Dielectric Silicone Grease-CONFUSED!

S

silk27106

New member
My fellow Autopian Brothers,



Today I bought some GM dielectric silicone grease from my local Chevy dealer for about $9.00 a tube, a small tube at that. It says on the blue and white tube model # 12345579. It's a clear vaseline looking substance. My chevy parts manager told me "most Corvette and Camaro owners use this stuff on their rubber weatherstripping around the t-tops, doors and stuff". He went on to tell me there's some "really expensive conditioning stuff" also. He said it's about $60.00 a tube and it's a conditioner for the seals but he says the dielectric grease would do "the same thing".





Tomorrow I'm gonna pick up an old piece of rubber seal from a junk yard and I will test it out. I will also test 303 aerospace protectant, Mothers blk to blk, Zaino Z-16 rubber and tire dressing and Meguiars' rubber and vinyl protecant.



Whatever product you decide use to do, follow up with the 303 as a 100% UV inhibititor!



I want the damn truth on this grease stuff!



Somebody please explain to me how it's the BEST stuff on the planet to apply to your rubber seals/weatherstripping!



Thank you
 
Dilectric is used mainly for spark plug connections, any metal to metal to help prevent corrosion ifI remember right.



I just SOAK all the seals with 303, then wipe off the excess.



works great for me.
 
caddyman is correct about dielectric grease helping to prevent corrosion on electrical connections. Dielectric grease is recommended on high energy ignition connections, headlight and bulb connectors, battery terminals, spark plug boots, and is used in home and server computers as well as regular electrical connections. It can be purchased at your local auto parts, computer, and electric store for a lot cheaper and get a bigger tube than at the dealer.



Personally, I wouldn't use dielectric grease on weatherstripping because being a grease, it would attract dust, dirt, etc. and opening your doors or trunk will sound like you are opening your refrigerator or separating scotch tape, not to mention the likely possibility of someone getting it on their hands and spreading it around in your car interior or on your paint. 303 Aerospace Protectant would be the product of choice instead.
 
The stuff they sold you is what GM recommends for treating weatherstripping. At the price they charge for it, it sure better be good. I have never used it, and the 303 treatment sounds good to me. Since you already have it, how about one door with 303 and one door with the GM stuff? Another product test!



Charles
 
I am not so sure I would use dielectric grease on weatherseals. Dielectric grease was not intented for that purpose, and it would likey create a mess around your doors etc because it does not evaporate.



For a real "Seal Food" try Gummi Pflege. It's available at BWM dealerships in the parts department. :up
 
Dielectric silicone grease is recommended in my factory manual to use on all my weatherstripping and seals. I own a 2001 Camaro SS and those rubber seals are important for me to maintain-T-tops, etc. I want them to look new, subtle, soft, fresh, smell good and a 100% uv blocker(303). I also heard this grease stuff makes the rubber expand some to give a tighter fit to the windows. The grease in the rubber creates a chemical charge or reaction and makes the rubber expand. Some argue this puts abnormal stress on the rubber and could be bad. This also prevents the famous t-top leakage that occurs so much in T-top equipped Camaros.



Anybody else wanna chime in here?



I would like more opinions and yes I will do a test as stated above and I will let you guys know how it looks. I plan on getting an old rubber seal and spraying a 5 inch area of the Grease stuff, 303, Z-16, Meg's vinyl and rubber protector.



A heads up on that workbench stool..... I found a nice one at Bed, Bath and Beyond. It's a mahogony wood stool with a black cushy pad held on with nice copper rivits and the pad swivels. I hope this helps someone.
 
I phoned the BMW and Mercedes dealerships in Montreal, and they had never heard of Gummi Pflege. I tried them after the Volvo dealership hadn't heard of it. Any other suggestions where I should look for this stuff.
 
As an ex-mechanic of 7+ years (all dealership), I would advise against using Dielectric grease on your door seals. The stuff attracts dust, dirt, etc just like vaseline.



Others are correct in stating that the primary purpose for dielectric grease is electrical system work; it's applied to sparkplug boots (on the inside) to prevent the boot from sticking to the plug and to prevent corrosion and moisture related problems (spark jumping, etc).



It can also be used along the base of a distributor (where the cap meets the distributor) for the same reasons as above.



Again, do not use this on your seals, unless you like picking dust, lint, etc. from greasy weatherstrips.
 
I get Gummi Pflege from the local BMW dealer. It comes in a 75ml tube and is BMW part # 8214940701 maybe that will help anyone looking to acquire some, it's great stuff:xyxthumbs
 
Hey, I just noticed this post. I too bought the silicone grease from GM because it is the recommended seal protectant. I think the reason they recommend it is that it won't freeze up and it won't cause the weatherstripping to stick. I've been using #40 on weatherstripping, but this year it froze up after a rain and freezing overnight temps. It's a water-based product, and it soaks in, so it doesn't stop freeze-up. Now, I go over the weatherstripping with #40 a few times a year, but in the winter I then put on a light coat of the silicone grease. It doesn't take much, and that tube (while awfully expensive) should last a pretty long time.



The #40 has the conditioners and UV inhibitors (not that any UV gets into the door jam) to keep the weatherstripping lasting, and the silicone grease keeps water out of it so it won't freeze up. I think it's a good combo. The weatherstripping can tear when it freezes, so anything that can prevent this is ultimately going to extend the life of the weatherstripping. I don't think 303 or #40 or other waterbased protectants are going to be able to prevent freezing.
 
Hey, I just noticed this post. I too bought the silicone grease from GM because it is the recommended seal protectant. I think the reason they recommend it is that it won't freeze up and it won't cause the weatherstripping to stick. I've been using #40 on weatherstripping, but this year it froze up a bit. It's a water-based product, and it soaks in, so it doesn't stop freeze-up. Now, I go over the weatherstripping with #40 a few times a year, but in the winter I then put on a light coat of the silicone grease. It doesn't take much, and that tube (while awfully expensive) should last a pretty long time.



The #40 has the conditioners and UV inhibitors (not that any UV gets into the door jam) to keep the weatherstripping lasting, and the silicone grease keeps water out of it so it won't freeze up. I think it's a good combo.
 
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