetime of your vehicle. &#;I would highly doubt that any normal vehicle owner will ever need to replace such items on their car,&#; says Patterson.
If your weather stripping is vehicle or part specific, you&#;ll need to order it from a dealer or an aftermarket supplier. You can also try to carefully remove a small piece to determine what type you need, such as if it fits into a channel, attaches with clips or is glued to the vehicle&#;s body. If you&#;re lucky, you can save money by ordering a generic roll.
About the ExpertsBob Lacivita was an award-winning General Motors master technician for 27 years and has been an ASE master technician since . For 25 years, he also worked as an automotive technical educator and administrator. Today he writes about DIY car repairs and vehicle maintenance for Family Handyman, Reader&#;s Digest and other outlets.
Thomas Patterson is Director of New Product Development and Technical Training at Glass Doctor. He has been in the glass business for 45 years and worked on thousands of vehicles. Glass Doctor is a Neighborly Company, with more than 300 retail locations.
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