With the wave of vehicle electrification, moving functional parts in automotive interiors continue to multiply. Components such as sunroofs, seats, air vents, steering wheels, seat belt pretensioners, and clock springs place ever higher demands on grease performance in noise reduction, plastic compatibility, and low volatility. Improper lubrication matching can easily cause quality problems such as noisy rails, unbalanced damping, plastic whitening and swelling, and low-temperature sticking — increasing after-sales costs for component manufacturers and OEMs.

FUCHS is a leading independent lubrication solutions provider. Its Yingkou high-performance grease plant is equipped with the Siemens MES system, full-process SCADA monitoring, and a complete set of quality testing benches. All FUCHS automotive interior lubrication products have passed bench durability tests and full-vehicle road tests, and are supplied to mainstream automakers and component suppliers.

I. General Operating Conditions of Automotive Interior Components and Core Selection Criteria

Friction points in automotive interiors are generally characterized by low-speed reciprocating motion and metal-plastic composite friction, enduring long-term exposure to high and low temperatures, moisture, and dust. Selection must control four core indicators:

• Noise Reduction: eliminates stick-slip noise from metal-plastic friction; light-damping or medium-damping formulations matched to the needs of each application point

• Long-Lasting Adhesion: high adhesion that resists fling-off under vibration and shock, enabling maintenance-free operation over the component's entire life cycle

• Plastic Compatibility: does not corrode common interior plastics and rubbers such as PP (polypropylene), ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene), TPE (thermoplastic elastomer), and EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber), avoiding cracking, whitening, and swelling

• Wide-Temperature Stability: must remain free of solidification and sticking in cold northern winters, and free of significant bleeding and evaporation under scorching summer sun

II. FUCHS Automotive Interior Lubrication Product Recommendations by Component

1. Sunroof Systems

Application Points: gear reducer worm wheels, slide rails & mechanical assemblies, cable harnesses, sunshade rails and springs

Operating Characteristics: high contact pressure on friction surfaces, large temperature fluctuations from long-term sun exposure, continuous driving vibration, and susceptibility to water ingress and dust accumulation

Lubrication Requirements: wide-temperature stability, water and dust resistance, noise reduction without stick-slip, plastic compatibility, long-lasting adhesion without loss

Recommended Products:

• RENOLIT GL 1: general-purpose base model, stable operation from -30 ℃ to 140 ℃, suited to conventional sunroof rails and sunshade springs, eliminating opening and closing noise

• RENOLIT RHF 1: low-temperature optimized model, stable operation from -50 ℃ to 140 ℃, reduces low-temperature starting torque, suited to the fine sunshade rails of vehicles in cold northern regions, preventing winter sticking

• CARBAFLO 2160: premium perfluoropolyether grease, temperature resistant from -60 ℃ to 260 ℃, highly chemically inert, low volatility, and odor-free, suited to premium new energy vehicles

• RENOLIT CX-LSG 1: general-purpose multi-functional grease, balancing damping and wear resistance

• RENOLIT SYN SR 2: fully synthetic PAO (polyalphaolefin) lithium-based grease, applicable temperature range -40 ℃ to 121 ℃, with added PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) solid lubricant — eliminates stick-slip noise, excellent shear stability, low oil separation, low evaporation loss, and outstanding compatibility with plastics and elastomers

3. Steering Wheel Adjustment Mechanisms

Application Points: steering column tilt/telescopic adjustment rails, locking springs

Operating Characteristics: friction pairs mostly consist of plastic-coated metal; low-speed intermittent sliding with frequent position adjustments, and occupants perceive any abnormal noise at close range

Lubrication Requirements: low noise, soft damping, compatibility with plastics and rubbers, and resistance to fling-off under vibration

Recommended Products:

• RENOLIT CX-LSG 1: the main general-purpose model, balanced damping feel, excellent noise reduction

• RENOLIT LX-ERP 2: good extreme-pressure performance, corrosion resistance, and pumpability, with high stability for long-term lubrication

• RENOLIT ST-XLF 1: low starting resistance at low temperatures, no low-temperature hardening — narrow-gap micro friction pairs resist sticking

4. Air Conditioning and Ventilation Vanes

Application Points: dashboard air vent flaps, damping shafts

Operating Characteristics: low-load, low-speed rotation inside the enclosed dashboard, where grease volatiles can easily contaminate plastic trim

Lubrication Requirements: minimal-quantity lubrication, low volatility, low friction, fine and uniform damping, no oil bleed staining

Recommended Products:

• The low-friction formulation of RENOLIT G 2000 eliminates flap sticking and looseness; its fully synthetic base oil has low evaporation loss, so a thin coat provides long-term stable use without contaminating dashboard plastics

5. Seat Belt Pretensioners

Application Points: pretensioner drive springs, micro drive gears

Operating Characteristics: static at low speed in daily use, but subjected to high-intensity impact loads at the moment of triggering, within a compact component interior

Lubrication Requirements: minimal long-lasting lubrication, an oil film that does not rupture under impact, and no dust precipitation contaminating internal components

Recommended Products:

• RENOCAL FN 745/94: long-lasting minimal-quantity grease whose oil film remains intact under instantaneous impact

• RENOLIT GLISSANDO VW 745: meets OEM supply standards, good low-temperature performance, low friction, water and dust resistant