Anyone have some brand name suggestions for stuff to keep the roof seals in top shape? The car manual seems to have mixed messages regarding whether a silicon based seal dressing is recommended. Surely there must be something readily available at the local hardware rather than buying that little seal handiwipe kit from VW!
Suggested seal lubricants?
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Go with krytox, its expensive but a little goes a long way.
in the UK we get it from, www.gbrtech.co.uk/
in the UK we get it from, www.gbrtech.co.uk/
PAG Oil for CSC seals
Given the obvious confusion/ contradiction in the English manual for the 2008 EOS concerning whether silicone based lube is or is not appropriate for the CSC seals, a note to VW of America came back with the advice NOT to use silicone based lubricant. It was suggested that PAG oil - Polyalkylene Glycol (PAG) - would be OK. This is usually an oil specified for used in combination with the air conditioning refrigerant for lubrication inside the air conditioning system. It is not Krytox and is way cheaper and readily available. Anyone else heard of this? This is coming from customer care at VW so presumably they know. Specs on PAG and its applications are available at Mobil/ Exxon.
Given the obvious confusion/ contradiction in the English manual for the 2008 EOS concerning whether silicone based lube is or is not appropriate for the CSC seals, a note to VW of America came back with the advice NOT to use silicone based lubricant. It was suggested that PAG oil - Polyalkylene Glycol (PAG) - would be OK. This is usually an oil specified for used in combination with the air conditioning refrigerant for lubrication inside the air conditioning system. It is not Krytox and is way cheaper and readily available. Anyone else heard of this? This is coming from customer care at VW so presumably they know. Specs on PAG and its applications are available at Mobil/ Exxon.
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It's not just rain - it's wind noise and creaking. Krytox keeps the rubber subtle which seems to be critical to keeping the car in tip-top condition.
You only really need to do it every 4 months or so, and a single bottle will probably be enough for 4-5 applications.
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I suggest that using such a glycol lubricant on external surfaces may be OK in the short term but it will oxidise faster and therefore not be as effective. If its used inside a sealed system such as A/C and is glycol based it should be excellent for such a purpose. However using it on the seals is an entirely different matter. I also doubt that its penetrative powers would be as good as Krytox. Krytox may be more expensive but there is good reason for that due to its inert chemical structure.
Thanks Graham - I tend to agree with your assessment too. What got me was that this was VW customer care responding to me. Makes me think that they may not be as expert as VW would have you believe. This has been such a significant concern for EOS owners I wonder why VW can't have someone who actually knows wade in on this. What formulation of rubber compound is actually used for the roof seals .. and was it changed on the 2008 model to cause the change in the manual - and if the manual says use dilicone based lube - why are we told not too. Frankly I am getting quite annoyed with VW on this matter.
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The great thing about Krytox is the fact that it can be used to lubricate basically any type of seal no mater the material. I presume VW may have had some complaints about the costs from owners and are suggesting cheaper alternatives. Though with a shorter half-life.
happy EDAs
happy EDAs
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You may be annoyed but remember that the VW Customer Assistance group does not have answers to everything. I contacted them once and they didn't know how to help with my question. I suspect they are the same in most organizations unless they are actually a tech center. My 07 specified the product VW pt# G 052 172 A1 which athough it hasn't been absolutely proven to be Krytox, is interchangeable. The VW stuff is made in the US and Krytox is made by DuPont also in the US. Yes it is expensive stuff but seems to go a long way when applied properly. In 08 they changed one if the seals for the roof ( I think the one at the top of the windshield). Otherwise the rest of the seals are the same so the lubricant used should be the same. I bought the VW stuff from a VW place in Washington because it was one of the cheapest places at the time. That place is 1stvwparts.com (Auburn VW). You can contact them for price and if they ship to Canada.
I just tried "Lube Tube" Multi-purpose sealant. For $4 an ounce I thought it was worth a try. Says it lubricates and seals: O-rings, sliding windows/doors, gaskets, valves, bearings, motors, bicke chains, etc. I bought it a pool store (who better to have experience with water leakage concerns).
It went on well, and seems to be absorbing nicely.
It went on well, and seems to be absorbing nicely.
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Oh dear, here I go again preaching from my soapbox
.Cheap products promoted as universal fix-its [otherwise sometimes described as "answers to a maiden's prayer"
] in my experience, backed up by discussions with others who have expertise in this field, invariably prove to be partially effective at best or a complete waste of time and money in most cases.I would never take a pool shop recommendation as guidance for use on motor vehicles and vice-versa; the elastomers used in pool equipment are completely different formulations to those used in automotive applications. My reason for this is my 5 years experience working for Australia's leading pool pump, spa pump and filter manufacturer.
A lot of research has been undertaken into seal conditioners/lubricants for the Eos and other vehicles to determine the most appropriate product
Suffice to say, the recommended VW product and the Krytox GPL105 equivalent have proved their effectiveness over time and their cost of their use is minuscule compared to the other costs incurred in owning and running a car. At the risk of sounding repetitious; "first cost is not always the end cost" and "the quality of the product is remembered long after the price is forgotten".
Why risk permanent damage to an important car component for the sake of "penny-pinching" given the cost and/or loss of vehicle value associated with roof seal problems?
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Oh dear, here I go again preaching from my soapbox
Cheap products promoted as universal fix-its [otherwise sometimes described as "answers to a maiden's prayer"
I would never take a pool shop recommendation as guidance for use on motor vehicles and vice-versa; the elastomers used in pool equipment are completely different formulations to these used in automotive applications. My reason for this is my 5 years experience working for Australia's leading pool pump, spa pump and filter manufacturer.
A lot of research has been undertaken into seal conditioners/lubricants for the Eos and other vehicles to determine the most appropriate productand the Eos has now been on the market long enough for the effectiveness of the recommended products to have been tested by owners right around the world.
Suffice to say, the recommended VW product and the Krytox GPL105 equivalent have proved their effectiveness over time and their cost of their use is minuscule compared to the other costs incurred in owning and running a car. At the risk of sounding repetitious; "first cost is not always the end cost" and "the quality of the product is remembered long after the price is forgotten".
Why risk permanent damage to an important car component for the sake of "penny-pinching" given the cost and/or loss of vehicle value associated with roof seal problems?
Seems like every week or so we have someone wanting to reinvent the wheel.
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