Hi i have a 2011 1.6 tdi cabriolet and i have only just noticed that when i open the passenger door the door drops a about 15mm as it should however it squeaks as if the window was rubbing on the rubber when it drops ,however it does not do it when closing the door ...I have used Gummifledge on the seals and also tried the wd40 as well and it still does it..I have also taken the door card off and the motor sounds healthy when i switch the window up and down , i can hear the squeak but cant pin point it ..I have also run a plastic tool trim along the top of the door just in case any dirt is in there and all appears fine .Anyone come across this before ..

Dennis.

I am not familiar with the cabriolet and can not answer your question, but I find it hard to believe the door should drop 15 mm as it opens. Is that really its correct behaviour?

Hi Cliff , yes it's normal for the convertible to do this ,i think its a safety thing.

 

 

Fair enough. I assume it must be a way of clamping the door more securely than normal when shut to compensate for the reduced rigidity of the body.

Maybe we can hypothesise about the possible cause of the noise, but just to be clear about the problem, does the squeak happen when opening the door or when opening the window?

If you can imaging opening a door and you get that squeak thats makes you beleive the hinges need oiling thats what it sounds like in fact at first i thought that was the issue,that was until i realised it was when the window  was actualy dropping , it can come and go but when maually opperating the window there is an issue somewere ,the only parts i cannot get to without srtipping it is the regulator ..At the moment window is working and motor is good but i still get the squeak every now and then i suppose i will have to put up with it untill i need to replace the regulator which looks like the removal of quite a few bolts

So we have established I hope that the noise is from the window, and that opening the door has nothing to do with it. In that case look first at the rubber lip seal between door and glass. Is it damaged or torn? Is there any dirt trapped between glass and rubber? Does the lip turn over when the window drops? Sometimes, like wipers, the seal can squeak when dry but not when wet.

Hi yes I have used silicon spray were I can get to I also used gummifledge around all the seals also run a plastic trim tool along to check for anything stuck... It does sound like a windscreen wiper on dry glass it's bugging me as I reckon it's a seal but I have had the door card off and sprayed everywhere 

I am not sure silicone spray or Gummifledge (whatever that is) eliminates the rubber seal as the problem, nevertheless the other place I would look is the two channels inside the door that the glass slides in. Rather than spray stuff into them I would rake out and vacuum the channels to remove any dirt.

Hi Gummifledge is used on rubber seals ,helps with creaky soft tops, protects and stops them from cracking. Not cheap stuff but works great..

I have taken the door card off, motor off and greased the splines, I have got my hand behind and greased everything that had a channel ,also the cogs albeit the best i could..Still there ,i am going to have to work out how to remove the regulator on a cabriolet as it is different from a framed door ..looks like a bit of googling as i dont think i will solve this without taking regulator out to properly grease up the channels 

Good luck and do let us know what you find.

Update ....I have managed to make a tool out of a bottle washer the type with a wired flexi handle ,I put loads of grease on the brush end and ran it up and down the regulator channels I could get to by hand ..The left side was easier but the right was awkward as I could only use the speaker aperture anyway it's not done it since so it looks lke like that was the issue .I also spotted 2 Torx 45 bolts hidden behind two grommets for the top of regulator, but the bottom look like they are sat on a spring type fitting and I can't find anything on that