air leak at top front corner of driver's door

[browning l]

Any suggestions as to the best solution to close this?...the seals are good, but there's a definite air leak...

[lansdownplace]

I had this on my car. You roll the window down and bend the window
frame in. Job done.

Paul

[David Olivant]

Rather than bend the windo frame, you can remove the door trim and adjust tthe frame by loosening the bolts inside. If you bend the frame, the window may become stiff in the guides. I know that Bristol do a kit to eradicate wind noise, but they only fit it in London. If you look at a company like Baines who make rubber seals.
Also check that your hinges are correctly aligned, a fiddly job but worth it.
Regards,
David

[browning l]

I won't say the window absolutely is not involved, but I don't believe it is.

The air comes in below the window. I think it is a sealing problem.

See image:

Dark brown area = right end of facia.
Light tan = forward edge of door below window.

[t_bollox]

What does the BCL kit to erradicate wind noise consist of?

[David Olivant]

To my knowledge it is shaped rubber extrusion afixed the the door
aperture.Apparently the secret is in the fitting.
I have looked through Baines pdf file and note various sections which may
work, However I cannot find out the profile of the rubber used by Bristol
cars. Perhaps the service centre would tell you as you are further away and
the you could tell the rest of us?
Regards David

[browning l]

Mike, at Bristol Patchway, has advised me he has sent me a piece of sealing strip to use to alleviate the air leak...that will, hopefully, resolve the situation.

[David Olivant]

Could you post the profile when you receive it?
regards,
David

[browning l]

I can certainly try, David. A poor sketch, and a medicocre photo may be the best I can do.

[Kevin H]

Originally Posted by David Olivant

Could you post the profile when you receive it?
regards,
David

What does it cost to buy the parts from Bristol?

Given that it isn't very practical for you to take your car to Bristol, I'm sure they would sell you the parts and give you some advice on fitting.

It could save a lot of hassle and potentially buying another product that doesn't deliver the desired results.

Kevin

[Andy Bernard]

Don't know if it's the same, but I had serious wind noise from the 411 when
I got it in 02. Bought the kit from Bristol - essentially new rubbers, and
they were a pig to fit and didn't make a great deal of difference.

Realising that this was caused by wind coming through, and this is solved
domestically by draught excluding strips, I found some old P cross section
adhesive strip in the garage. I put this round the windows to make a seal
with the door frame when closed and the improvement in noise was very
marked. That must have been about 5 years ago and is still OK. It's about
10mm wide by 6-7mm high at the curve of the P, don't know who made it as I
no longer have the box.

Cheers

Andy

[David Olivant]

When this was raised before, some-one who had the work done stated that
due to the precise nature of the work, Bristol services only did the
installation themselves. I do use Bristol as a first port of call, it is
only if they cannot supply that I look elsewhere.
David

[Sam410]

Bristol Cars' kit is not just new rubber - there is also a slim fillet of metal attached to the door aperture to which the new seals are fitted. It does look fiddly to fit, but certainly not impossible. They took about four hours to do my car, with one guy on each side at the same time I was told.

[Kevin H]

Any chance we can see a photo?

[browning l]

The trim from Bristol Patchway arrived today.

It is black and spongy, and rectangular in cross-section, approximately 24mm on the adhesive and opposite sides, and 10 mm in thickness.

[David Olivant]

The article looks to be identical to item no:-
SAB/N on page 99 of Baines catalogue www.coh-baines.co.uk
I do not know the cost.
Regards
David

[Rubbond]

Hello,
I don't know if I can be of help here or not, but I do have experience in
the automotive rubber business since 1983 and have some knowledge relating
to door and window seal profiles, etc..
There are litterally thousands of different profiles, from cloth covered in
the 1950's, to moulded sponge rubber profiles as used on the best cars like
Mercedes in the 60's, to the clip-on type extruded bulb door seals which
would later be able to fit the more consistant apertures of mass produced
cars in the 1980's and later.
Being hand built, Bristol cars would probably have had to buy off the shelf
profiles I would imagine, and these may no longer be available.
Check however also that the door hinges have not dropped - this no doubt
would result in very poor sealing and a lot of wind noise!
With best regards,
Andrew.