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      02-26-2020, 08:33 AM   #1
mobilejo
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Armrest & centre tunnel squeak fixed!

The only irritating noise my X6 made was a creak from the centre tunnel/armrest area.

With wiggling it manually, I narrowed the noise down to 2 areas:

1. The silver trim area around the armrest opening button and;
2. the silver trim areas down the sides of the centre tunnel

The solution was simply very small squirts of WD40 into the gaps between the trim and whatever is adjacent to it, I squirted where shown with each arrow, just enough to see the WD40 run outwards but not enough that it dripped down. It sort of disperses out to fill the gap.

I kept cloths to hand but barely needed to wipe anything as I used so little.





The result is I have about 95% less creaking than before. I have to really wiggle everything hard o hear anything whereas before I could hear just when driving along.
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      02-26-2020, 08:40 AM   #2
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Happy to hear the noise is taken care of (for now).

For future reference, I recommend not using wd40 on interior components. wd40 contains petroleum and a bunch of other undisclosed ingredients. One thing for sure wd40 has some cleaning agents too. This can damage your trim finish.
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      02-26-2020, 08:50 AM   #3
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WD40 is a water displacement for metal.
WD40 is really bad for leather, wood, and most plastics. It will eat it away.
The area you sprayed shouldn’t have it on. Silicon would have been better but still not what you use.
A better fix plus be to simply pop it out and use thin strips of felt. I highly recommend popping it all up and wiping away the WD40 now.

Last edited by MystroX5; 02-26-2020 at 08:56 AM..
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      02-26-2020, 09:03 AM   #4
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I second that......WD-40 works as water displacement and it's a great solvent.....not on leather though
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      02-26-2020, 10:04 AM   #5
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Interesting - thanks for the info guys. I didn't know that about WD40 I've been using WD40 my whole life on anything that squeaks, used it on a few car interior parts in the past and never had a problem. To be fair though, I only ever use small doses and I never leave it on any exposed parts, I always wipe it off so its only going to be in areas that I can't see or access so I wouldn't see the long term effects.

What spray lubricants are safe for leather & plastic? I've got some gummipfledge for door trim seals but its on a stick.
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      02-26-2020, 11:12 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mobilejo View Post
Interesting - thanks for the info guys. I didn't know that about WD40 I've been using WD40 my whole life on anything that squeaks, used it on a few car interior parts in the past and never had a problem. To be fair though, I only ever use small doses and I never leave it on any exposed parts, I always wipe it off so its only going to be in areas that I can't see or access so I wouldn't see the long term effects.

What spray lubricants are safe for leather & plastic? I've got some gummipfledge for door trim seals but its on a stick.
Silicon spray is safer. It’s used on rubber window tracks, door seals, etc...
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      02-26-2020, 11:14 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MystroX5 View Post
Silicon spray is safer. It’s used on rubber window tracks, door seals, etc...
Thanks. I think i have some in the garage somewhere. WD40 is just my go-to!
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      02-26-2020, 01:10 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mobilejo View Post
Thanks. I think i have some in the garage somewhere. WD40 is just my go-to!
I know about the WD40 mentality. Its the duct tape of spray lubes around the home. In reality, WD40 should never be anywhere near your BMW, inside or out. Anything automotive like door hinges, rubber seal, etc..are all silicone spray tasks. That is the goto spray.
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