Winter can be harsh on your car. Sleet, ice, sub-zero temperatures, mud, and snow all bully your vehicle’s exterior while your boots carry snow, road salt, water, mud, and much more.
All these can stain the mats of your car. This implies why you’d excellently install Weathertech mats to boost your vehicle’s interior. Put simply, giving it a fresh appearance and feel.
Start by removing the existing floor mats and cleaning your car floor. Choose the right Weathertech mats, check for the retention devices, and then install the floor mat in your car.
Here’s a step by step guide on how to install Weathertech car mats:
Steps on How to Install Weather Mats
Requirements
- Weathertech car mats
- Car vacuum cleaner
Step 1: Remove Existing Floor Mats from your Car
Before installing car mats, you’ll need to ensure the new Weathertech mats sit straight on your car’s carpet. So take any existing floor mats out of your vehicle to get a perfect fit.
Failing to do so may lead to:
- Improper fitting of the Weathertech mats in your car.
- Wrongly fitting car mats may restrict the use of brake, accelerator, and clutch pedals. This may result in risky driving situations.
In addition, remove the yellow safety label from your floor liners before starting the installation process.
Step 2: Clean your Car’s Flooring Thoroughly
After removing the existing floor mats from your car, you’ll need to clean your vehicle flooring properly. With a car vacuum cleaner, sweep the floor to get rid of any loose debris or dirt. The vacuum cleaner will also help remove dust hiding between the car seats.
If you don’t have a vacuum cleaner, brush the dust and debris out using a dry rag. Once you finish, use a floor cleaning product to clean the vehicle’s floor. Doing so ensures that no stains, debris, or other fluids remaining on the floor damage the mats in the future.
Use paper towels or cloths to properly dry off excess moisture before installing the Weathertech mats.
Step 3: Choose the Right Weathertech Mats
Benefits Of Buying High Quality Car Mats And Things To Consider In 2022
Weathertech floor mats are available in different sizes and forms. It’s critical to choose the right mat for your vehicle depending on its:
- Model
- Year
- Make
Ensure you measure the width, depth, and length of the area you intend to install the mat. This will ensure that the mat fits the right side of the vehicle.
Step 4: Identify the Correct Side
Every Weathertech car mat comes with Right Hand Side (RHS), and Left Hand Side (LHS) molded on their undersides. These labels are often next to part number.
In most cases, the LHS of the car is the driver’s side, whereas the RHS of the car is the passenger side. Another easy way is to match the mats’ shape to the vehicle’s floor contours.
The car mats will only fit the appropriate side of the car. If you face problems fitting them correctly, double-check to ensure you install the correct car mat for your vehicle’s side.
Step 5: Check for Retention Devices
Look for any retention device inside your car. This will be relatively easier if your car has factory retention hooks installed on the floor. But if you can’t find any, install the provided hooks supplied alongside your Weathertech mats. Use the factory-supplied retention anchors or grommets to fix the hooks, if possible..
You’ll find retention hook holes and bosses at the bottom of the car mats next to your seat rails. These holes and bosses will help you fasten the mats to the floor.
Weathertech car mats can fit and work excellently with all types of retention devices, such as:
- Tech Grip II (e.g. in Chevy)
- Twist Retention Device (e.g. in Honda and Toyota)
- Retention Device with Bayonet Bottom (e.g. in BMW)
- Post Retention Device (e.g. in VW, Chevy, Audi, Ford, Porsche)
Step 6: Install Weathertech Car Mats on the Driver’s Side
Fit the car mat marked with LHS into the driver’s side of your car while ensuring you line it up with the retention grommets or hooks. You can engage the retention grommets by applying slight force at the grommets’ top surface. Do this until they snap down onto the mounting post.
If the car mats have retention hooks, ensure you entirely insert them through the holes. In addition, it should lay flat on your car’s carpet. Try to pull the mat forward to see if the retention systems are correctly engaged.
You may also secure the car mats using the supplement retention devices supplied by Weathertech. But read through the instruction manual to determine whether your floor mats require supplemental retention devices or not.
