Hi guys,

I'm looking for recommendations for the best product/s to preserve and keep the rubber weather seals around my doors and my trunk nice and supple. They're newer right now, just want to keep them that way as long as I can. Thanks in advance!

 

303 makes the best rubber product.

 

My442 - Thanks for the quick reply, much appreciated!

 

Silicone spray.

 

^^^x2

 

303 is the likely the best "readily available" product at the box stores for not too much money. I think it works great as a dash preservative and other plastic pieces.

GM used to call out for dielectric grease on weatherstrips. But that has silicone in it, and if you have vinyl film coating on your weatherstrips, silicone may be corrosive to that coating.

But IMO, for weatherstripping, Krytox is the cat's *** when it comes to weatherstrip preservation. PURE PFPE/PFTE stuff. Chemically inert, non-flammable, highly resistant to oxygen attack. No sticking. Like adding a teflon coating to your window seals. Glass slides across it easier. Temp range -36C through 204C, so it's pretty temperature stable in any weather. A tiny bit goes a good way too. Its initial cost is rather pricey, but worth it when using genuine GM weatherstrips that aren't readily replaceable. For an inside car that doesn't spend its life in the elements, re-doing them about 6 months to a year may be too often, not sure. Applied right it's not oily or greasy and keeps the weatherstrip in very nice condition.

Got an 8 oz. tube of GPL205 grease and 1 oz. small bottle of GPL105 oil and I'm probably set for life.

Interestingly, GM used to sell a 1 oz. bottle of re-labeled Krytox as Weatherstrip Fluid, GM p/n 3634770.

 

oldcutlass; 72445; and 69HO43 - Thanks to all of you for your recommendations, all are greatly appreciated. As a side note, car is garaged and out of the elements, so I'm really just looking for a product thats easily applied and keeps the rubber supple.

 

I've used silicone spray for over 40 years with great success, I spray it on a rag and wipe the weatherstrip down with it. It's what dealers used for decades. I've never tried the other products mentioned by others.

 

GummiPflege by Sonax

 

oldcutlass and Sugar Bear - Thanks for the additional responses, much appreciated!

 

^^x2^^ Hands down the best, IMO.

 

Thanks Norm, much appreciated!

 

Dollars-to-Donuts says 303 is composed of silicone - its base compound (Polydimethylsiloxane [PDMS - a group of polymeric silicon compounds commonly referred to as silicone]).

 

Norm - Thanks for the additional sleuth work, good to know!

 

Krytox is the best I’ve personally used and priced accordingly, I actually got it through the VW dealer, Wurth Rubber Care always worked well, good ole silicone is cheap, available anywhere and certainly works.

​​​​​​….

 

Thanks for chiming in Brian, much appreciated!

 

Been using 303 for over 10 years, wouldn't use anything else.

 

69 Hurst - Thanks for the input! After reading up on the 303, sounds like I could also use it on my black vinyl top too, do you have any experience using it for that application?

 

I do not, but I think it could work well.

 

Thanks for the response. I'm going to search on here for a thread about vinyl roof maintenance, there's got to be one, just haven't had time yet.