Are one or more of your car’s windows making a squeaking noise when going up and down?
Are they moving slower than normal?
This can be annoying. The good news is, this is an easy repair to tackle yourself.
Learn everything you need to know below.
Why Are My Car Windows Moving Slowly or Squeaking?
When you receive your car from the factory, the window tracks are lubricated.
Naturally, that lubricant wears away after years of use.
Once the lubrication has worn down, you may notice a squeaking or sticking window.
Tools You Will Need to Fix This
There are only two tools you will need to repair this squeaking noise:
- Lubricant.
- Roll of paper towels (or a rag).
The best lubricant to purchase is a spray silicone grease.
Typically, one can of this costs $5 and provides you with enough solution to repair 2 to 3 windows. You can find this product at your local automotive or hardware store.
Spray silicone greases are dry and moly, which enables them to instantly bond with metal surfaces, repel dirt, and defend the surface from any friction.
It is safe on both exterior car metals and the other surfaces inside your car’s door.
On the other hand, petroleum-based lubricants will dry out your window tracks, which will cause your window to be louder and slower than before down the line, and may cause further damage.
This is because they collect grime over time.
Steps to Fix Your Squeaky or Slow Car Window
Follow these five steps to get your window to function properly again.
- Fully open the window that needs repair.
- Spray the lubricant inside the seal, starting on the top left side and working your way down. Repeat this process on the right side of the same window. Make sure you cover both sides of your window’s frame, distributing it evenly down the vertical frame and seal.
- Use a paper towel or clean, lint-free rag to remove any excess product from the window seal, door frame, or car body.
- Wait 3-5 minutes.
- Roll the window up and down two to three times to distribute the grease throughout the track.
The squeaking noise and slowness of the window should improve each time you do this.
If not, you can add more lubricant to the window seal while the window is all the way up. This will aid in the transfer of lubricant to inside your car’s door.
Repeat these steps as many times as needed until your window returns to normal speed without any noises.
Once you’ve reached this point, wait a few hours. You need to give the lubricant time to completely dry.
After you’ve waited, use paper towels or your rag to remove leftover lubricant around the car window seal, frame, and anywhere else you see it. If your windows are streaky, it is safe to use any glass cleaner you have.