wind noise

[Cerulean]

If you hear of anything as a fix,, please let me know. I have a wind noise, it sounds, through the top of the driver’s window. Starts at 50-52 mph. Was in at a dealership three different times and they could not fix it. New door seals and then new window seals and no change. They removed the rack and no change.Finally they said it was normal, which it is not. I’m waiting on backordered window vent covers and hoping that will help. The other windows are fine. I have no idea where to go to get this window sealed up. Ty

So I was looking at that specifically (wind noise seemingly coming from the top of the driver window).

After I applied the windshield strips on either side , the “wooshing” noise coming from there drastically went down.

Then turning my attention to the noise from the top of the driver and front passenger windows, I installed the rain guards, but they didn’t reduce that particular source of window noise.

Having had another look at the door windows and compared those to other cars, I am 90% confident I found the source.

Basically the rubber strip at the top of the car door (shaped like a gutter), that acts as a seal of the top of the door to the car frame, is a rubber channel that is relatively wider than I have seen in other cars, and basically acts like a mini (but long and deep) wind channel , a bit like the channels on either side of the windshield (pre filling these with the rubber strips). In fact many other car brands/models I looked at today don't actually have that sort of gutter shaped rubber at the top of the doors.

So to be clear it’s not where the top of the window, when rolled up, is in contact with with the door frame, but where the top of the door is in contact with the car frame.

So if anyone comes across a “filler” that can be used (without obstructing the door closing and sealing action) then pls flag it here. I am still looking !

Edit: attached picture shows the rubber channel location running along the top of the door

 

[Seadogmb]

So I was looking at that specifically (wind noise seemingly coming from the top of the driver window).

After I applied the windshield strips on either side , the “wooshing” noise coming from there drastically went down.

Then turning my attention to the noise from the top of the driver and front passenger windows, I installed the rain guards, but they didn’t reduce that particular source of window noise.

Having had another look at the door windows and compared those to other cars, I am 90% confident I found the source.

Basically the rubber strip at the top of the car door (shaped like a gutter), that acts as a seal of the top of the door to the car frame, is a rubber channel that is relatively wider than I have seen in other cars, and basically acts like a mini (but long and deep) wind channel , a bit like the channels on either side of the windshield (pre filling these with the rubber strips). In fact many other car brands/models I looked at today don't actually have that sort of gutter shaped rubber at the top of the doors.

So to be clear it’s not where the top of the window, when rolled up, is in contact with with the door frame, but where the top of the door is in contact with the car frame.

So if anyone comes across a “filler” that can be used (without obstructing the door closing and sealing action) then pls flag it here. I am still looking !

Edit: attached picture shows the rubber channel location running along the top of the door

I had mine at the Toyota dealership and they taped over the window and he said the sound was gone. I wish I had been in the car when he tested it, but I guess I can tape it myself and see what happens. I’ve ordered a new windowsill and he feels for sure. That’s the problem. And now you’ve mentioned the above, I need to pay attention to that as well. Absolutely love this vehicle, but man I don’t like that window noise. This is all being handled through the Toyota national people, but I do not believe it’s on their radar until now as an issue. We’ll see. Thanks for the response.

 

[Seadogmb]

I had mine at the Toyota dealership and they taped over the window and he said the sound was gone. I wish I had been in the car when he tested it, but I guess I can tape it myself and see what happens. I’ve ordered a new windowsill and he feels for sure. That’s the problem. And now you’ve mentioned the above, I need to pay attention to that as well. Absolutely love this vehicle, but man I don’t like that window noise. This is all being handled through the Toyota national people, but I do not believe it’s on their radar until now as an issue. We’ll see. Thanks for the response.

That should say.. they have ordered… it had to get approval through the warranty folks, this is the second time it’s being replaced.

 

[lar317]

Does this affect the 1958 ? Not sure I have this problem. My 1958 also does not have any hardware on the roof like a rack or the rails

 

[Seadogmb]

Does this affect the 1958 ? Not sure I have this problem. My 1958 also does not have any hardware on the roof like a rack or the rails

I believe this just on my LC. I’m sure I’m not the only one, but there is little about this issue on this site about what I’m hearing so.. I’d say that’s a good thing. Hopefully the seal will fix it. Unsure.

 

[DubDub]

What’s the consensus of these window seals? If it did work (not saying it don’t) then why didn’t it come from factory with one?

I ordered and installed a similar set a couple of weeks ago… and removed them 3 days later. I was on the fence on if they were really working outside of a placebo effect, but then the passenger one came loose and I ripped them out. I’ll look later to see exactly which ones I ordered.

As far as why they didn’t come with them from the factory, I now 100% believe those gaps are rain channels. I had some good rain the day after installing and noticed lots of pooling against them while driving. Also, my wipers would push the water against those pools and the water would deflect back into the previously wiped section before the blades could even cycle back. I don’t often drive with the windows down unless I am cruising the beach or slowly going through light brush, but I suspect you’d be throwing water/wiper fluid across the front windows instead of over the roof. Overall just a big miss for me.

