If you don’t already, you should keep a watchful eye on the weather stripping at crucial areas of your car.

Unsure of what weather stripping is? Well, also known as “weather seal” or “weather strip”, it is the rubber material that forms a seal around your vehicle’s doors, windows, trunk lid, windshield, and other areas, such as the roof rails.

The seal might have an O or U shape depending on where it is located on the car.

It acts as a seal to keep out cold air, rain, wind, and even bugs. Along with protecting your interior against the harsh weather elements, weather stripping helps to prevent road noise from disturbing your ride, and they also ensure that your windows and doors stay shut.

The presence of good weather stripping might be among the most underrated part of your car. The seal helps to prevent metal-on-metal or metal-on-glass contact which will protect other parts of your car.

For optimal functioning, weather stripping must be fitted to your specific vehicle. Whereas cars come with the seals already in, they are susceptible to usual wear and tear and will need to be replaced.

If you rainwater leaks through your windows, for example, you may want to have your weather stripping checked by your car care professional and decide if you need to repair it or have it replaced.

Before and replacement is done, determining the exact location of the fault is important. A recommendation that your car care expert may make is to listen for louder wind noise while driving to narrow it down. Once parked, examine the weather stripping for wear and tear.

You can also identify a leaking spot by rolling up all the windows, closing the doors and trunk, and spraying a hose on the area. Observe where the water begins to drip or pool.

If you need new weather stripping for your car, you will need to find one that is made for your make and model to ensure that it fits properly.

Different parts of the car have specific types of specially-designed weather stripping. Unlike car doors, windows, and trunks, each windshield has trim around the edge called molding. Your car may have molding that’s attached to the car body. For repairing or replacing the weather stripping around the windshield, you may need to consult an auto glass company.

At the end of the day, it’s best to check with your car care professional and your auto glass technician to address concerns of faulty weather stripping. It may have fallen out of place and need readjustment or it could be more serious and require repair or replacement.

Read the 19th piece in the series | Car Care Tips | Reasons you should fix your chipped windscreen

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