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Window Rattles -FINALLY a Honda FIX!

83K views 93 replies 47 participants last post by  namegoeshere 
#1 ·
I've recently rid myself of my rattletrap 03 Accord, but I wanted to point out to everyone the February issue of Honda/Acura Servicenews, linked to in the Factory Direct forum. Honda has apparently FINALLY figured out (after only 5 years) why the windows make all kinds of noises when rolled up all the way but reduce or stop when rolled down just a hair. It has to do with the door weatherstripping moving against the door, and they spell out a fix in Servicenews. If you're still under warranty, take it in! If not, the procedure isn't that hard, you just need some Shin-Etsu grease and "squeak-reducing tape."

Oh heck, I'll just put the address here:
http://www.in.honda.com/Rjanisis/pubs/SN/a080200.PDF

for the Acura version, change the "a" to "b" in the filename.

Have at it!


EDIT: new instructions link in post 94
 
#2 ·
Wow....finally....good thing to have for current owners.

Too bad it is 5 years to late for you...or any other owner who was fed up with window rattles.
 
#4 ·
I'm still just amazed at the rattle issues ya'll are having particularly with the 7th gens. None of my prior Accords rattled...one even got smacked from behind and still held its integrity after the repairs and after suffering several hundred watts of stereo pounding for years. Even my 120k mile 4x4 from Isuzu doesn't rattle (which kind of amazes me frankly).

Sorry...not trying to beat the dead horse into the ground. it just seems like such a turn from prior gens. I think I am officially entering the old fart frame of mind and starting to utter phrases like "...don't build them like they used to...".

Best of luck as you continue tying down these loose ends!
 
#8 ·
If the BIGGEST thing I have to worry about in my Honda ias a few annoying rattles, that's ok. Because rattles were about 100 on the list of problems on the domestic cars I've owned over the years..............:lmao:
 
#6 ·
This is a happy day............it's the ONLY complaint I have about my 2003..........
 
#7 ·
5 years to figure this out????

I don't hear rattles in my 6th Gen, but that may be b/c the excessive road noise drowns it out.
 
#9 ·
Honda = Road Noise
It's always been true and probably always will be with Honda's focus on weight conservation and efficiency. But hey, it's one of the things I know getting the keys and the driveability makes the difference.

As far as comparing to traditional domestic build quality: Yep, it's why I still always have a Honda in the driveway even though I'm griping. Although I'm hopeful on some of these new efforts from GM and Ford.

But rattles...it's something that makes me wonder about what else has been attended to less than I assumed that I can't see. You know, like transmission design...

I know there's not really any data to support it but I still think the stepped up US assembly marked the downturn in a lot of this.

But, getting back to the orgination of this thread: I guess it's good to see Honda sticking with resolutions and providing a fix for an aging problem. Don't hear that kind of thing from Ford (well, unless they're catching on fire).
 
#10 ·
It's amazing to me how this is such a widespread problem, yet I have no clue what this issue is about. How is that possible? What variables are present that would make my 2003 rattle free and especially weatherstrip crunch-free?

While I haven't viewed the attached bulletin, I just can't imagine having to smear grease on the doors/weatherstrip religiously to keep my car from driving me nuts. Sounds pathetic.

Maybe they should find out how to build doors that don't squeak/rattle. They could deconstruct a Toyota, Nissan, Ford, Hyundai or even a Kia. I'll bet their doors don't rattle incessantly.

Just weird.
 
#11 ·
Maybe they should find out how to build doors that don't squeak/rattle. They could deconstruct a Toyota, Nissan, Ford, Hyundai or even a Kia. I'll bet their doors don't rattle incessantly.
Just weird.
Nissans have "other problems", like a hunger to eat O2 sensors, and bad brakes. Don't get me started on Ford's problems........but they rattle too. Toyota probably is the only one I'd take apart and study how to fix rattles...........:)
 
#13 ·
I just checked out the TSB because when I saw the phrase "Shin-Etsu grease" a past life in the silicones business came back and I said to myself that the silicones industry had solved this problem many years ago. Most door seals are EPDM rubber, a relatively inexpensive and reliable material. The basic seal material, left to itself, will have this sticking effect that causes the rattles (remember how HOT it gets when a car sits in the summer sun for hours on end). Further, the seal itself is prone to weathering over time. So seal coatings were developed. Silicones gave good lubricity but wore quickly. Polyurethanes (PU) gave great wear but tended to be stickier. Looks like Honda has gone the PU route. Here's a blurb from a trade mag, c. 2002:

WHITFORD Plastics is claiming the best of both worlds for its new coating for EPDM automotive weatherstrips. Up to now, manufacturers have used silicone or polyurethane coatings. The lubricating property of silicones provides noise-free sealing but the coatings wear off relatively quickly. Polyurethane coatings on the other hand are tough and long lasting but the seals are noisy.

