How to Fix a Squeaky Car Window in 6 Steps

There is perhaps nothing worse than a squeaky car window. Even the best-treated window can occasionally become sticky and squeaky. While these windows technically continue to work, they can often be heard from across the parking lot.

Luckily, you don’t really have to do much to fix these squeaky windows. With the right know-how, you can easily overcome what others have failed to accomplish.

Plus, these quick fixes are extremely inexpensive as well.

How to Fix a Squeaky Car Window in 6 Steps

1. Get a Window-Safe Lubricant

If the window is squeaky, then it needs to be lubricated. There are quite a few lubricants that will do the job, but many of the ones that work are terribly inexpensive. Purchasing one of these lubricants should be your first step.

We recommend purchasing a silicone grease spray, which is safe for most windows. One can be enough to fix a couple of windows. If you’re fixing a whole set of windows, you’ll need more than a single can.

You should avoid oily lubricants, as these can trap dirt and debris, causing more of a problem over time than you originally started with. Plus, these lubricants tend to dry out on the rubber surfaces that the window interacts with, which can make the window squeaky again rather quickly.

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2. Open the Window Completely

Then, spray the lubricant inside the seal on both sides of the window. You can’t really use too much lubricant, so be sure to spray it liberally. Some excess spray will drip into the seal. This is fine.

While you don’t want to drown the seal in lubricant, a little bit is not going to help you. Instead, you do have to use quite a bit. Be sure that the lubricant is distributed around the rubber seal on all sides. Ignore it if it starts dripping, as the lubricant you purchased should be car-safe.

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3. Clean the Excess Lubricant

If you sprayed liberally enough, there will likely be at least a little excess lubricant around the window. Your next job is to clean up that excess with a towel. Because it is oil, it can be quite hard to clean up. However, you don’t have to completely remove it from the car. Instead, just wipe up as much of the extra oil as you can.

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4. Roll Up the Window

Now that the window has been sitting for a few minutes while you’ve cleaned, it’s time to roll it up and test it out. You should make the window go up and down at least two times to ensure that the oil is completely covering the surface. The squeaky sound should be improved after a few minutes.

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5. Add More Oil

If the situation hasn’t improved, then you should add more oil. Simply spray the lubricant on the window again just like you did the first time, clean up the excess, and then roll the window up and down again. Eventually, you’ll have enough lubricant to stop the squeaking altogether.

If this method doesn’t stop the squeaking after a few tries, then there is something else going on with your car. Sometimes, the inner mechanisms of the window can be broken, which can make a squeaking noise. However, this requires that you take the car to a mechanic, as pinpointing the exact problem and fixing it can be nearly impossible.

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6. Clean Thoroughly

After the squeaking has stopped, you’ll need to clean the car thoroughly. We know that you already cleaned up the excess earlier, but the act of moving the window up and down can spread more lubricant around.

Excess lubricant can cause your car’s paint to streak and potentially mess up. Therefore, you should wipe it off with a clean towel thoroughly. Once your window is fixed, you should carefully wipe up the rubber seal around the car window as well. This excess lubricant is messy and can attract dirt.

Next, you’ll want to clean the windows themselves with a traditional glass cleaner to remove smears and other debris, which the window probably picked up in the process.

Conclusion

While squeaky windows can be annoying, they are pretty easy to fix too. With some lubricant and a few minutes of time, you can easily stop your window from squeaking.

Performing this task at home should be extremely easy and doesn’t require a professional in the least. A bottle of lubricant is only a few dollars, so there is little reason to avoid buying it.

However, if the steps above did not fix your probably, then it is likely caused by a deeper issue with the glass mechanisms. In this case, you should seek out a mechanic to fix the problem.

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Featured Image Credit: NavinTar, Shutterstock