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How to solve (or prevent) Eos Roof leaks

434K views 332 replies 104 participants last post by  wcumming 
#1 · (Edited)
As many of you know, I don’t own an Eos. This makes it difficult to provide practical advice based on my own experience with the car, as I do in the Phaeton forum. The staff at my VW dealership (Volkswagen Richmond Hill) follow activities in the forum, and when a customer called to say that his Eos had a water leak, the service manager at my dealer invited me to come up and watch the problem-solving process.


The Eos with the water leak was the first Eos my dealer sold. It was delivered to the customer only a few days after the Eos went on sale here in North America. It has a fairly low VIN (in the 7,000’s), which suggests that it was probably built sometime in the summer of 2006. This is noteworthy, not because there is anything unique about a low VIN, but because the car is now 8 or 9 months old. This is certainly more than enough time for the seals on the car to dry out.
The owner of the Eos dropped it off at the dealership, and the first thing the technicians did was to have a look at the windows and roof to make sure that they were all operating smoothly and properly, and that all the measurements (especially the reference lines at the top of the window glass) were within specifications. No problems were found. The next step in the troubleshooting process was to carry out a ‘baseline water test’ to determine the extent of the leakage. The dealer principal sat in the driver seat, the windows were closed, and the car was flooded with large volumes of low-pressure water from a rather large hose in the wash bay. After about 30 seconds, he started honking the horn, and when the water was turned off, a very wet dealer principal emerged from the car. No doubt about it, the car leaked.
The leak manifested itself at the front left corner of the windshield, where the roof touches the top of the windshield. None of us knew where the water was getting in, but it was clear that the water was ‘getting out’- in other words, dripping into the cabin - at one specific location.
We all put our heads together to try and determine what the facts were. They were as follows:
1) The car was almost 9 months old, even though it was only delivered to the customer 5 months ago.
2) No-one had ever lubricated the rubber seals on the car.
3) The windows and roof all appeared to work properly, except for some deformation (pinching) of the seals on either side of the sunroof. This deformation appeared to be caused by the sunroof panel binding on the roof seal, and pulling part of the seal downwards.
4) All the technicians had been to Eos training.
5) All of us had read all the technical bulletins (TB’s) issued for the Eos.
6) None of us had ever read the owner manual.
7) No-one wanted to start any kind of dis-assembly. We wanted to try the ‘least invasive’ solutions first.
So, after we had all read the '3.2' section of the Owner Manual (this is the "Tips and Advice" section, and there is some really good information in there), and after some discussion, it was decided that since the owner manual suggests on page 25 of section 3.2 that the roof seals be lubricated with VW lubricant part number G 052 172 A1, maybe it would be a good idea to start by doing exactly that.
We ordered three bottles of lubricant. None of us knew how much would be needed, but we knew that the bottles were pretty small. Because the dealer principal was still wet from the baseline water test, he had no disagreement at all with the technician’s decision to order three bottles of lubricant. Because the lubricant would not arrive until the next day, we asked the PDI person to do a thorough detail of the car, to ensure that there was no dirt or other external influences on the car.
The next day, the lubricant arrived. We all took turns applying it – the technicians, myself, the PDI person, and some of the sales staff. We made some interesting discoveries:
1) An Eos has two different types of seals on it. Roof seals and the seals that windows touch are made of a different material than door seals or trunk lid seals.
2) These ‘different’ seals have sort of a rough texture, kind of like a cat’s tongue.
3) If the seals are dry (not lubricated), they will be quite hard, not pliable, and will not tightly conform to the window edge when the window is rolled up.
4) If the seals are dry, they have a dull finish, and sort of a ‘white’ luster to them.
5) It is easiest to lubricate the seals on either side of the sunroof if the sunroof is open.
6) It is easiest to lubricate the seal that goes across the middle rear of the roof if the roof is stopped partway through the retraction process, before the front part of the roof begins to lift off the windshield.
7) It is easiest to lubricate the windshield seal if the roof is fully retracted.
8) To lubricate seals at the top of the windows, put the lubricant on your finger, then rub it in.
9) If a seal looks deformed, rub lots of lubricant on it, and keep rubbing the seal until it ‘rehydrates’.
10) If you leave the roof open for an hour after doing the lubrication, the seals seem to suck up any excess lubricant that might be sitting on them.
After we finished lubricating all the seals, we conducted another water test. The results were “almost perfect”. There were no leaks from the roof, but there was a small leak – just a few drops – from the area beside the exterior rear view mirror on the driver side. Investigation revealed that we had lubricated the window seals there with the door closed, hence, we did not fully lubricate the seal – we missed the part that hides behind the exterior rear view mirror. After applying lubricant to this area, we carried out the water test again, and the result was perfection – after 15 minutes of hosing the car, not a single drop of water was found inside.
The PDI person dried off the car, and we noticed that there were greasy spots on the paint where we had unintentionally deposited excess lubricant. The excess lubricant can be easily removed from the painted surfaces with a paper towel and some windshield washer fluid – no fancy solvents are needed. Because the paint is not porous, the lubricant can’t sink into it.
Below are a whole bunch of photos that I took – hopefully this will explain the procedure better. Many thanks to all the service department staff at my VW dealer for their help making this post.
Michael
Eos Owner Manual - Page 25 of Section 3.2 (NAR English Version)

