Has anyone had any experience with adjusting the door striker (the loop shaped thing on the body)..... I am trying to go through the process of elimination to figure out my loudness problem!!!
FWIW, it has that sound like something is just a hair open... I can visualize what its supposed to sound like but everything is just a hair louder than it should be......
Door striker adjustment!
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Q451990
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Have you tried having someone taping you in yet??? You need to identify where the noise is coming from! Unless your car has been wrecked, I'd suspect that the striker is not out of adjustment. One thing I just thought of. Are the door hinges tight (lifting the door while it's open?) I've heard of the hinges sagging on higher mileage Qs.
Heath
Heath
Im gonna try that whenever it stops.....-
rover3l
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One way of checking if you have a leaking door seal is to take a half inch wide, very thin plastic tape such as that used as strapping around a package. Then trap the tape in between the door and the seal at different positions around the perimeter of the door and feel how easy or difficult it is to pull the tape. If you have a bad seal you should feel very little resistance in the regions where the problem is. If the location is isolated you can pad out the seal at this location using some thin adhesive foam and then go for a test drive. I have solved wind noise problems before using this method. It is better than taping the whole door (which I have done as well) because the taping procedure doesn't identify the location of the leak.
Hope this helps
David
Hope this helps
David
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rover3l
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Sorry it is difficult to describe especially with my British accent!!
1. Obtain some stiff plastic tape of the type you would have surrounding a cardboard package. This is not adhesive tape but the type that is very strong and wrapped around a strong cardboard packaging carton
2. Cut about 18 of tape and take it to the car
3. Open the door of interest
4. Place the tape at 90 degrees to the seal with one end sticking outside of the door
5. Close the door. Now you should have part of the tape pinched in between the seal and the door frame
6. With the door closed try to pull the tape. With a good seal you should feel some drag on the tape as you try to pull it out. If the seal is not tight the tape should just pull straight out with no resistance
7. Then just repeat this all the way around the seal inch by inch to test the whole seal
8. If it is leaking sometimes the leak will be confined to a small area.
9. If you locate an area where the seal is not tight against the closed door, then try pack this area out with something such as a thin piece of foam and test drive the car
10. An alternative to plastic tape would be a thin strip of strong paper or something of similar thickness
I may have confused you further and maybe someone else can translate this into American English!!
Good luck
David
1. Obtain some stiff plastic tape of the type you would have surrounding a cardboard package. This is not adhesive tape but the type that is very strong and wrapped around a strong cardboard packaging carton
2. Cut about 18 of tape and take it to the car
3. Open the door of interest
4. Place the tape at 90 degrees to the seal with one end sticking outside of the door
5. Close the door. Now you should have part of the tape pinched in between the seal and the door frame
6. With the door closed try to pull the tape. With a good seal you should feel some drag on the tape as you try to pull it out. If the seal is not tight the tape should just pull straight out with no resistance
7. Then just repeat this all the way around the seal inch by inch to test the whole seal
8. If it is leaking sometimes the leak will be confined to a small area.
9. If you locate an area where the seal is not tight against the closed door, then try pack this area out with something such as a thin piece of foam and test drive the car
10. An alternative to plastic tape would be a thin strip of strong paper or something of similar thickness
I may have confused you further and maybe someone else can translate this into American English!!
Good luck
David
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elwesso
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Oh..... I see what your saying.....
I have some really heavy paper (like what greeting cards are made of).... So what I need to do is put part of it in there, and then pull on it..... If I have a lot of resistance, then that area is good, if I have little, then I need to fix it....
Now, assuming I find something, how is the best way to go about fixing without replacing the weatherstrips (big $$$ that I dont have)....
I have some really heavy paper (like what greeting cards are made of).... So what I need to do is put part of it in there, and then pull on it..... If I have a lot of resistance, then that area is good, if I have little, then I need to fix it....
Now, assuming I find something, how is the best way to go about fixing without replacing the weatherstrips (big $$$ that I dont have)....
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rover3l
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Yes greeting card paper would work. How to fix it depends on the specific problem you find, assuming of course it is the seal causing your problem.
1. If the seal is just flat, deformed due to age in a small area, then you can look at ways of adding some packing material behind it to pad it out at to the original dimensions. You can do this discretely so it doesn't show by pulling the seal away from the frame and then experimenting with some compressible foam or an old seal from a junk yard car and trim it do the size you need to provide the degree of extra packing you want. This is a bit of trial and error but you can experiment before you finally glue everything back
2. The problem could simply be a loose seal that moves when the door is closed. If this is the case then re-gluing is the answer
3. Another possibility is the striker plate as you orginally posted about but unless someone has previously adjusted this it shouldn't be the problem. When the door is closed does it look in line and does it close smoothly?
1. If the seal is just flat, deformed due to age in a small area, then you can look at ways of adding some packing material behind it to pad it out at to the original dimensions. You can do this discretely so it doesn't show by pulling the seal away from the frame and then experimenting with some compressible foam or an old seal from a junk yard car and trim it do the size you need to provide the degree of extra packing you want. This is a bit of trial and error but you can experiment before you finally glue everything back
2. The problem could simply be a loose seal that moves when the door is closed. If this is the case then re-gluing is the answer
3. Another possibility is the striker plate as you orginally posted about but unless someone has previously adjusted this it shouldn't be the problem. When the door is closed does it look in line and does it close smoothly?
