A true car enthusiast knows that one of the signs of a good car is the absence of various uncharacteristic sounds during its operation. That is, there should be no grinding, clanking or anything similar other than the monotonous sound of the engine turned on and your favorite melody in the radio in your car.
In practice, extraneous creaking in the car interior is not at all a rare occurrence. What is the reason for such loudness of the interior parts and what to do about it, let's figure it out?
Headlining
To check, you can insert a plastic card into the slot of the panel that is under suspicion, and then take a ride and listen to see if the sound disappears.
To check, you can insert a plastic card into the slot of the panel that is under suspicion, and then take a ride and listen to see if the sound disappears.
It is better to carry out a more painstaking search with an assistant, who, while moving, begins to press different panels of the car with his hands, depriving them of mobility or at least changing the frequency of oscillations. Most often, in this way it is possible to localize vibrations at least to the accuracy of the upholstery part. Next, you can simply try to “polish” the part.
Prerequisites for creaking
Any driver knows what a dashboard is and where it is located. The instrument panel is located in the front of the cabin. Today it is a mandatory attribute, which includes many devices and useful devices. In order to make a high-quality panel, the materials must meet the highest requirements and technological developments. For manufacturing, manufacturers usually use plastic or polyurethane.
Under the influence of temperature changes and sunlight, they become deformed over time. This is what leads to unwanted and annoying squeaking. You will have to understand the reasons before you begin to repair or replace individual elements of the dashboard. Interestingly, such sounds can occur in different areas. Sometimes a creaking sound is heard along the entire perimeter of the dashboard, at joints or near the windshield.
crickets in the car
We will use a product for cleaning and polishing the upholstery, and apply the product especially generously to the junctions of this panel with others.
We will use a product for cleaning and polishing the upholstery, and apply the product especially generously to the junctions of this panel with others.
It is possible that this will be the end of all the creaking. The polish, once in the gap, eliminates dry friction and the sound stops. True, only for a while. If you want to solve the problem radically, then you will have to dismantle the panel and carefully inspect it. Areas that cause squeaking will be marked by abrasions and a thin layer of wear debris - plastic dust. Now, having seen the enemy in the face, begin the fight. You can stick double-sided tape to the contact point: the connection will subside, but will become conditionally inseparable. By gluing the Velcro halves to the mating parts, we will also stop the mutual movement of the parts, while maintaining the possibility of disassembling the connection. Many sources recommend using the advertised “fungal” Velcro, but it seems to me that there are no such commonly disassembled joints in the car.
Which cars are structurally more prone to squeaking and which are not? Examples are in the photo below.
Simple conclusion
We usually buy a bottle of silicone wax for treating rubber seals and wipers. Not the entire composition is spent for these purposes. And if you still have wax in the can, then there is no point in hiding it in the trunk. Silicone wax can be used as an anti-squeak
, and also for processing electrical contacts, plastic moldings, door locks, clothing, shoes and much more!
Read more about this in the articles:
Useful tips. How to use silicone wax "Suprotek - Aprokhim"; Silicone lubricant for cars: application and effect; Silicone grease for car rubber seals; “Lock defroster” - silicone wax.
Front panel of Chevrolet Lacetti
The Chevrolet Lacetti instrument panel is assembled from numerous plastic and metal parts on self-tapping screws.
After factory assembly it does not creak, but after the first disassembly? The Chevrolet Lacetti instrument panel is assembled from numerous plastic and metal parts on self-tapping screws. After factory assembly it does not creak, but after the first disassembly?
Car doors experience stress not only when driving, but also when passengers do not close them carefully. Therefore, door trims may begin to creak even with low mileage.
The process of eliminating extraneous sound
The work of neutralizing extraneous noise requires quite a lot of energy. Anti-creaking is used for these purposes .
Creaking can occur due to the interaction between the metal of the door and the upholstery. In this case, the edges of the upholstery on the back side are covered with anti-creaking. If squeaking occurs due to the action of the velvet guards, the anti-creaking strip is made thicker. In order for the quality of the visual appearance to be good, it is necessary to strictly observe the boundaries of the cladding. Creaking can occur between the metal part of the door and the clips. Thus, before installing the clips, the holes specially designed for them are treated with anti-creak. To achieve the best result, the clips are fixed with the same anti-creaking agent. The process of securing the door trim with self-tapping screws is as follows:
- There is no need to screw in a lot of screws; just select places in the corners and inside the area;
- Installation of fastening elements is carried out according to a certain step. In the case of wood, a large step is set; if the material is metal, then the step is reduced;
- After installing the screws, they must be closed with plugs;
- The fastenings of the pistons and screws must be different;
- The size of the embedded elements is determined according to the screwing location.
Lada Kalina and Granta
An example of a modern design approach.
Compared to the Kalina, the Granta has a number of front panel parts reduced from 52 to 39, and in the door trims - from 15 to 3. Fewer mating interior elements mean fewer reasons for the appearance of “crickets”. An example of a modern design approach. Compared to the Kalina, the Granta has a number of front panel parts reduced from 52 to 39, and in the door trims - from 15 to 3. Fewer mating interior elements mean fewer reasons for the appearance of “crickets”.
