If you're like me, you absolutely hate squeaks and rattles. Some people just learn to live with them. Why on the last forum I frequented, I even heard someone say, "That's what the sound system is for." What?!!! That's just crazy. No one should have to tolerate those annoying sounds, especially with a vehicle in this price range. Well, I was proud to say my car had no squeaks or rattles. That is, until recently. After enjoying a year and a half of blissful silence, a dreaded rattle developed. I refuse to make a separate trip to the dealer for something as trivial (yet still annoying) as a rattle. I decided to wait until I went in for my annual state inspection to have the dealer take a look at it. I was expecting them to say, "We just can't find it." Lo and behold, they found it. It was the sunroof. All that was needed was some lube on the sunroof weather stripping. No adjustments. No parts to replace. Just plain old lube. Voilà! No more rattles. Rattles can be so difficult to pinpoint their origin. Sometimes they seem to be omnidirectional. I thought it was coming from the right "A" pillar. I wasn't even close. Who knew dry weather stripping could cause a rattle? Every rattle I've ever had in previous vehicles turned out to be something actually loose.

You're probably asking, "Why is he writing this lengthy post just to talk about a sunroof rattle." Hear's why. I looked at the dealer invoice and they listed the exact lubricant used. It's called "Krytox". Those in the automotive industry are probably quite familiar with this. I'd never heard of it. Apparently, it's some space-age lube that contains no petroleum or silicone. It's made specifically for window & sunroof seals, door & trunk gaskets, convertible top gaskets and engine hoses. Supposedly, all of the automakers use it.


I rushed out and ordered some for myself. It's a clear liquid with a semi-thick consistency. It comes with its own applicator too. I decided to treat the weather stripping on all of the doors, door jambs, rear hatch jamb and sunroof again (just for good measure). Even if you don't have squeaks or rattles, it's probably a good idea to treat your weather stripping just to keep it soft and supple. Otherwise, eventually it will start to dry out and crack. The only down side of Krytox is it's super expensive. A 2-ounce bottle cost a whopping $30! However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover after doing the whole car, there was no noticeable amount gone from the bottle. I could probably do the entire car another ten times with the remainder. Considering the fact that you probably only need to use this every other year at most, for me this is essentially a lifetime supply.

I just wanted to share this amazing product with everyone. Now, my car is again as quiet as a mouse. So if you're suffering in silence over a plethora of squeaks and rattles, try some of this stuff. Better yet, have the dealer use some on your vehicle. You'll be amazed at the difference.

 

Thanks for the heads up.

 

Picked these up from Amazon. Krytox comes with a circular foam applicator, but it's better suited for door seals and the rear hatch. It's too wide for the sunroof weather seals. These are 7" long and work perfectly. There are two sets of rubber sunroof seals, one inner and one outer. Part of the inner seal you'll have to access from inside the vehicle.

 

Thanks for the tip and links. Stuff works great!

 

 

I'm not sure exactly which seals the dealer lubed, but I did both the inner and outer seals, all of the way around. Their treatment worked, but I wanted a more thorough, proper lube. I know they didn't coat the seals as well as I did, because this stuff is so expensive and they do multiple vehicles.

 

 

I just found another use for Krytox. Recently, I noticed a squeaking sound coming from the rear cargo area. You could tell it was something rubber and out in the open, as opposed to behind a panel. I asked myself, "What exposed rubber is in the cargo area?" Voilà.....found it. It was the four rubber nubs on the ends of the parcel shelf (cover for cargo area). I removed it and applied some Krytox, using the 7" foam swabs. Presto.....instant fix. I love this stuff!!!