What do you guys use to treat the rubber seals in the car?

From my previous experience it's better to use fabric softener than silicone based products on any seals that are pressed against painted body work because silicone products can cause the seals to creak. In the F-Type a lot of the seals are pressed against plastic (e.g. in the trunk area) or glass so I guess silicone based stuff should be fine in most areas...

 

Best product is 303 Aerospace. Really great and long lasting product and works on a multitude of surfaces/materials. Also easy to find at many stores.

DC

 

303 is indeed a GREAT product for maintaining the suppleness (softness) of the rubber.


BUT

If you notice the rubber sticking to their mating surfaces, I have used a bit of talcum power on my fingers, massaged into the seal.
Shake the talc onto a paper plate, dip your fingers in, and rub away. I treat our side window seals and the windshield mating surfaces on our 'vert, yearly.

Of course, don't skip the task of cleaning any residue off the body because that is sticky, too.

++++++++++++

I don't know what the manufacturers changed in the composition of the rubber seals, but our daughter's SUV wouldn't release the tailgate with the key. The talc treatment fixed it!

 

Another vote for 303 Aerospace. I make a habit of wiping off the seals around the doors and hatch when drying the car after a hand wash and a couple times a year I will also give all the seals a good coating of 303. It has kept the rubber nice and supple on all my cars and is excellent for applying to all the interior plastic parts too. It has UV protection which I believe is important.
303 Aerospace does make a dedicated rubber seal protectant which I am sure is good but I have always just used their standard protectant since I have it around all the time for the plastic interiors of my vehicles.

In the Q&A section of the Amazon listing for the 303 Rubber Seal Protectant a user claims he looked at the MSDS sheets for both 303 products and the rubber seal product does have different ingredients so maybe I'll add a bottle to my next Amazon order.

There is another product called Gummi Pflege that is highly regarded but I have never tried it.

 

I will need to try 303? I have and use Gummi Pflege (Funny name!). I also like and use Sil-Glyde buy it's more of a silicone grease I think. Creaking rubber door seals are really the only interior noise in my XJ even after 7 years and 51K miles. I know that whatever I use it won't last and will need to be reapplied at some point.
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303 looks like great stuff but I guess it's a bit trickier to get hold of over here in Europe.

Gummipflege literally means rubber care in German and is what most such German products are called. Always found it a bit amusing and weird how the name caught on in the anglo saxon world.

Clubairth, for the creaking door seals on your XJ I'd definitely try with any plain fabric softener. It's a tried and tested solution among BMWs with creaking seals and it also worked a treat on the creaking sunroof seals on my XF. When I used it I got the impression that the seals soaked up the fabric softener and got softer and more supple than when I used different kinds of Gummipflege products which mostly seemed to stay on the surface.

 

303 is very good. I also use their treatment for the convertible top (which won't matter to you in a coupé).

 

Sorry...Did not notice your location. Just order ahead online...It is worth the wait.

Take care,
DC

 

We Angles are always on the lookout for interesting words to steal!
Anyway, the French keep nicking ours!

 

I've noticed! Still you're not as bad as the Americans who seem to have nicked many more German words than you in the UK. But then again I shouldn't be talking... my main language is Swedish and more than half of the vocabulary comes from German. Lots of good stuff (not only cars!) coming from ze chermans for sure.

 

I really like 303 for lots of things. I've tried "Gummi Pflege Stift" and thought it just sort of disappeared on the rubber, plus the applicator bottle wasn't the best. Maybe the rubber didn't need help. I haven't tried it on any seals that were "tired." I got some of the special Shin-Etsu Honda grease for something but can't remember what. I'm sure it was for the 91 Miata I picked up on a whim in 2016, but I can't remember the details. It is claimed by many to be bordering on magical, perhaps actually so.

 

I've had great success with Meguiar's products, specifically #40, specifically designed for rubber/vinyl

https://www.meguiars.com/professiona...ioner-m4016-16

Meguiar's also has a "marine" version, #57, which after I researched it, does not appear to be formulated much differently from the #40 product.


https://www.meguiars.com/marine/prod...16-16-oz-spray



I've had several vintage cars over the years and used the rubber/vinyl treatment on them as well as my 'modern' F and corvettes.

 

I agree with Valerie I’ve used this product on my 63 e type and now on all the rubber seals on the f type. Good product.