What it looked like before work began

When seals are not properly lubricated, they bind and get pinched, and as a result, do not keep water out.


Visual characteristics of a seal that needs lubrication

This is the stuff to use, simply because this is what the owner manual says we should use.

The alignment rack is a handy place to use to do the work.

Apply the lubricant sparingly, right out of the bottle (clip the top of the spout).





With the roof in this position, you can get the "butt ends" of the window seals, as well as the rear seal that runs horizontally across the roof.
Don't let the roof lift up from the windshield - otherwise, it will come back down on you!

Don't forget this seal.

...but, DO NOT LUBRICATE the fuzzy seal that touches the trunk lid.
This seal is obviously different from the others - it is fuzzy, not rubber.




 
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19
#102 ·
Re: (just4fun)

Kevin,
What you write rings true: I know I'm going to use the Krytox to stop the squeaks my smart fortwo convertible roof makes while driving down that potholed excuse for a road we call the Deerfoot.

To asnwer your question, it DOES stand for "born & bred winnipegger"! I've only spent the last 10 years in Alberta.
Cheers,
Rob
 
#103 ·
I've had my Eos for 5 weeks now (3 of them spent tucked up in its garage while I was away on vacation) and rejoiced in 350 kms of driving so far. And rejoice is the word. But though I haven't had any leaks (apart from the drips that fall in every time you open either of the doors or the lid of the trunk), I have experienced the famous squeaks from the roof that sounded like I had a cage of large budgerigars on the back seat - something that isn't covered in the manual but has, thank heavens, been well documented on this forum. I had already equipped myself with the Krytox 205 grease (prior to this particular thread) and it seems to have solved the problem immediately. I have to say that it was only moderately easy to apply. Being slow to be absorbed, I had to keep rubbing it in for some time and I found it impossible not to get it on adjacent bits of bodywork and glass (not to mention what the side windows picked up along their top edges when I shut the doors). So far I have not been able to remove these smears and wonder if anyone has any ideas?
It seems to me that where grease has it over the liquid form is on those seals where you have to apply it upwards or overhand - like the one under the back window panel or the one above the side windows. How do you 105ers manage? At the very least I could squeeze some on to a finger tip which would seem promlematic with the liquid?
Apropos of leaks, I was 'intrigued' to find when I got back from vacation - after the car had been picked up in dry weather and left under shelter (ie had only been subjected to minimujm splashes, not actual rain) - that the underside of the hardboard panel that supports the carpet at the bottom of the trunk was covered in mould and the top of the spare tyre was wet with condensation. I say condensation because there was absolutely no sign of any dampness under the tyre and the carpet itself was also dry. Has anyone else had this happen? The garage tut-tutted, cleaned and dried it off, hinted that 'maybe in the initial washing process....' and told me to keep an eye on it. Which I have and the mould is beginning to appear again. Strange because, as I say, everywhere else, like the carpets, looks and feels completely dry. I suppose it might be the water that gets in when you open the trunk lid when it's raining? And don't you just love that ratty piece of hardboard among all that leather on a $44,000 car !
Max

Modified by maxdot at 10:36 PM 3-4-2007


Modified by maxdot at 10:40 PM 3-4-2007
 
#104 ·
Re: (maxdot)

Quote, originally posted by maxdot »
...I had already equipped myself with the Krytox 205 grease (prior to this particular thread) ... I found it impossible not to get it on adjacent bits of bodywork and glass ...So far I have not been able to remove these smears and wonder if anyone has any ideas?

