R3z

Anyone know a quick fix to poor seals on the driver side window? The whistle at speed isn't getting any better and it's really starting to annoy me. Not new $700 seals annoying, but annoying nonetheless... Can anyone detail a procedure to fix this without completely replacing the seals?

Lexusfreak

What year is the car?

R3z

1993

hoolcat

I have the same problem with my 96 and the easiest way to fix it is to turn your radio up to about the half way (12 O'clock) and the sound should go away. If its comming from your moonroof close the shade and it should lower the noise. This is really what i did for a long time.


Ok for real. You may alreay know about the tests to find the leak. You have to find it before you can fix it. Here they are. You can do the dollar bill test. This is done by folding a dollar bill the long way like your putting it in front of you at the strip club. The you want to close the dollar between the window so half is inside the car and half is outside. Roll the back window down (if its the front the making the noise or the front down it its the back thats making the noise.) so you can reach your other hand around to grab the part of the bill that is on the inside of the car. Once you have both hands on the bill (outside and inside) slide the bill back and fourth slowly whan you start to feel a little play in the bill or it gets loose thats were the air leak is comming from mark the area with a piece of masking or painters tape once you found the eara. To fix it i used black foam tape and shaved it down with razor blade and placed it on the bad window seal area. it only took about a 1/2 or 3/4 inch piece of tape to fix it. Kinda ghetto but better than spending all that money and out of site out of mind. Plus my windows are tinted so you can't see the tape throught the frameless doors.

An easier way to find the leak is if you have any way to make steem you can (like a good iron, steemer, boiling water , tea kettle they will all work some better than others though. I used an iron with a huge steem burst. to find my leak in the front window. Just place the iron near the window seal and star steeming and fogging up the window you will see steem leak out in areas that need fixing. Its really that easy to find the leak. This test is the easyest becasue you don't get hund up from going through the other window. Becasue the door has to be shut and window up because the lack of door frames.

Good Luck

hoolcat

YES It do have that moonroof wind problem. I really don't know what to do with that problem. I guess you could use some steem to see were the leak is comming from I want to get around to fixing it but I would really have to re-look at the moonroof and see how it seals up. My friend was saying some rubber undercoat spray may work (you can get it in a spray can) . I tent to think it might work but it could make for a big mess. I also think that it might also be a lot harder than it sounds. so as for know I got nothing that i know of except closing the moonroof shade and turn the toons up.

lexusk8

Unfortunately, wind noise from the windows is a common occurrence among all of us who own a 2001 or earlier ES300, where the windows are the frameless design (often a feature in sport vehicles like the BMW M3).

What I usually do (at least in my '01 ES) is apply a little bit of tire dressing to the rubber seals that lay across the tops of the windows and the moonroof. That way, it keeps the rubber material from drying out and stays supple to a certain degree. I don't believe it eliminates the wind noise problem, but I'm more concerned of the life of the factory parts on the car

maniax

iTrader: (3)

ahhh i have the same stupid wind leak problems. driver and passenger side front windows and moonroof.

its driving me nuts!!!!!!!!!!!! the radio method really didnt do much for me cuz i pay alot of attention to the wind leak sound. the moonroof i can live with the shade closed but the drivers side windows is so fkin bad. When i wash the car......the water actually leaks through from the leak argh....

MoreMGD32

iTrader: (1)

what you should do is everytime you clean the interior of your car is use armor all on the door seals and the sunroof seals. I prob wouldnt use tire shine as one of the members stated above b/c in the long run those prioducts end up drying the material and cause it to crack even more( i know this b/c ive had a buddy who worked at ntb for 4 yrs, if it does this to tires if must to other plastic/rubber material) the armor will keep the rubber more pliable and prevent further cracking.

as for the window seals i havent incured that problem yet but my sunroof does however make that whistling sounds. what i do and it seems to help....if i have the back tilted up and i put it down is makes the noise so i retract the glass like im opening the sunroof completely to reset the seal and then close it again and this seems to helpout alot. i believe i have a "front" seal issue. but try it out i might help for you!

Chpsk8

I'd shy away from Armour All if you can. If anything is going to cause cracking, that would be it.
Try some 303 Protectant, or Meguires plastic and rubber treatment, or some ChemicalGuys rubber treatment. All of those are going to be better and safer than Arnour All. ( yes I know they changed the formula from the 80's, but it's still sub par, especially for a Lexus)
The best thing to do is apply a thicker piece of doublestick tape BEHIND the rubber molding to push it out. Find the weak spot using the obove mentioned dollar trick, then apply a piece of foam tape behind the trim, pushing the rubber out to meet the glass.

e-man

One of my previous cars was a 99 ES300 and I had the same problem. The head tech at my dealership showed me how to fix the problem (although I didn't let him do it). He told me that he takes the side view mirrors and literally pulls them toward the back of the car so the small triangular frame that holds the window in place moves inward toward the cabin. I don't know how much pressure he applies or if it even works, but he claims that it did.

ih8fizzix

Man my car (our car, I should say) has the same problem.....Im going to have to test it to see which window(s) is the problem.

I dont get the part about putting down the front window if its the back or the back window if it is the front....i guess im not understanding this concept, in relation to dollar testing method.