You can stick a film on all surfaces of the door trim to prevent squeaking. The pistons, having already been removed and installed several times, may also not provide proper pressure to the upholstery, and they themselves may creak in their holes. Such pistons must be replaced. The most radical way to attach door trim is to install one or more self-tapping screws. You should use metal screws, install them in inconspicuous places and close the heads with decorative plugs sold in hardware stores.
How do you deal with squeaks? Are you fighting at all? Share your experience, colleagues!
Quiet hour: fighting “crickets” in the car
To prevent the car from squeaking
Today there are a great many options for dealing with unpleasant noises and grinding noises inside the car. However, there are several proven methods, the use of which for a long time guarantees getting rid of unpleasant background sounds and bringing long-awaited silence to the interior of your car. To do this you will need:
- Self-adhesive. Available on a one-sided sticky base and allows you to quickly remove panel squeaks. After peeling off, it may leave a sticky residue on the surface.
- Silicone Grease. Available in aerosol form. It dampens any squeaks well. Easy to use and allows you to cover parts even in hard-to-reach places.
- Rubber compressor. It is also created on the basis of silicone. It is highly effective, but attracts dust and gets dirty.
- Polyurethane foam. Used to increase the rigidity of thin plastic parts. A special sealant based on foam rubber and polyesters with an adhesive layer. Durable and durable.
- Velcro. Hook and loop system. Reliable and easy to use. They have weight restrictions.
- Fungi. They are presented in the form of a plate with mushroom-like outgrowths, which, when squeezed, are tightly fastened together, preventing rubbing parts or panels from rattling and creaking. Reusable, can be reused.
- Foam rubber. Used for internal sealing of parts and sound insulation.
Eliminating squeaks in the interior is one of the important points in the effective operation of a car. Not everyone can afford an expensive luxury car. But anyone can protect their iron horse from small troubles in the form of squeaking.
NANOPROTECH grease
The universal product NANOPROTECH is intended for lubricating moving elements. The liquid formula ensures that silicone gets into small and hard-to-reach areas.
The product can be used to treat various mechanisms:
- cars and trucks;
- locks and hinges;
- firearms;
- fishing accessories;
- garden equipment.
NANOPROTECH lubricant to eliminate squeaking plastic in the car reduces friction. The product helps improve the appearance of the product. Prevents rubber from cracking and corrosion on metals.
To begin with, about what and why it creaks
The dashboard, “tidy”, as they call it, is the instrument panel, which is located in the cabin under the windshield, directly in front of the driver and passenger seat. The purpose of the instrument panel is, as a rule, purely aesthetic; it hides a large number of wires and components located in the cabin, making it more attractive. Also on the instrument panel there are often various gadgets, a passenger airbag and the electronic instrument panel itself (speedometer, tachometer and other indicators and control lights).
In most cases, dashboards are made of elastic, but not hard materials; initially, this decision had one goal - ensuring safety in the event of an accident. However, with the advent of the Airbag, or more simply put, “airbags,” the instrument panel has become nothing more than just a beautiful shelf, the design of which is carried out by entire creative studios in order to attract the attention of a fastidious buyer. Basically, the “tidy” is made from soft foam compounds based on polyurethane foam or polyolefin, which do not withstand temperature changes and increased vibrations. The latter is very relevant for our roads, which are more like a test track or a washboard, and certainly not a public road.
Creaking wipers
Even relatively new brushes can make an unpleasant, irritating noise, depending on their quality and condition.
Elastic linings cannot be repaired; they must be replaced. Sometimes adding detergent or shampoo to the washer fluid solves the problem. An alternative option is to purchase windshield wipers with special “eyelashes” made with the addition of graphite or silicone: they will reduce the coefficient of friction between the wiper and the glass.
Silicone lubricant-wax "Suprotek - Aprokhim"
Like any other composition, silicone wax from Suprotek Aprokhim perfectly eliminates the so-called “crickets”. If you have a plastic-leather, plastic-plastic, plastic-metal joint that creaks somewhere in your car, then after applying wax in this place, the creaking disappears. Composition Suprotek - Aprohim is an excellent anti-creak for cars
. And at the same time, the composition, unlike many other similar products, does not leave greasy stains. This is not an unfounded statement. The famous autoblogger Konstantin Zarutsky - AcademeG specially conducted several tests:
“Often, when you use any silicone lubricant from those products that are found in the catalogs of the nearest car stores, splashing it on the surface to be treated (rubber door seals, hinges, etc.), the composition sometimes gets on the upholstery fabric. The fatty base of such wax is absorbed into the fabric and attracts dirt and dust. After some time, the place where the composition got in becomes black and is almost impossible to clean. So, in this regard, silicone wax from Suprotek Aprokhim compares favorably with many other compounds. He's not greasy at all. And even when the composition gets on the fabric, it dries instantly, does not leave greasy stains and does not attract dirt and dust. When you use Suprotek Aprokhim silicone wax, you do not need to use newspapers, cardboard boxes and other improvised means to protect the fabric from getting the composition.” Anti-creak.