Hi Max:
I'm really sorry to hear of your difficulties, especially your difficulties with the grease residue.
By definition, any product sold in a 'grease' format is designed to cling to a surface. The liquid special lubricant that VW specifies in the Owner Manual (VW part number G 052 172 A1) is quite fluid, and when the staff at my dealership were lubricating the very first Eos as illustrated in the photos at the top of page 1 of this discussion, a fair amount of the lubricant wound up on the paint and the glass. It was very easy to remove this excess liquid lubricant using a soft cloth that had been dampened with a bit of household window cleaner - the liquid did not leave any unwanted residue at all.
In the past, I have used a 3M chemical called "3M General Purpose Adhesive and Wax Remover" to get rid of unwanted grease, gummy spots, stuff like that on painted surfaces of my Volkswagen. This product is normally not sold at retail, but my guess is that if you visit any well stocked auto body shop in your community (and bring a small glass bottle with you!), you should be able to get a few ounces of it. Put it on a paper towel, then wipe the residual grease that is on the paint or glass with it.
Be aware that it is a moderately nasty chemical, and it irritates me if I get it on my skin. So wear some fairly tough rubber gloves when you work with it. The thin latex gloves that you find at service stations (near the diesel pump) are no good - you need domestic rubber gloves. Also, work outside with the stuff, it is pretty volatile. Hope this info helps.
Michael
3M General Purpose Adhesive and Wax Remover
Not necessary for removing excess G 052 172 A1 (use glass cleaner for that), but might remove excess grease-based lubricants.
 
#105 ·
Re: (flubber)

flubber said:
I have seen one thing that concerns me in the photos . That rolled seal is designed to act as a secondary seal, and also to act like a gutter, and guide water out the sides; that's good. So why is there a gap in it over the A pillar?
Joe
I took a look at my roof earlier today and that slot is where the drain seal that runs below the opening sun roof joins the A frame, thus in theory and mostly in practise preventing any water that is caught by the seals falling into the car. Certainly both seals would need to be supple to make a convincing water-tight join. I must say, after greasing all the seals and therefore being made aware of all the complexities of where water could come from I am in some admiration of the Webasto engineers
Max


Modified by maxdot at 10:45 AM 3-5-2007
 
#106 ·
Re: (PanEuropean)

Hi Michael
Thanks for the tip - and the original post which made things a whole lot easier. I'll creep round with my specimen bottle and see what I can find. In fact I've just heard from the suppliers of the grease that there is a specific Krytox solvent to deal with the problem - meths, white spirit etc, won't touch it apparently.
I went to my dealers today to pick up some rubber mats and asked about G 052 172 A1 - they didn't really know about it and definitely didn't have any.Which worries me for other local Eos owners who don't have this Forum to tell them what to look out for. I feel kinda shy about telling the service technicians their job, but I guess I'll get round to it when I know them better - not that I really want to know them too well. I don't mean to haunt their establishment. In France the official price is 41 euros (about $53).
Max
 
#108 ·
Re: (maxdot)

Quote, originally posted by maxdot »
...I've just heard from the suppliers of the grease that there is a specific Krytox solvent to deal with the problem - meths, white spirit etc, won't touch it apparently.

Max:
That is correct for Krytox greases - DuPont makes a special chemical to remove the greases. But - and I only mention this here to avoid confusion amongst other readers - the VW recommended special lubricant part number G 052 172 A1 is an oil, not a grease. No special chemical is needed to get the oil off of non-porous surfaces such as painted surfaces or glass - a paper towel dampened with glass cleaner does the job perfectly.
This is one of the reasons I have been recommending that we all take the cautious route and use only the VW specified lubricant (G 052 172 A1) until we can determine with exact certainty what the DuPont specification is for that VW lubricant.
By the way, I have since learned from VW (from a 'forum friend') that VW part number G 052 172 A2, the aerosol spray version of A1, contains the exact same specification and viscosity of lubricant as A1 contains, the only difference being that A2 comes packaged as a small aerosol can and it also has propellant in it to push the lubricant out of the spray can. Therefore, I think we can consider it to be acceptable to use either A1 or A2 for roof seal lubrication.
I have actually seen VW German technical bulletins where they specify A2 for Eos roof seal lubrication, rather than A1. I think this is probably because A2 is faster to apply (thus there is a labour saving when VW is paying for the work to be done under warranty, or on the production line), although on a per-ounce of pure lubricant basis - meaning, after deducting the weight of the propellant in the aerosol can - A1 is probably the least expensive way to buy the special lubricant.
Michael
 