Don’t use the Weathertech mats if you can’t fasten the mat correctly to the floor. This may lead to losing control of your car while driving, resulting in serious injuries or even death.
Most importantly, ensure the brake and gas pedals come down on the mats’ upper sides. In other words, the mats should always lay underneath the pedals.
Step 7: Test the Car Control Pedals
Once you’re sure that the floor mats are securely in place, before installing the passenger side mats, quickly test the range of motion on your car’s brake, clutch, and accelerator pedals. Make sure they all move smoothly and easily through their full motion range without interference from the car mats.
Step 8: Install the Weathertech Car Mats on the Passenger Side
How To Install Weathertech Car Mats Like A Pro(2022) (In 10 Simple Steps)
Here, slide the Weathertech Car Mats underneath the brake and gas pedal but secure them with hooks on your vehicle’s floor using loops. Attaching the retention snap caps to clips or posts in your car’s carpet (if applicable) can also work.
Step 9: Install the Rear Floor Mat
Lift your car’s back seat and fold it down. After that, repeat steps 1 and 2 before installing the 2nd- floor or rear mats in your car. Slide the mats down the front row seats and fit them in.
Step 10: Regularly Check the Floor Mats Fit
You should check to see if the mats give a perfect fit frequently. Consider doing so after every service, wash, or reinstallation. Make sure you clean the Weathertech car mats often for durability.
If you take your car to a car wash or servicing, the floor mats are often taken out. However, the staff may not place them back properly or snap them correctly. Therefore, ensure you visually inspect your car every time you take your car for servicing or car wash.
How Do You Make Weathertech Car Floor Mats Look New Again?
Essential Tips on How to Install Weathertech Car Mats
- In some cases, Weathertech mats may come folded up in a box. It’s advisable to lay them on a flat surface at room temperature to get the mats back into their shape.
- Try to apply a floor mat protector coat before installing the mats to help extend their lifespan. The protector solution adds a robust, durable anti-slip finish that makes your mats resist staining. It also allows for easy mat cleaning and maintenance.
- Regular cleaning can help enhance your floor mats’ life. They are easily removable from your car and shaken more often to eliminate any loose debris and dirt building up. You can also clean Weathertech mats using water and mild detergent soap.
- Always install floor mats directly on the car’s floor and not over any other type of mat.
- Weathertech car mats are laser measured and will give a custom fit to your car’s specific make, model, and year. So don’t just install it in any other vehicle.
Checklist for Installing Weathertech Car Mats
Before Installation
- Take out existing floor mats from your car.
- Don’t pile the mats on top of each other.
- Choose the correct Weathertech mats that suit your vehicle’s make, year, and model.
- Clean the car’s floor using a vacuum cleaner followed by cleaning detergent.
During Installation
- Ensure the mats install and fit directly on the car’s floor only.
- Install the right-hand side (RHS) on the passengers’ floor area and the left-hand side (LHS) on the driver’s floor area. Do not interchange or mix the sides, as the mats won’t install correctly.
- Make sure the Weathertech mats fit properly in the contours or shape of the car floor.
- Install the mats while the right side is facing up, not upside down.
- Utilize the supplied retention hooks and devices to fit and secure the floor mats properly.
After Installation
- Always test the brake, clutch, and accelerator (gas) pedals after installation to ensure you have full movement.
- Look for any obstruction with any pedals once you install the mats.
- Apart from the regular safety checks, ensure there’s nothing that could restrict you from braking or accelerating.
- Frequently check the installed floor mats, especially after washing or servicing your vehicle.
- Never use Weathertech car mats in racing cars or stunts.
Conclusion: How to Install Weathertech Car Mats?
Weathertech floor mats are exquisite. They offer you a chance to give your car’s interiors an elegant and comfy look while protecting the flooring from stains or damage.
But if you want to get the most out of your Weathertech car mats, you must follow proper installation steps.
Ensure you remove any existing floor mats and clean the car’s floor. Then, look for correct fitting mats and install the RHS on the passenger’s floor and LHS on the driver’s floor.
Correctly and securely fasten the mats using retention devices and hooks provided. Finally, ensure the mats don’t hinder movement or ease of operating the gas, clutch, and brake pedals.