Leaky door seal fix
Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 21:43
Leaking door seals
I’m now certain there is a bit of a design problem with the standard door seal arrangement on our cars. In my experience even when a seal is in good condition if a car is left in the rain for an extended period it is possible, although not inevitable, for water get past the door seal and track down the little valley which is formed between the “O” section part of the door seal and the “U” section part which clips onto the bodywork flange. The water then spills over and onto the door sill carpet where it finds its way into the foot wells.
My Excel began leaking for no apparent reason, first on the nearside and then a while later on the offside. My initial attempt to hold back the tide involved an idea which I read about on the forum years ago. It was to slide some clear PVC tubing inside the door seal in an effort to make the seal a bit firmer so that it compressed less when the door closed against it. This was successful on the nearside up to a point. Rain didn’t get in but a hosepipe was able to breach the seal when washing the car. The offside however still allowed the rain in.
My second effort to keep the rain out involved some self-adhesive 14x12mm rubber “D” section seal which I stuck to the underside of the A pillar finisher, continuing right along above the door window frame up to the B pillar. Whilst I think this may have resulted in a slight reduction in wind noise at speed it didn’t stop water getting in. It does however look neat and is a much cheaper way of filling the unsightly, uneven gap between door window frame and bodywork than buying Esprit door window frame seals. This has been on the car for almost 3 months now.
My third attempt was successful and involved more of the same “D” section seal. I’d noticed that all of the modern cars I’ve come across (and even my old Dolomite Sprint) have a seal on the body like the Lotus but unlike the Lotus they have corresponding seal on the door. To replicate this I stuck some more “D” section seal onto the door and door window frame so that it closed onto the O.E. seal making a rubber to rubber contact. Note this goes all the way around the door and not just along the metal window frame. I've had this fitted to my Excel for over a month now and it's still working well.
Result = a totally watertight car at a next to nothing cost
This is the stuff I bought via e bay (although it has gone up a quid in the meantime)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141678806585? ... EBIDX%3AIT
I’m now certain there is a bit of a design problem with the standard door seal arrangement on our cars. In my experience even when a seal is in good condition if a car is left in the rain for an extended period it is possible, although not inevitable, for water get past the door seal and track down the little valley which is formed between the “O” section part of the door seal and the “U” section part which clips onto the bodywork flange. The water then spills over and onto the door sill carpet where it finds its way into the foot wells.
My Excel began leaking for no apparent reason, first on the nearside and then a while later on the offside. My initial attempt to hold back the tide involved an idea which I read about on the forum years ago. It was to slide some clear PVC tubing inside the door seal in an effort to make the seal a bit firmer so that it compressed less when the door closed against it. This was successful on the nearside up to a point. Rain didn’t get in but a hosepipe was able to breach the seal when washing the car. The offside however still allowed the rain in.
My second effort to keep the rain out involved some self-adhesive 14x12mm rubber “D” section seal which I stuck to the underside of the A pillar finisher, continuing right along above the door window frame up to the B pillar. Whilst I think this may have resulted in a slight reduction in wind noise at speed it didn’t stop water getting in. It does however look neat and is a much cheaper way of filling the unsightly, uneven gap between door window frame and bodywork than buying Esprit door window frame seals. This has been on the car for almost 3 months now.
My third attempt was successful and involved more of the same “D” section seal. I’d noticed that all of the modern cars I’ve come across (and even my old Dolomite Sprint) have a seal on the body like the Lotus but unlike the Lotus they have corresponding seal on the door. To replicate this I stuck some more “D” section seal onto the door and door window frame so that it closed onto the O.E. seal making a rubber to rubber contact. Note this goes all the way around the door and not just along the metal window frame. I've had this fitted to my Excel for over a month now and it's still working well.
Result = a totally watertight car at a next to nothing cost
This is the stuff I bought via e bay (although it has gone up a quid in the meantime)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141678806585? ... EBIDX%3AIT