Please help!

ahunt01 · 08-05-03, 09:14

I have recently noticed that my drivers side window is making a terrible screetching sound when I move it up and down. It appears to be making the sound when the upper part of the window is contacting the felt pads in the window track. I cleaned the pad as best as I could with a cloth and hot water, squeezing my finger inbetween the track and rubbing the felt, but it still screeches. What should I do?

Here is a video clip I took of the window, the sound it makes just makes your skin crawl

... http://www.citlink.net/~ahunt01/window.avi ---790 KB big, give it time to open/download

mpauly · 08-05-03, 09:43

By "felt pad" do you mean the window seal at the bottom of the window frame? Sounds like the felt has worn away exposing rubber to squeal against the glass.

Run a quick test, while the window is down, pull the seal away from the window and roll up the window. If you can't hold the seal away from the window, try inserting a few sheets of paper on each side of the window. Does the squealing stop?

I don't know that there is a dressing that you can apply to stop this. You will most likely have to replace the seal, but they are usually not that expensive.

Michael

tyymm · 08-05-03, 10:06

Are you still under warrenty???
if so, take it to the dealer they might replace the seal/tracks under the warrenty.

ahunt01 · 08-05-03, 11:59

I'll test out the pad like you said in a second. Yeah the car is still under warrenty, but I don't know if they're going to blame the wearage due to my window tint, and not cover it. But it doesn't really matter, it's really annoying so I don't mind paying out of my pocket lol.

ahunt01 · 08-05-03, 12:34

D@mn D@mn D@mn D@mnit

!!! I put four pieces of paper in the window track and it still squeaked, but then two pieces of paper fell into the window track!

I guess to the dealership i go... Sometimes I wonder why I ever modified this car

Every mod I've done has caused me problems, now I suspect the window film being the culprit of my squeaking, I don't know how but that's my guess.

Guess My Name · 08-05-03, 12:42

Moved to more appropriate section.....look for another thread in here about window squeaking........might help

ahunt01 · 08-05-03, 12:48

I don't see any other threads that help. I hope it won't cost me an arm and a leg for the dealership to remove my whole door panel to remove the paper that fell behind it. Maybe they would have to remove the panel anyways to see what's wrong, I wouldn't feel so bad then. I shouldn't have bought that $300 radar detector.

mpauly · 08-05-03, 01:53

Oh man, now I feel bad for recommending that test!!! I did the same test on an old 280Z that had the same problem, but I made sure to fold the paper at the top so it wouldn't slip down.

If the paper didn't stop the squeak, then it's probably not that seal at the bottom of the frame. Is the sound coming from inside the door, or from up top near the window frame?

The paper in the door probably won't harm anything so don't run off to the dealer just to have it removed. If the dealer asks, tell them they were stuck in your window at a parking lot and slipped in.

Michael

SickOfItAll · 08-05-03, 01:55

Uhhh...pulling off a door panel takes like 10 minutes at worst - even if that doesn't help the squeaking, it's really easy to do, all you need is a philips head and a flat head

ahunt01 · 08-05-03, 02:18

It's ok you were just being helpful and I appreciate all the help, it's my fault putting in tons of printer paper and trying it all at once. That's what I get for trying to do things fast lol

.
It sounds like the squeaking is happening when the top portion of the window starts to go down into the door. I'm still guessing something isn't right with the felt or rubber pieces that touch the glass. Maybe it's inside the door though, I cleaned the felt pads and it's still doing that sound so I'm guessing it's internal.
Yeah I'm going to have to remove the paper, I can hear it bunching up when I move the window up and down. I don't think my panel is held in by screws and bolts though, I thought the 00 Civic door panels are glued down. I know I had my 87 Nova doors removed at one point and it was just held on by some strong @ss glue.

mpauly · 08-05-03, 02:57

I highly doubt they are glued down. There may be a few screws in the armrest or handle, but the panel is most likely held down by push clips (looks like little plastic x-mas trees that push into a hole in the door). With my record of recomendations thus far, you should confirm this with a shop manual or something before you do anything.

If you can get the panel off, it may be a whole lot easier to diagnose the problem.

michael

SickOfItAll · 08-05-03, 10:20

Check for screws - there shouldn't be more than 2 or 3, and they shouldn't be too hard to find. You'll need a phillips head for that most likely. If any of these screws go through a piece of plastic behind the door handle or anything along those lines, rather than the panel itself - you may have to remove that seperately. Do so now.

Then use a flat head to pop the clips out of the door - simply slip it between the panel and the door frame and twist. There should be anywhere from 4 to 10 of these, I cant imagine there'd be more or less. There will NOT be any along the top edge of the panel. At this point you'll be able to see if you missed any screws - if you did, take them out.

Now, you'll need to unclip any switches or whatnot - this will be a bit fun, as you get to work blind. Electric windows/locks will have clips, if your speaker is in the door panel, that will have a clip - etc. Feel around, you'll get them eventually.

Now you get to pull the panel off - not a big deal. It should be hanging from a lip at the window seal

At this point, you'll be looking at a door frame, but it will have a plastic sheet covering it, which will be held on by a tacky glue - just pull this off, but try not to make a mess - this stuff isn't the most fun to work with, and it will stay sticky - so don't worry about needing to go out and buy more. Just try to keep it clean and you should be fine.

From here you should be able to get the paper out - if you can't, well, you're not looking hard enough, because you should be able to see the door's innards.

Reinstallation is the reverse of removal. Be sure to test all the electronics before you screw the panel back down - just in case you forget to clip something.