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  View original topic: Door hinge lubrication
HandOverFist Thu Nov 27, 2025 8:57 pm

What would be the most effective way and substance to lubricate door hinges?

pastellgreen Fri Nov 28, 2025 1:08 am

at least for sedans:
oil, applied to a cleaned oil "slot", as described in manual.

Only oil has the possibility to crawl into the hinge. Don't use stuff with low viscosity unless you have installed f.e grease nipples, where it could be forced into the hinge.

This is, what VW designed and yes, it is not ideal as the hinges always don't have a nice and clean appearence on their backside, where rusty oil will leak out and cries to be taken by a cleaning cloth.

Cusser Fri Nov 28, 2025 10:52 am

HandOverFist wrote: What would be the most effective way and substance to lubricate door hinges?
You didn't state if there is an issue, or you just want to do preventative maintenance.

In 1972, I bought my 1970 sedan. The wife of the owner had never ridden in the Beetle, so the passenger door hadn't been opened in all that time. Due to the high $1100 price for this (with dealer-installed AC), I thought I'd checked out EVERYTHING. But when I took it for a test drive, I only spoke to the wife through the rolled-down window. Anyway, it turned out that the passenger door creaked way more than Herman Munster's front door. It took me a couple of months of oiling the hinges (SAE 30) and opening/closing the door a zillion times to get it quiet and normal.

P.S. I also didn't notice when I tested the radio, that only the five pushbuttons worked, the tuner knob didn't change anything. Later I found that the internal"string" was broken and remember getting a replacement "string" and fixing it. Unfortunately I removed that radio a few years later and installed an in-dash cassette stereo, and sold the Sapphire radio.

zerotofifty Fri Nov 28, 2025 5:04 pm

Motor oil is what I have been using for the last half century on the Bug hinges
A bit on the latch mechanism too, ( owners book specifies how to do this ) then dry graphite in the keep hole. Also graphite in ignition switch key hole.
Oil on the hood hinges, front and rear and on the hoods latch too
A drop on the wiper arm shaft too. Lube these and they will last nearly forever
Do this at each engine oil change as part of regular maintenance

Oh, the accelerator pedal moving bits too, and the carb linkage bits also
If it moves, oil it.



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