 

[ERROR504]

I ordered and installed a similar set a couple of weeks ago… and removed them 3 days later. I was on the fence on if they were really working outside of a placebo effect, but then the passenger one came loose and I ripped them out. I’ll look later to see exactly which ones I ordered.

As far as why they didn’t come with them from the factory, I now 100% believe those gaps are rain channels. I had some good rain the day after installing and noticed lots of pooling against them while driving. Also, my wipers would push the water against those pools and the water would deflect back into the previously wiped section before the blades could even cycle back. I don’t often drive with the windows down unless I am cruising the beach or slowly going through light brush, but I suspect you’d be throwing water/wiper fluid across the front windows instead of over the roof. Overall just a big miss for me.

This is what I was worried about and thank you for posting your findings about it.

 

[CerberusSasha]

For what it's worth, I was chatting with ChatGPT about these channels and the noise. It told me that the channels are not only to drain water, but also to control the wind turbulence a little. It suggested putting a thin 6" long strip of automotive stripping in the channels about like 4" down from the roof. I'm going to try it tomorrow and see if it helps at all. Doing it that way wouldn't affect the water channeling effect.

 

[wpage]

For what it's worth, I was chatting with ChatGPT about these channels and the noise. It told me that the channels are not only to drain water, but also to control the wind turbulence a little. It suggested putting a thin 6" long strip of automotive stripping in the channels about like 4" down from the roof. I'm going to try it tomorrow and see if it helps at all. Doing it that way wouldn't affect the water channeling effect.

Interesting, but this sounds like a short version of the strips folks have been suggesting previously...

 

[CerberusSasha]

Interesting, but this sounds like a short version of the strips folks have been suggesting previously...

Yes and no. The strips that others next used look like their thickness fills the channel gap. ChatGPT is telling me to use thin strips to just disrupt the turbulence. It's also saying to just put like 6"of a strip, which I'm skeptical about. That way the channel can still channel water and such.

 

[lar317]

Yes and no. The strips that others next used look like their thickness fills the channel gap. ChatGPT is telling me to use thin strips to just disrupt the turbulence. It's also saying to just put like 6"of a strip, which I'm skeptical about. That way the channel can still channel water and such.

CHATGPT, is garbage in garbage out, All these AI tools search websites and Chat rooms search for answers, so with so much bull shit on the web , you really have to take things with a grain of salt

 

[EOD Guy]

I installed the full length set and for what it's worth, they may have changed the level slightly, but nothing dramatic.

 

[RideWithYanu]

Yes and no. The strips that others next used look like their thickness fills the channel gap. ChatGPT is telling me to use thin strips to just disrupt the turbulence. It's also saying to just put like 6"of a strip, which I'm skeptical about. That way the channel can still channel water and such.

Please don’t blindly trust ChatGPT. I use it extensively (I know what it works well for), and it is very frequently (with growing frequency) absolutely wrong about technical matters.

 

[CerberusSasha]

Please don’t blindly trust ChatGPT. I use it extensively (I know what it works well for), and it is very frequently (with growing frequency) absolutely wrong about technical matters.

Hence I said I was going to try it out, not blindly follow it's advice and recommend that everyone else do the same. That said, it's a great data collection tool to gather tons of data on seconds and then evaluate it. Since no one seems to have found a solution to the wind noise problem, ChatGPT is a better resource than any individual at this point.

 

[CerberusSasha]

CHATGPT, is garbage in garbage out, All these AI tools search websites and Chat rooms search for answers, so with so much bull shit on the web , you really have to take things with a grain of salt

absolutely wrong about technical matters.

Hence I said I was going to try it out, not blindly follow it's advice and recommend that everyone else do the same. ChatGPT is pretty much as accurate as anyone else saying "try this" since no one has found a definitive solution to the wind noise complaint.

 

[ultane]

Yes and no. The strips that others next used look like their thickness fills the channel gap. ChatGPT is telling me to use thin strips to just disrupt the turbulence. It's also saying to just put like 6"of a strip, which I'm skeptical about. That way the channel can still channel water and such.

Please let us know how they work.

 

[Ed1]

Previous comments mentioned that the windshield side channels are functional - draining water - and allow better rain clearing by the wipers.

So, for the full-length strips at least, aren’t they trading better visibility for a possible noise reduction?

 

[Altitude]

I think we’re all over didactic messages about ChatGPT. Those of you who can’t resist - I’ve got news, you should have been verifying sources of what you see on the internet all along, not just with ChatGPT. Also the sources of what some of you see on your favorite cable news channel.

 

[APIOQM]

I’m assuming that if the GX550 acoustic package does not alter those strips along the windshield, they are not what is causing the wind noise.

 

[RideWithYanu]

I think we’re all over didactic messages about ChatGPT. Those of you who can’t resist - I’ve got news, you should have been verifying sources of what you see on the internet all along, not just with ChatGPT. Also the sources of what some of you see on your favorite cable news channel.

“ChatGPT, lookup the definition of didactic so I can decide whether to be mad or not.”