Buzz, Squeak and Rattle

With plastics being increasingly used to reduce weight, material compatibility must be considered. Some lubricants can “attack” certain plastics and elastomers. The base oil can infiltrate the solid material or cause the solid’s components to leach into the lubricant. To avoid plastic 'itch', PFPE-based lubricants are often recommended as they are chemically inert and compatible with most plastics used in vehicle interior components. Validation testing is recommended to ensure material compatibility with your application. Nye offers compatibility testing and other testing services to ensure you select the best lubricant for your application.

A grease should be carefully selected to ensure that its color does not stain the surrounding fabrics in the vehicle interior or passenger clothing. Nye offers a variety of white and opaque greases for interior applications.

Lubricants for vehicle interiors provide sufficient lubrication at high and low temperatures. A hand-operated component, such as a shifter or sun visor, must provide the same actuation force regardless of temperature to give the user the same quality feel. The proper lubricant must be chemically stable at your high-temperature limit and have sufficient film strength to adequately prevent wear. At the lowest expected temperature, your lubricant must remain sufficiently fluid and exhibit excellent low temperature torque.