#109 ·
Re: (PanEuropean)

Hi Michael,
I have an EOS on order and asked the dealer parts guys about the lubricant. They knew all about it (which is positive) and say they always keep some in stock, but the one they have is the spray marked as G 052 172 A2 in a 100ml can. I'm guessing this is the oil but in a spray form, but wasn't sure if one tin was expected to last 2 complete sessions or if the spray meant you pretty much used it all up in one go and if it would be better to get them to get a 30ml bottle in for me. Just wondered if you had any experience of this version.
Thanks,
Andy
 
#110 ·
I'm about to re-post this in the thread because it was suggested that it should be added here too. Sorry for those who have already read it.
-------
My two cents:
The service department at my local dealership really like to talk about cars. Any cars. Actually, I've found them very knowledgeable about the VWs and wasn't surprised to find out that they knew alot about the EOS.
I was told that, need it or not, all EOS cars will be lubricated upon entering the service center as part of the regular maintenance schedule. You pay for an oil change, so they are going to do the oil on the seals too.
My service adviser was shocked to see me purchasing a bottle of the lubricant. He asked why I was spending the $80 when the shop will do it for me. He commented that the bottle would last me forever, as it was meant to be a shop stocked part for service department use.
Upon further talk, they were trained to use only a tiny tiny amount on the seals. Instead of a long line of lubricant all along the seal, they put only a small dot every few inches. Apparently, this is to ensure that there is not an "excess" of oil that might run onto paint or windows in a heavy rain.
The service guy's words, "better to do small amounts on a regular basis than too much once ni a while."
So, I guess it is a good thing to add to the lubricating your seals. Only use that much if the seals are really dry with lots of white showing. but a little less if they are mostly lubricated and just going after keeping them soft. Perhaps the oil will last longer after all.
Overall, however, I wanted to say that I was impressed with the people I've talked to in the dealership. I'm trying to generate the same rapport with them that Michael has with his; this is going to take time and a fair amount of friendly chatter (not to mention the $$$ I'll spend with them)
Cowell Motors is the name of the dealership, for those in the Richmond/Vancouver area. They are straight up and I'm happy with their service.
-----
Also, as for the spray, oil, or grease... I have the grease and never applied it to the seals. I suggest using the oil (and only the oil) because it is easy to control. I'd be scared that a spray would end up all over the car. That's my opinion, and I've only oiled the seals once, so i'm really not an authority on this.
(side note: When I bought the grease, I saw how thick it was and was worried that it would behave badly with cloths or internal carpets. That's why I opted to buy the oil too)
 
#111 ·
Re: (EOSmage)

The Volkswagen aerosol spray (A2 part number) is 100ML volume for ALL the contents, but according to the MSDS sheets, its only 5-7% Krytox by weight. Krytox is rather dense, so by volume, you end up with less than 5-7 ML in the spray can. So you actually get less than 1/5th of the Krytox with the A2 part number compared with the A1 oil. Just buy the oil (A1 part number) like the owners manual says.
Here's the MSDS for the aerosol spray. Mostly propellants, very little Krytox. I think its safe to call the spray a bad value unless its $15 a can or less.





Modified by WolfsburgerMitFries at 10:37 AM 3-7-2007
 
#112 ·
Re: (WolfsburgerMitFries)

Quote, originally posted by WolfsburgerMitFries »
I think its safe to call the spray a bad value unless its $15 a can or less.

I agree with you, for us, the more enthusiastic than average "I'd rather do it myself with a cup of coffee on a Saturday morning", the special lubricant in the spray can (suffix A2) is not the best value for money - the same special lubricant in the one ounce bottle (suffix A1) is by far the best value for money.
However... if I was having my Eos roof lubricated by my Swiss VW dealer, where the shop labour rate is $150 per hour, I would hope and pray that they would use the spray can and get the job done in 3 minutes, rather than in 20 or 25 minutes as with the liquid.

