Sorry to start a new thread but I thought it might be easier than reviving old ones. With the weather being a bit colder here lately (down into the 50s in LA--brrrr--lol) I have started noticing the "buzz" coming from the defroster trim on the driver's side. That plastic trim piece has picked up a bit and touches the windshield which results in the buzzing.

Anyway I have read through the various threads on this issue, including the one that has details about how to remove and reinstall the plastic defroster trim but that is clearly a PITA. I much prefer the solution that involves stuffing something between the windshield and the front of the plastic trim but there are a variety of materials and ways to consider.

Some folks have recommended a continuous length of tubing or foam to cram in the space. I am also thinking that something like using lengths of felt or the loop side of velcro tape would work. It also strikes me that there is no need for a continuous piece of tube/foam/tape along the entire windshield. If all you want to do is stop the buzzing then all you might need to do is stick in pieces of something at those locations where the plastic has lifted and is touching the windshield.

I was curious to see if anyone else here has tried felt/velcro and/or what products would you recommend my searching out next time I am at the local Home Depot?

Doug

 

Caulking guard works well and is cheap. I've gotten lazy since my glue didn't hold long term, but I plan to redo mine (and take new pictures of the process) with better adhesive. I'm hoping that doing it a second time will be easier, but it is a royal pain and I fear for the plastic clips.

Here is the caulking guard:
Frost King E/O 3/8 in. x 20 ft. Caulk Saver-C21H - The Home Depot

 

Keith--so is the 3/8" stuff the right size to fit in the space and not be too obvious?

I am leaning towards a solution like this rather than doing a "proper" reattachment of the trim since, as you found, adhesives will tend to dry out or deteriorate given the sun and heat that constantly hits this area which is probably why the trim pops up in the first place.

Doug

 

I just wait till summer then it goes away.

 

That's true. To check that this is where the buzzing was coming from I turned on the defroster and cranked up the heat and sure enough the buzzing went away.

Doug

 

3/8" works well. The nice thing is you can cut it to length to cover the entire vent and it almost looks factory. My only issue is a custom sun shade that I have ticks into this space too and tries to push the caulking guard down too far.

 

I got some adhesive backed felt tabs that fit in there perfectly. Shortly after I bought my car, I heard some noise from that area and found the the previous owner had put some sort of velcro in there that had deteriorated. I put the felt tabs in there almost six years ago and there is no deterioration at all and there has not been a single sound heard again.