Many people are ebullient the second they drive their truck off the lot, and that excitement can last for years. However, as their pickup degrades over time, that cheer can slowly devolve into frustration. Whenever this happens, it’s time to get to work bringing the truck back to life. Continue reading to learn some signs it’s time to replace your pickup’s weatherstripping.

What Is Weatherstripping?

To best understand the signs that your weatherstripping needs replacing, you should know what weatherstripping is in the first place. Weatherstripping is a rubber material that can form a seal when you close something. You’ll often see it on refrigerators, freezers, and some windows and doors. This rubber material helps create a seal that keeps the hot or cold out, as well as other things like water.

Without weatherstripping, doors, windows, and frames could also scrape and damage each other. And if the doors and windows are smaller to avoid this, you may have a lot of light and air coming in through the edges, which you want to avoid. This weatherstripping is important in homes and with appliances like refrigerators, but it’s also a critical part of many vehicles. You can often find this rubber around various areas on your vehicle, including:

• Doors
• Windows
• Windshields
• Roof rails
• Trunk lid

These seals are critical for keeping out debris, but as mentioned already, they’ll also help keep light, noise, and air out. They’re vital parts of any vehicle, which is why you must replace them when they become damaged.

How Does It Get Damaged?

Manufacturers normally attach weatherstripping to the vehicle with adhesive glue. This glue is incredibly effective, and the weatherstripping can stay functional for many years, but all this wear and tear can damage the rubber and the adhesive. Constantly opening and shutting doors isn’t great for their weatherstripping, even if its job is to hold up to this constant use. After many years, the adhesive wears down, and the rubber itself can start to rip, leaving you with weatherstripping that’s not doing its intended job.

Extreme Weather

In addition to regular use, some extreme weather can also do a number on the weatherstripping. Most of the rubber in weatherstripping is black to hide some of the dirt and grime it can collect, but this coloration also attracts the sun. Excess heat can warp the rubber and prematurely age the adhesive that keeps it in place.

Extremely cold weather can also damage the weatherstripping. The cold weather can cause water to freeze around the rubber, preventing you from getting into your car without applying extra force. However, in moments like this, it’s better to let the ice melt, break it apart, or even get out a hairdryer and melt it yourself. If you try to pull hard and break the ice too forcefully, you can potentially break the weatherstripping and tear it off the car door. If it feels like you won’t be able to open the door without some extra force, that’s a good sign to leave it alone for now.

Loud Noises From the Road

So what are some of the biggest signs you need to replace your pickup’s weatherstripping? One of the first things you may notice that connects to your weatherstripping is noise from the road. Weatherstripping keeps many different things from coming into your car, and one of those things is noise.

Hundreds of giant metal machines zooming by, all playing their own music and podcasts, can get quite loud. It’s easy to forget how noisy they can be, but if your weatherstripping starts to fall apart, you’ll quickly remember it. You may want to start inspecting your weatherstripping when the traffic noises suddenly become much louder.

Water Leaking

Leaks are another sign that you may need to replace your weatherstripping. You can drive your pickup through all sorts of weather, including torrential downpours, without so much as a single drop of rain coming into your vehicle. That’s thanks to the weatherstripping, but any damage to this rubber can lead to leaks. A small bit of water won’t hurt anyone, but if you don’t replace your weatherstripping soon, that water can pool in the cabin, and you may end up with mold. Leaks inside your car can signal that you need to replace your weatherstripping sooner rather than later.

Cracks in the Rubber

You may also start noticing cracks or holes in your weatherstripping rubber as it ages. Clean and strong weatherstripping should be smooth without visual imperfections—that’s what rubber should look like. Any cracks or holes are good indications that if you aren’t having any leaking or noise issues, you will soon. A good rule of thumb is to regularly inspect your car for these imperfections and take photos. Doing so will give you something to compare to in later inspections. By doing this, you can better recognize if the problem is worsening or staying the same.

Temperature Retention

Another important sign you need to replace your weatherstripping is poor temperature retention in your pickup. It will likely be one of the first signs you notice, but you may not initially connect it to the weatherstripping. If you have poor weatherstripping, it will be much more difficult for the hot or cold air to stay in your pickup. It will quickly leave your car while the hot or cold air from outside makes its way back in. A loss of temperature retention doesn’t take much either—all that’s necessary for it to occur is a small hole or crack in the rubber.

How To Replace Weatherstripping

After learning about the different signs you may need to replace your weatherstripping, you’ll want to switch it out. Mechanics and dealerships can replace the weatherstripping, but it’s something you can do as well!

You’ll first need to invest in the right weatherstripping for the make and model of your pickup. Clean the metal surface of the door with some brake cleaner, then squeeze a bead of weatherstrip adhesive onto both the weatherstripping and the door. Let this dry, then apply a second coat before pressing the weatherstripping into place. You can hold it in place with tape for about an hour. After that, you can simply take the tape off and wipe off any loose adhesive with the brake cleaner. You’ll then have quality weatherstripping again!

These are the most common signs that it’s time to replace your pickup’s weatherstripping, but what’s more important than spotting these signs is doing something about them. You must recognize something is wrong and then find the correct parts to fix it! Thankfully, here at NW Team Yota, we have you covered. We have all the OEM Toyota pickup parts you could ever need to get your pickup back in tip-top shape!