I'm pretty sure that VW released the spray can version for precisely that situation - where the cost of labour to apply the lubricant would be higher than the cost of the lubricant itself. Although I have not seen the spray can in person, my guess is that one spray can is probably good for one complete Eos application (then the can is empty), whereas we all know now that a one ounce bottle of the liquid is good for two complete Eos applications - in other words, two nice enjoyable Saturday morning "pamper your car" activities in the driveway, with a coffee, the neighbors smiling, the birds chirping, the sun shining on the white picket fences, the flag rustling in the breeze, blah blah blah...

Michael
 
#113 ·
Re: (PanEuropean)

Before I start this post I want to state emphatically that I am not promoting the use of GPL 205 grease on the Eos roof seals. However, since there has been considerable past discussion regarding the product, I provide the following for information purposes.
1. I have received MSDS sheets on both GPL 105 and GPL 205. I haven't figured out how to attach a .pdf to the post, so if someone can enlighten me, I'll add them for all to see. (Note: these are for the Dupont Krytox product, not the VW product)
2. Someone once asked how much actual Krytox is in the GPL 205 grease. According to the MSDS there is between 73% and 82% Krytox in the various grease products. The remainder is PTFE (teflon) powder used as a thickner. So at minimum you are getting 73% Krytox.
3. There has been discussion lately about the grease product smearing and/or the liquid product dripping onto various parts of the car. I have used both products, the grease on the weatherstripping on my van, and the oil on all the seals on the Eos. In both cases I have had little or no problems with smearing, dripping, or unwanted transfer of any kind off the seals. (off my hands yes, off the seals no)I believe, if either product is used sparingly, and worked well into the seals, there should be little, or no, unwanted transfer.
4. If you have used Krytox grease on your roof seals is there any reason to be concerned of damage to the seals? In my opinion, and this is strictly an opinion, I would say no. I asked the same question way back in the original Krytox thread and received a response from a chemical engineer who confirmed that both Krytox and Teflon were inert products that should not harm the seals in any way.
5. The MSDS sheet does recommend wearing protective clothing, including impervious gloves when working with the product. Dupont is a very safety concious company, and this may be a bit of "over caution" on their behalf since the MSDS does not identify any hazardous properties, unless the product is heated beyond 600 dgrees F.
Kevin



Modified by just4fun at 12:37 AM 3-9-2007
 
#114 ·
Re: (just4fun)

Since you asked, I'll also offer an opinion.
I think the GPL-205 grease would work just fine and be perfectly safe for the Eos. I used GPL-205 in the door weatherstrip of my spare minivan which sits outside, and we just came off a 3 week period where it never got above freezing. The doors opened and closed like it was summer, no hardness, sticking or resistance at all in the weatherstrip like there normally is in winter. I was entirely satisfied with the performance of GPl-205, and I applied it 5 months ago. the long term issue with the Eos is to avoid using products which degrade/soften the seals or disturb the coating, which is why it is necessary to avoid any silicone or petroleum based products. The GPL-200 series greases are just as inert and non-reactive as the 100 series oils. The only factor I would see in your case Kevin, is that in the cold northern climate of Canada, I would think thinner variants are more appropriate for you, strictly from an application standpoint. Will you have to apply the product in the cold, like an unheated garage?
I'll also throw this in concerning auto industry standard variants of the liquid, which would be GPL-105, 104 and 103. I think different viscosities of Krytox are suited to different climates, much like motor oil. If I lived in Texas or Arizona and was buying liquid, I'd use GPL-105. If I lived in Minnesota or Canada, I'd use GPL-103 oil. I actually bought a ½ KG of GPL-104 to experiment with in my temperate zone, it should absorb into weatherstrip more quickly, spread more easily and thin out slightly better than the GPL-105, reducing the potential for accidental overapplication and running off onto the paint . It should also have a slightly lower coefficient of friction, particularly over time.
I think the key difference in experimenting with different viscosities of Krytox will result in service life (reapplication interval) differences, and ease of application. Its not a make or break difference, like the use of silicone or petroleum products would be.