Even though it looks like the grease is tucked away tidily inside the seal, I'm not wild about that idea from a dirt and crud pickup point of view (over years and years). I wonder if anyone has tried any of the following fixes on the weatherstrip/door frame interface and seen any difference: a premium interior protectant like 303 or Meguiar's, or a car wax on the metal part of the frame. Both of those if they worked at all would require reapplication. The fact that Honda is specifying a tape AND a lube suggests to me that the adhesion issue is persistent and strong enough that it requires both to cure permanently (so to squeak).
 
#15 ·
I wonder if anyone has tried any of the following fixes on the weatherstrip/door frame interface and seen any difference: a premium interior protectant like 303 or Meguiar's, or a car wax on the metal part of the frame. Both of those if they worked at all would require reapplication. The fact that Honda is specifying a tape AND a lube suggests to me that the adhesion issue is persistent and strong enough that it requires both to cure permanently (so to squeak).

Products like Vinylex / 303 would work but only very temporary. They would wear away quickly and they were susceptible to collecting grime. They also tended to wash away after a good rain. Waxing the metal actually seemed to exacerbate the problem. If the noise is in part coming from *inside* the seal, I could guess that the slicker metal surface would allow the seal to shift on itself much easier. The shin-etsu worked very well, lasted for months at a time, and didn't collect dirt and grime. It was by far the best solution that I had found after horking around with the seals for 5 years (03 and 06 Accords).
 
#16 ·
Maybe I'm confused.
I applied the silicone CRC spray using a rag, to the door seal where it meets the car. I still have a buzzing from the back door drivers side.
So, am I supposed to add the silicone GREESE to the INSIDE OF THE SEAL? And, too ware the seal mounts to the door?
 
#19 ·
I don't think I've noticed any rattling with my windows. Is it true for ALL 7th gen Accords or only some of them? I'm wondering if I should bring it up when it's time for my first (free) oil change at the dealer.

The only noise I've noticed so far is some creaking coming from the dash... I believe it is the narrow plastic strip that's between the steering wheel and radio/climate control. It only occurs when going over uneven pavement... which means pretty much any road around here these days.
 
#20 ·
yup

I actually had a complaint about this with my dealer. They were good enough to fly a field engineer out to work on my car... He found that you had to grease right there. Actually said that he had a LOT of calls about it. So I guess they took the next logical step and introduced the tape thing.

Apparently honda tech line was in the past telling dealers to grease the wrong part of the car, and thats why some people were not getting even 3 months of rattle free blis.

+1 to honda for fixing it!
 
#22 ·
I talked to a local Honda dealer, and they said they aren't doing the fix on the bulletein, they just replace all the door seals and warranty it. The cost was $110 for all 4 doors.

I am sure I could attempt the fix myself, but I was told if they did it, and I had a problem, they would have to fix it for free..........
 
#24 ·
I don't see how replacing the seals solve the problem, unless they were using new material for the seals nowadays vs. before...the only long-term solution seems to be using the tape combined with the shinetsu grease...I am guessing the BIG discovery they made was teh sound-deadening tape, because I've had shinetsu grease put on almost every time I go to the dealership, and the rattle would come back after a month or two...it seems to be an endless cycle...I was prepared to go out and just buy a tube in preparation when my warranty runs out...
 
#26 ·
For ALL 7th genners including myself, I got a good piece of information from my fellow co-worker. :wave:
His new 2007 Camry with only 3000km on the clock does have a few rattles. Well, it is not something to cheer about, but I can see how Toyota who known to build most reliable cars to date, their quality also does come down marginally for reason to cut cost and weight. The plastic panels and such feel really cheap, even more so than any Honda product ever made, including my 89 EF Civic. :yes:
 
#27 ·
My problem is not the windows, but the window switches. They rattle like crazy. I find myself driving with my left hand over the switches to keep them quiet. Now, if they get a fix for that, I'll be happy.

During the summer when I wash the car more, I always use Mcguires rubber protectant on the window weather stripping and have had no rattle issues.

This is an '06 6-speed sedan by the way.
 
#29 ·
I did this last weekend. I replaced the door seals because they were starting to rot in a couple places. A roll of the squeak tape is expensive, over $40, but it is supposed to cover 30 cars. It is actually very easy to do, and havn't had a single squeak since.
 
#33 ·
I have a 2007 accord with that noise. I always though it was the Weathertech Window Visors doing it. My question is what purpose does the grease inside the weather stripping do...It seems that rubber would not make a sound. has anyone just sprayed silicone on the weather stripping with any luck..
 
#38 ·
I had my dealer perform the fix described in the service bulletin. I double-checked under the weatherstripping, and indeed it had been done, but the tape isn't wide enough to cover all of the metal part of the door. So, although it was done, I still hear the occasional annoying rubbing/creaking sound. As I recall, it wasn't evident in the warm months last summer, so I probably won't have a good idea of how well that "fix" works until it gets cold.
 
#39 ·
I have a squeak in my drivers side door, but it seems to be coming from the door speaker. When i hit a bump or turn the music up too loud you can hear it like a rattle/squeak...but if i reach down and hold my hand on the speaker its gone, but obviously i can't drive around holding my speaker lol. can this b the same noise or does anyone know anything about this one?

2003 Accord coupe lx
 
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