window creak fix!
 

Shortly after buying my LS, I noticed a window creak, mainly in the driver's window, when driving over bumpy roads, crossing speed bumps, or exiting any driveway where the side-to-side balance of the vehicle would suddenly shift, like when driving up/down a short ramp at an oblique angle. If I lowered the window just a smidge (and I mean barely pressing the button for a split second), the creaks would disappear. The weather here is warm (above 80F) and dry (< 20% humidity).

One person at the dealer who also has a LS told me it was the rubber door seal and dirt collecting on top of the door. He said he uses silicone spray to remedy his creak. We tried some silicone on a rag, wipely it on both sides of the seal and let it dry. Upon driving home, the creak was still there. I then purchased a can of silicone spray, made sure all window seals, top of the door seal, top of the window, and window glass to door seals were all clean. I saturated a rag with the silicone, and re-wiped the seal and glass to door seals. If anything, that made the creaks far worse. I then used rubbing alcohol and removed the silicone from the glass to door seal.

I then found this thread:http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums...ded&pid=264284 I ordered a bottle of the Sonus Total Eclipse. Spraying the Sonus into a small container and using a foam paint brush, I applied it to the inner door seal (both sides of the flap) and to the seal on top of the door from the mirror all the way to the bottom of the door. I let it soak in about 5 min, then wiped the excess with a paper towel. Today, I drove it...the creaks were gone! Weather was the same as before, mid 80's, 17% RH, but no creaks, even on the roughest section of road!

My belief is that the creak is from the seal at the top of the door since I did not apply any of the Sonus to the glass window to door seal at all. If it were from the inner door seal, I don't see why opening the window a crack would silence it. The only thing I can think of is the warm temperature causes that seal on top of the door to expand. When you close the window all the way, it could be that the window glass exerts more pressure on that part of the door, causing it to slightly rub as the body flexes.

Thanks for the info.

Jim Chow,

Has this continued to work for you since posting a few months back? I'm having the same problem on my 05 LS430.

Thanks

Very interesting... the sliding rear window in my F150 does that so I have to crack it ever so slightly. I will give this a shot. Thanks!!!!

I haven't applied it since January. So far, no creaks, and it's been very dry (< 10% humidity) and warm (80F+) lately. So far, so good.

Thanks Jim...

I been having the same problem with my car and it's pretty annoying. Thank you for the solution Jim. I will try this once I get the sonus bottle.

Window creak was one of my original complaints with my car. I treated with DOOR SEALS with 303 Protectant this weekend (rubbed on, wiped off). The creaks are gone. The only sound I hear from that direction is my seatbelt rubbing against my shirt. Woohoo!

Thanks Jim!

I wonder how similar this is to using Aerospace 303? I have a can of it in the garage. Will put some one tomorrow, and see how long it lasts.

It turned out not to last too long for me. When I had the dealer take a look, they said it was the window channel. They installed some felt pads, that helped, and said the permanent fix is to replace the channel for a few hundred dollars.

Mine lasts about 2+ months, but I cover my car outdoors when at work. The key is to wipe off the dust (at least here in the desert) that creeps into that channel if you park outdoors, as well as the portion of the body where the door seal meets the body. If you wash the car often, you may have to reapply the Sonus to the seals.

What is 303 protectant??? Where do you buy it? Never heard of it.

David

Aerospace 303 is sold in Ace Hardwares. But not all, only in the Ace that is nearby the local airfield, as people use it on their small planes.

Anyone have pics of exact places to apply it? I have had the dealer give me several coats of silicone so far and my problem still persists (it's the only noise I hear lol). I bought the Sonus spray, rolled my windows down, and applied b/t the outer rubber seal and the inner part. I just directly sprayed on. Did you use apply onto a cloth or directly onto the material? I also notice that there is a noticeable gap in the door window as I can push the glass (and feel notable movement) and hear the squeaking sound. Any help would be appreciated!