Modified by WolfsburgerMitFries at 11:01 AM 3-9-2007
 
#115 ·
Re: (WolfsburgerMitFries)

Hi Wolfsburger,
I pretty much concur with everything you say above, definitely share the same observation on our van.
Just for discussion when I applied the GPL 205 to our van, and the GPL 105 to the Eos, the temperature both days was hovering right around freezing. I had no difficulty applying either product.
Granted, the lubricants will likely spread and absorb a little easier in warmer weather, they certainly were not diffucult to apply in cooler temps.
For the time being I think it has been agreed (in general) to publicly recommend using the VW liquid lubricant, if for no other reason to ensure VW cannot claim someone used an "unapproved" lubricant on their seals.
Personally I think you are right on the mark with your temperature vs viscosity logic. As time and experimentation carry forward, we may very well determine that the grease is advantageous in hotter climates, and the liquid better suited to moderate and colder climates.
Kevin
 
#116 ·
Re: (just4fun)

I would like to add to Michaels recommendation of oil or spray over grease. I applied GPL 205 a couple of weeks ago and I am still trying to remove excess. Everytime it rains I find grease smeared down the front side windows (directly in line with the forward sunroof front seal). I am pretty upset about the mess the grease has done to my car even though I now get a quiet ride. I have hardly used much from the 8oz tube, but I think I will throw it at the back of the garage and buy the liquid form instead.
Simon
 
#118 ·
Re: (hulahoops)

Quote, originally posted by hulahoops »
I would like to add to Michaels recommendation of oil or spray over grease. I applied GPL 205 a couple of weeks ago and I am still trying to remove excess. Everytime it rains I find grease smeared down the front side windows (directly in line with the forward sunroof front seal). I am pretty upset about the mess the grease has done to my car even though I now get a quiet ride. I have hardly used much from the 8oz tube, but I think I will throw it at the back of the garage and buy the liquid form instead.
Simon

Hi Simon,
Not disputing your experience, but just for conversation sake, it seems out of character for the grease to run down the window when it rains. Considering the product isn't water soluble, and how difficult it is to wash off with just soap and water, one wouldn't expect it to wash easily off the seals.
Kinda has me wondering why it would do that?

Kevin



Modified by just4fun at 5:27 PM 3-9-2007
 
#119 ·
Re: (just4fun)

Quote, originally posted by just4fun »

Hi Simon,
Not disputing your experience, but just for conversation sake, it seems out of character for the grease to run down the window when it rains. Considering the product isn't water soluble, and how difficult it is to wash off with just soap and water, one wouldn't expect it to wash easily off the seals.
Kinda has me wondering why it would do that?

Kevin

Modified by just4fun at 5:27 PM 3-9-2007

Why? maybe because there is too much and it is just being "knocked loose" and spreading?
I have received my Krytox and applied, although I got the liquid in various containers.
I applied the VW Krytox about the same as Michael & crew, and used about the same amount of liquid from the bottle. The next day I did have a run down a rear seat window, and a drip on each side onto the flip up panels for the top, right under where a seal ends. Obviously, I applied it a bit heavy in places. It's all good though, blotted it off a little, a little paper lint got on seals though (use shop towels w/o much lint, not gas station cheap paper).
I also had to fret over some oily smears on the black paint in places. It comes off, but takes a little effort to *really* get it gone, even with window cleaner. Key for me = clean paper towels; repeat
It hasn't rained (rode with the top down today
), but it could use a wash to remove the dust anyway.
William
 
#120 ·
Re: (kghia)

In a way, I think it might be a good sign if you encounter some "running" from excess special lubricant (the G 052 172 A1 oil) in the days immediately following application. Here's my rationale, which is just conjecture and is certainly subject to anyone arguing to the contrary:
1) The special lubricant accomplishes several unrelated objectives - one being to lubricate the seals where they touch the windows and where they touch each other, to ensure everything is water-tight, and another being to lubricate the seals where they touch the metal parts of the roof assembly, to ensure that the seals can freely move around to best conform to the windows and roof assembly.
2) If the person applying the lubricant is very cautious to not get any on the metal parts of the car, it is likely that the seals will not be sufficiently lubricated where they disappear up against the metal.
3) If you do see some lubricant leaking down the glass or leaking elsewhere in the days following application, this confirms that you certainly did get enough of it stuffed up into the non-visible areas of the seals.
I have now lubricated 3 different Eos myself, and every time I have done this, the car has looked like an absolute oily mess when I was finished. But... it is really easy to get the excess oil off (after the 1 hour soaking in period) by just washing the car normally with conventional car wash soap. It is probable that some oil will continue to drip down during the next few days (Jerod, if you are reading this, let me know what your experience is), but again, that oil is easily removed with normal car washing procedures.
An argument in favour of using an oil based lubricant such as G 052 172 A1 or G 052 172 A2 rather than the same lubricant in grease based format (e.g. G 052 172 A3) is that oil based lubricants are not designed to tenaciously adhere to non-porous surfaces. Grease based lubricants are specifically designed to adhere to non-porous surfaces. If you put a little bit of oil on a pane of glass, and then put a bit of grease beside it, you can wipe the oil off with a paper towel. You can't get the grease off without using a solvent. This statement is true even if the lubricant carried in the grease is exactly the same substance as the liquid (oil) lubricant.
Michael
 
