dennisofne

UPDATE ON MATERIAL USE AT THE END OF THIS POST

Items Needed

Caulk Backer Rod 1/4 inch 40ft (for all four doors) $12.00 (example 1)
Rubber cement $ 6.00
Utility Knife (on hand)
10mm socket (on hand)
Weed whacker line $11.00 (example 2)
Painters tape (on hand)
WD-40 (on hand)
extra seal fasteners. $ 6.00 (example 3)
Total $35.00
Cost of New weather seal 4 doors $400/$500
The procedure is straightforward: insert a ½ inch Caulk Backer Rod into the doors weather seal. Doing it is a little more complicated. This is my experience;
1) Remove the weather seal from the DOOR, this requires you to unscrew the bolt holding the doorstop (10mm socket) so the seal can pass through.


2) Secure the caulk to the weed whacker line. (the Caulk is extremely weak, just a small amount of tension will cause it to break.) loop the line around the caulk three or four times securing it in place with painter tape.

3) I found it necessary to cut a hole in the seal about every two feet,
4) Apply a generous amount of wd-40, into the rubber, and then feed the weed whacker line through the rubber seal to the next hole. Pull the line until the caulk reaches the rubber.
5) Gently encourage the caulk into the hole (spray the caulk with wd-40) and pull the caulk through.
6) At this point I found it less frustrating, but a little more work, to just cut the caulk at both ends and repeat the process from step two.


After inserting the caulk all the way around, I used the rubber cement to seal the holes I had cut. Word of caution don’t cut the holes where the fasteners attach.
The wind noise is gone, the cabin is a lot quieter and the doors close a lot tighter.
Credit youtube video


(example 1)



(example 2)


(example 3)

New material update.

Looking through my supply of "someday I'll use that," I came across a 10mm tube I used for my reverse osmosis. Lo and behold it turns out to be the perfect fit for the door seal No need to cut any holes, it is strong enough to thread from one corner to the next. The door closes tighter cabin seems quieter. I would recommend you use this instead of the caulking.

Margate330

Nice walkthru.
My seals are deteriorating on my 2004 RX330 too.

The wind noise doesn't bother me tho cuz I usually drive with window down and AC on full blast puffing on a cigar... but if I ever quit smoking I might do this.

dennisofne

Hold off until I finish all four doors. Yesterday I was traveling at 75 miles an hour and all of a sudden "a lot screech started from the door I had just finished" I believe I missed sealing a hole I had cut I will keep the members updated on my progress.

UPDATE: After checking where the sound was coming from I found that the rubber cement alone did not hold the cut closed. so I will go to my local bicycle shop and see if they have some old tubes they are throwing away. (object here is to do it on the cheap.) I then intend to cut small patches of the rubber insert them into the cuts and glue them in place.