Sometimes, you notice your car door squeaks when opening, and it tends to get worse because the creaking sounds become more frequent.
What causes this problem, and how to fix it? Keep scrolling for more details.
What Are The Causes Of Squeaky Car Doors?
Rusted Door Hinges
If a car door squeaks when opening and closing, it is mainly triggered by hinges malfunctioning.
Hinges can be corroded due to rust or physical impact for long periods, creating creaking and pesky noises when opening and closing the door.
If you let this situation persist, that creaking sound will become more annoying, and your door will be more seriously damaged.
Squeaky door hinges are also affected by environmental factors such as weather and dirt.
Besides, like brake pedal squeaking, car door squeaky sounds will appear due to the lack of lubrication and cleaning.
The screws on the car door hinges that are not tightened or loosened after a while of driving also cause the hinges to be wrongly aligned with the car’s body.
Rusted Check Links
The next reason the door is ringing when you close or open it is problems related to the door check link. It is known as a mechanism or a small rod that connects the door, the latch, and the car body.
Its main function is to hold the door in place when you open it. In other words, without these check links, car doors will automatically slam if you don’t hold them with your hands.
Moreover, rusted or non-lubricated check links can lead to car door creaks when opening.
Besides, the short circuit sometimes makes the door difficult to open and close because the latch is faulty (damaged fuse or short circuit).
You will probably need to replace the power cord or fuse with a new one.
How To Fix If The Car Door Squeaks When Opening?
Needed Items
WD-40 Spray
One of the most important items is the WD-40 spray. Many people consider this the best solvent for cleaning and removing rust from every nook and cranny.
In addition, it also helps loosen joints and rusted hinge bolts for easier cleaning and assembly.
Some people believe it has a lubricating effect, but that’s not the case.
Its main function is to remove layers of rust, so if you use it as a lubricant, you’ll find your door squeaks when opening after a short time.
Check WD-40 safety notes before using it
Lubricant Spray
The perfect choice is probably the white lithium grease. Hinges and check links are rather small parts that need lubrication to be installed smoothly.
It will be best to use a lithium grease spray since you can spray them to every corner without worrying that they will drip too much like a liquid.
It also has a long-lasting lubricating effect, helping to prevent contact and ingress of water. So, it aids in detering rust as well as creaking from the door.
Lubricant Oil Liquid
You can use engine oil to lubricate joints at hinges and check links. It is the item that most people use, as it is always available in their garage.
Although it doesn’t last as long as spray-on lubricants because it dries pretty quickly, you can use it if you don’t have the spray bottles.
Clean Cloth, Paper Towel, And Other Items
You should prepare dry paper towels to absorb excess lubricant and paper towels to wipe out the dirt stains.
During the repair and lubrication of the joints, oil stains may get on the door or car body, so a towel is necessary.
In addition, you can prepare gloves if you do not want to get your hands dirty. Oil and white grease are difficult to wash when it sticks to the skin.
You should also find screwdrivers to secure the screws and new joints when broken or completely damaged.
Squeaky Car Door With Rusted Door Hinges
How to fix squeaky car doors caused by rusted hinges? You need to clean door hinges and spray a moderate amount of WD-40 on the rusty hinges first.
You can attach a small straw to the spray head of the sprayer so that you can precisely spray every position of the car door hinge.
It’s best to spray on the rusty parts and entire hinge joints as much as possible, so the rust is completely removed.
After spraying, let it sit for 10 minutes so that the chemical from the WD-40 sprayer completely peels off the rust.
Next, use a paper towel to wipe away any spilled spray around. It will help if you coat all squeaky hinges with lubricating oil, especially at the joints, to protect them from water, dirt, and rust over time.
Next, move the door in and out for the layer of lubricant to reach every nook and cranny of the creaky hinge. You have succeeded if there is no door hinge noise when opening and closing the door.
Finally, wipe out dirt, oil, or spray stains on the door or car body. You may do it a couple of times because the sticky oil stains are quite difficult to clean.
Squeaky Car Door With Rusted Check Links
The steps to fix rusted check links are similar to rusted and noisy hinges, but you need to be careful to remove any dirt from the check links before spraying the WD-40 on the rusted area.
In addition, since the check links are prone to scratches, you need to use cotton pads or towels to wipe away the spray and rust after being treated.
If you are not confident about getting it repaired, you can go to an authorized auto repair shop or technicians who can help you with the problem.
FAQs
How To Prevent Door Squeaks When Opening?
One important thing is to limit moisture or water contact with car hinges regularly. In other words, you should keep your vehicle in the garage most of the time.
You’d better avoid leaving your doors open outside in the rain because the joints and hinges will corrode and rust over time. The creaking noises are also becoming clearer and more difficult to handle.
It will help if you regularly lubricate the hinges and check the links to make them work more smoothly. Hinge grease and other household lubricants will protect the joints from dirt and corrosion.
How To Diagnose Fail Door Hinges?
To check the condition of the car door hinge, you first need to see whether it is corroded. Once there are black or brown stains or patches, it rusts.
Next, you can close and open the door a few times to check if there are creaking sounds. If yes, the hinges are rusty or have other problems.
Conclusion
In short, when a car door squeaks when opening, it is caused by rusty or broken car door hinges and check links, which also explains why the side door doesn’t unlock with a remote.
To fix this problem, you just need to use WD-40 spray to remove the rust and then cover the lubricating oil or engine oil on the joints to make it work smoothly again.
In case the hinge or check link is cracked or broken, you should replace it with a new one.
Remember to keep your car out of the rain and oil it regularly to keep the joints working properly. We hope you found this article useful. See you in the next posts.