[Yobyot]

Even with the 19" all-season RFTs, the M40i is stiffly sprung (and that's why we love it). Add the lousy pavement we in Boston call "roads" and every trip is sure to flex the doors and hatch against the body seals. If those seals are dry you get nasty creaking over even small bumps, like raised manhole covers.

I'd been living with this until today. I used some magic that I learned when I had a 2002 Honda S2000. Buried deep in the owner's manual was the tip to lightly lube the convertible top mechanism with Shin-Etsu grease. I bought a tube in 2002 which I used to silence the top in the very stiff S2000.

I thought it might work in the M40i -- and it was a success. Clearly, it's all in my mind but without the body creaking accompanying every flex the M40i feels more taut and less crash-y. Noise is one cue the car sends -- in this case a sensation that the car is too stiff (which is really isn't). Eliminate the creaking and it feels like a different car.

My tube of Shin-Estu grease is the one I bought in 2002. IOW, you don't need much. For the four doors and hatch, I used no more than two toothbrush-sized squeezes. Just use your pointer and thumb and run the very least amount of Shin-Etsu you can get onto your finger along the door seals. Be sure to keep the grease off the door panels and the door seal seams. If you do it right, there's no tell-tale white grease streaks anywhere. The door seals "absorb" the grease.

Believe it or not, you can still get the original Honda part on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Honda.../dp/B00GD49GTS.

Best under $20 tip I can think of.

[BobsM3Coupe]

Originally Posted by Yobyot

Even with the 19" all-season RFTs, the M40i is stiffly sprung (and that's why we love it). Add the lousy pavement we in Boston call "roads" and every trip is sure to flex the doors and hatch against the body seals. If those seals are dry you get nasty creaking over even small bumps, like raised manhole covers.

I'd been living with this until today. I used some magic that I learned when I had a 2002 Honda S2000. Buried deep in the owner's manual was the tip to lightly lube the convertible top mechanism with Shin-Etsu grease. I bought a tube in 2002 which I used to silence the top in the very stiff S2000.

I thought it might work in the M40i -- and it was a success. Clearly, it's all in my mind but without the body creaking accompanying every flex the M40i feels more taut and less crash-y. Noise is one cue the car sends -- in this case a sensation that the car is too stiff (which is really isn't). Eliminate the creaking and it feels like a different car.

My tube of Shin-Estu grease is the one I bought in 2002. IOW, you don't need much. For the four doors and hatch, I used no more than two toothbrush-sized squeezes. Just use your pointer and thumb and run the very least amount of Shin-Etsu you can get onto your finger along the door seals. Be sure to keep the grease off the door panels and the door seal seams. If you do it right, there's no tell-tale white grease streaks anywhere. The door seals "absorb" the grease.

Believe it or not, you can still get the original Honda part on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Honda.../dp/B00GD49GTS.

Best under $20 tip I can think of.

Honda came out with that grease back when the moonroofs on the then all new 1998 Accord were creaking and squeaking. Like you, I still have a tube of the grease. Though I haven't needed to use it on anything since that Accord. In fact, I just went into the garage to look at it and the grease still looks like new. Darn good shelf life!

[ctbear]

BMW dealership recommends a product called "door ease" for lubricating weather seals. Gummi Pflege is also another rebranded BMW product used for lubricating.

[Yobyot]

Originally Posted by ctbear

BMW dealership recommends a product called "door ease" for lubricating weather seals. Gummi Pflege is also another rebranded BMW product used for lubricating.

Part numbers?

[BobsM3Coupe]

Originally Posted by Yobyot

Part numbers?

https://www.amazon.com/nextzett-9148.../dp/B004B8GTQG

[bashinbri]

Originally Posted by Yobyot

Even with the 19" all-season RFTs, the M40i is stiffly sprung (and that's why we love it). Add the lousy pavement we in Boston call "roads" and every trip is sure to flex the doors and hatch against the body seals. If those seals are dry you get nasty creaking over even small bumps, like raised manhole covers.

I'd been living with this until today. I used some magic that I learned when I had a 2002 Honda S2000. Buried deep in the owner's manual was the tip to lightly lube the convertible top mechanism with Shin-Etsu grease. I bought a tube in 2002 which I used to silence the top in the very stiff S2000.

I thought it might work in the M40i -- and it was a success. Clearly, it's all in my mind but without the body creaking accompanying every flex the M40i feels more taut and less crash-y. Noise is one cue the car sends -- in this case a sensation that the car is too stiff (which is really isn't). Eliminate the creaking and it feels like a different car.

My tube of Shin-Estu grease is the one I bought in 2002. IOW, you don't need much. For the four doors and hatch, I used no more than two toothbrush-sized squeezes. Just use your pointer and thumb and run the very least amount of Shin-Etsu you can get onto your finger along the door seals. Be sure to keep the grease off the door panels and the door seal seams. If you do it right, there's no tell-tale white grease streaks anywhere. The door seals "absorb" the grease.

Believe it or not, you can still get the original Honda part on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Honda.../dp/B00GD49GTS.

Best under $20 tip I can think of.

Thank you for your post! I was beginning to think I was going crazy about the creaks. Tried the GummiPflege and a similar rubber conditioner by Wurth with no luck. Just got the Shin-Etsu. What are you referring to when you say keep it off the "door seal seams"? Will a bit of the grease get on the inside paint of the door frame where the seal touches? What about the felty rubber thing at the top of the window that meets the body and can be seen on the outside? Do you treat that too?

I know, a bunch of questions. Just want to make sure I do it right and get the same results you got.

Thanks!

[Yobyot]

Originally Posted by bashinbri

Thank you for your post! I was beginning to think I was going crazy about the creaks. Tried the GummiPflege and a similar rubber conditioner by Wurth with no luck. Just got the Shin-Etsu. What are you referring to when you say keep it off the "door seal seams"? Will a bit of the grease get on the inside paint of the door frame where the seal touches? What about the felty rubber thing at the top of the window that meets the body and can be seen on the outside? Do you treat that too?

I know, a bunch of questions. Just want to make sure I do it right and get the same results you got.

Thanks!

I try not to get the Shin-Etsy grease on anything but the tubular rubber seals. That's mostly because I want to keep the door frames clean and grease collects dirt. So, I just tend to treat then "outside" areas of the seals.

I can't emphasize enough how little grease I use — no more thank a drop or two on the tip of my index finger per door. It's less than a drop of toothpaste you'd put on a small child's toothbrush. A little goes a long way and keeps the doors from accumulating greasy spots.

I don't treat the felt seals.

Good luck.

[corn18]

Thanks to this thread, I bought some of the Shin-Etsy grease and used it on my E89 Z4. The convertible hardtop was always creaking and moaning and made top up driving somewhat annoying. Put the grease on all the seals and joints and no more noises! This stuff is magic.

[GoodGuyAvi]

I found it !


Gummi-Pflege
BMW Part # 83-19-2-449-390