WHISTLE-STOP TUTORIAL
QThere’s irritating wind noise coming from the door of my Volvo 240. All the rubbers look good. Might its aftermarket electric windows be the issue?
Al Einhorn, Melbourne
AElectric mechanisms stop the glass when they encounter resistance, so it’s worth checking the top of the window frame and the glass. If there’s something lodged in the top seal, it will stop short. Likewise if the glass meets the top at an angle because the vertical runners are misaligned, it’ll be fully closed at one end and not the other.
We think, though, that door alignment is more likely to be the issue. If the rubber seal isn’t contacting the door all the way round, wind noise will be the result. With the door closed, try to run a strip of thin card around the seal. You should feel resistance to motion. Where there’s no resistance, the door-mounted seal isn’t making good contact with the body.
If the rubbers are OK, you may need to adjust the position of the door. See if its profile matches that of the surrounding panels. Move the B-pillar striker plate in to close the door more tightly. If it’s ‘out’ at the hinge end – or the top or bottom – then you’ll have to loosen the hinges and move the door. You’ll need an assistant and an adjustable support, such as a jack and block of wood. If the skin aligns perfectly but the top is too far out, open the door, roll the window down and administer a whack to one or both top corners of the frame with the flat of your hand to bend it inward.