#122 ·
Re: (vweosdriver)

Quote, originally posted by vweosdriver »
Can anyone comment on getting the Krytox off the leather seats and what they used? I don't have this problem but, want to be prepared. TIA bob

If you've never used Krytox and you're reading these threads, you might get the false impression that Krytox sticks problematically like road tar or indelible ink. That is not the case, Krytox is super pure, clean, clear and it wipes off with a cotton cloth like a used T-shirt. You might have to rub 2-3 times, but it will come off. Because of its nonreactive nature it tends to want to sit on surfaces, rather than absorb or permeate into surfaces like what you're used to in petroleum lubricants that have a solvent characteristic. That's also why I feel thinner variants like GPL-104 or 103 are worth exploring.
Here's 3-in-1 (light machine oil) on the left, and Krytox GPL-105 on the right. Its easy to see the purity difference. Krytox is as clear as water (its the ultimate synthetic lubricant, completely man made). Its unlike any petroleum based oil or grease you've ever dealt with. You won't fully understand it until you work with it.





Modified by WolfsburgerMitFries at 2:35 PM 3-10-2007
 
#123 ·
Re: (vweosdriver)

Quote, originally posted by vweosdriver »
Can anyone comment on getting the Krytox off the leather seats and what they used? I don't have this problem but, want to be prepared. TIA bob

Here is a couple suggestions, but they are just guesses, because I haven't dealt with the problem either.
As discussed several times on this thread, Krytox is inert, so it shouldn't cause any harm or damage to the leather. However, because leather is naturally porous, the Krytox could soak in and leave a discolored spot if left long enough. Once it soaks in, I'm not sure if you would be able to remove it.
I think one possible way to help prevent the problem will be to stay on top of your leather maintenance with a good quality leather conditioner. Conditioners help leathers retain their natural oils, and often also contain additives that help seal the surface to prevent dirt and spills from absorbing or getting ground into the pores.
If the leather is protected, and you wipe up any drips immediately, this should be helpful.
A drop sheet over the seats will obliviously help while doing the actual application. I can see where there would be a problem if a drip comes off a seal a few hours or days after the initial application and it is not noticed right away.
Kevin
 
#124 ·
Re: (PanEuropean)

Just thought I'd post something I just observed with regard to the roof seals on our Eos.
I lubricated the seals Feb 17, 2007, so about 3 weeks ago. The car hasn't been driven much since then, it has been garaged, and has been hand washed twice.
I was preparing to wash it and condition the leather seats this afternoon and was having a good look at the seals. There are several places along the seals (the majority of the area in fact) where the seals "look" and "feel" dry. The seals are still supple, but they have the "cat tongue" feel to them again.
I mention this because I'm certain the seals do not require another application of lubricant already, but it may be a bit more difficult than I first thought to tell for sure when they do require another application.
I had been thinking that as long as the seals had a "wet" look and a "slick" feel to them it would be oblivious that lubrication was not yet required. It appears this may not be the case.
Not sure if I'll do a quick re-apply this afternoon or not, I'll see how they look after the wash and dry.
Kevin




Modified by just4fun at 1:02 PM 3-10-2007
 
#125 ·
Re: (vweosdriver)

Quote, originally posted by vweosdriver »
Can anyone comment on getting the Krytox off the leather seats and what they used?

Just wipe it off with a damp towel. This has been my experience... it comes off without any difficulty and without leaving any residue.
Michael
 
#126 ·
Re: (just4fun)

Quote, originally posted by just4fun »
The seals are still supple, but they have the "cat tongue" feel to them again.

I think you identified the key criteria, which is that the seals are soft, supple, yielding, and will conform around the top of the windows when the windows are lifted up.
When seals are dry, they are firm and resist deformation. I don't think visual appearance (shiny, etc.) is significant.
Michael
 
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