>Does the owners manual say anything about using silicone grease on the
>seals?
The manual will tell you to use "BMW Gummipflege" on them, and the stuff does
stop squeaking very effectively and some kinds of rattling, BUT it has been
discontinued and you can't get it any more.
Wurth makes something they claim is identical. I have not used it.
If the rattling is from the seal being crushed and not returning it its
normal size, nothing will be a permanent repair other than replacing the
seals. You can do the job yourself; it's not that hard and requires only
a razor blade the the 3M weatherstripping adhesive. I don't know what the
parts cost.
--scott

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"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
spielmanm@gmail.com - 12 Apr 2008 19:34 GMT
That's B.S. door seals are absolutely covered under warranty and there
is a service alert out for them on E39's and e46's. I had all 4 doors
on my E46 disassembled and rebuilt for rattling twice in 3 months by
the dealer and I never paid a dime.
John Carrier - 14 Apr 2008 13:06 GMT
> That's B.S. door seals are absolutely covered under warranty and there
> is a service alert out for them on E39's and e46's. I had all 4 doors
> on my E46 disassembled and rebuilt for rattling twice in 3 months by
> the dealer and I never paid a dime.
Missed the original post, but E39 vapor seals are notorious for adhesive
bead failures and subsequent leaking into the floor wells. It's an easy fix
with the proper 3M sealant (a black gooey strip designed for sealing
windows). As the car is a 2002, it's well out of warrantee (unless a CPO)
and it'll probably be the owner's nickel.
R / John