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elwesso
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Thats exactly how mine is.... Very tight at top and less at the sides..... (above the window that is, and below the window respectively).....
Everything just sounds louder than it should..... Like I said, its like the door isnt closed all the way!
I just washed the Q down, so im gonna go tape it up and see if I notice a difference!
Everything just sounds louder than it should..... Like I said, its like the door isnt closed all the way!
I just washed the Q down, so im gonna go tape it up and see if I notice a difference!
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rover3l
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I am confused. Are you saying you pushed outwards on the interior panel from the inside of the car?
If so this suggests that the door panel is not fitting tight to the door itself. You could remove it and see if any clips are broken and even attach a thin layer of foam to the back of the panel so when you put it back it seals better. Alternatively there are some heavier sound deadening materials that a lot of people apply to the door to improve the sound of their sound system. These heavy bitumen type materials are supposed to make a significant difference in reducing overall noise levels
If so this suggests that the door panel is not fitting tight to the door itself. You could remove it and see if any clips are broken and even attach a thin layer of foam to the back of the panel so when you put it back it seals better. Alternatively there are some heavier sound deadening materials that a lot of people apply to the door to improve the sound of their sound system. These heavy bitumen type materials are supposed to make a significant difference in reducing overall noise levels
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rover3l
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I am fairly sure that the interior door panel on any car contributes to the sound proofing. Try riding around with it off and you will see what I mean. For example there are drain holes at the bottom of the door which would provide a route for sound to get in if the panel is not in place or even if it is not tight against the door. As a first step I would replace the missing clips so you get an even fit, second I would try some thin foam (a few milimeters thick) you can buy from say "Joanne Fabrics", cut this to the pattern of the door panel and it shoulod allow a tighter fit and hence noise seal. Third and final would be to go the whole hog and apply the bitumen sound deadening to the bare door panel before refitting the trim.
BTW have you tried treating your door seals with a lubricant to improve the air seal
David
BTW have you tried treating your door seals with a lubricant to improve the air seal
David
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Jeff Williams
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elwesso
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Thanks Jeff..... 
Theres only one or 2 clips missing, and it still goes on really tight... Ive driven without the panel on and I could tell a huge difference!
I have used a lubricant (restore 2001) on the seals...... It seems to get a pretty good seal all around......
Im looking into sound deadening options.... Any specific brands that work well and are cheap....?
EDIT: This weekend, I think Im gonna stop by lowes and see if they have anything I could use for this! Ill let you know if I find anything!
Theres only one or 2 clips missing, and it still goes on really tight... Ive driven without the panel on and I could tell a huge difference!
I have used a lubricant (restore 2001) on the seals...... It seems to get a pretty good seal all around......
Im looking into sound deadening options.... Any specific brands that work well and are cheap....?
EDIT: This weekend, I think Im gonna stop by lowes and see if they have anything I could use for this! Ill let you know if I find anything!
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Jeff Williams
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Has the clear plastic behind your interior door panel been removed?
This not only serves as a water barrier, but also a sound barrier.
If yours is torn, or the black gue has come off, and it is droopong, I would think that is where your noise is coming from.
Most people use something called "Automat" on hot rods, to eliminate noise. It comes in varying thicknesses, and has a sticky back.
They put it under carpet, above the headliner, and on all the door panels.
This not only serves as a water barrier, but also a sound barrier.
If yours is torn, or the black gue has come off, and it is droopong, I would think that is where your noise is coming from.
Most people use something called "Automat" on hot rods, to eliminate noise. It comes in varying thicknesses, and has a sticky back.
They put it under carpet, above the headliner, and on all the door panels.
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HeavyDuty
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The pass side striker on my 91 SE-R would go out of adjustment every couple of years. I loosened it & just retightened it and the door line would be perfect again.
Is the rear gap of the offending door obviously out from the door or quarter panel adjacent (rearward) of it?
It's supposed to stick out a little bit, just as the front of the door is supposed to be recessed slightly compared to the panel forward of it.
Unlike other vehicles, the striker is not adjustable, (at least on my Sentra) save for a BFH, but that should be a last resort, usually only if the car had body damage & wasn't repaired correctly.
Is the rear gap of the offending door obviously out from the door or quarter panel adjacent (rearward) of it?
It's supposed to stick out a little bit, just as the front of the door is supposed to be recessed slightly compared to the panel forward of it.
Unlike other vehicles, the striker is not adjustable, (at least on my Sentra) save for a BFH, but that should be a last resort, usually only if the car had body damage & wasn't repaired correctly.
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Jeff Williams
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Definitely, the "BFH" is not a tool to be used on the Q.HeavyDuty wrote:Unlike other vehicles, the striker is not adjustable, (at least on my Sentra) save for a BFH, but that should be a last resort, usually only if the car had body damage & wasn't repaired correctly.
But I do like to use them on other things. I have several. One an 18 z, a 26 oz (used fro framing), a 5# short handle, and the big whopper, the 10#. I have others of brass, rubber, poly, and then there are the curved, and pointed ones, for manipulating sheet metal....I do digress...
