Wind Noise
 

Anyone else experiencing wind noise from the side windows at freeway speeds? At 65 mph this seems a bit rediculous to get this kind of noise especially from a Toyota vehicle.

Re: Wind Noise
 

I have not noticed any in mine.

Re: Wind Noise
 

I have not noticed any inordinate wind noise with mine.

Re: Wind Noise
 

Well I expect there to be no wind noise at 65 mph. This is my first Toyota vehicle and so far with some of the issues I have with my Prius, I am not impressed with Toyota.

Re: Wind Noise
 

Sorry to hear your having trouble Resist. What has the dealer told you? If
there is a seal problem that should definitely be covered under warranty.

Re: Wind Noise
 

I have had such bad experiences with dealership service departments that I would rather not let them touch my car, unless it is a major issue. I always would end up with scratches on my car or missing bolts and screws.

Do you hear any amount of wind noise at freeway speeds? I'm wondering if what I hear is actually normal. I have owned less expensive vehicles that don't have this issue.

Re: Wind Noise
 

We have a 2001 Echo and our 2003 Prius is quieter and smoother at highway speeds. Yes, I'd like it quieter and some Prius owners have lined their engine compartment with sound deadening material.

For window air noise, I've started using outside air and the fan with the thermostat turned all the way down. It is quieter and the stream of air is enough for cabin comfort.

Bob Wilson

Re: Wind Noise
 

I am not talking about air through the vents. I am specially talking about wind noise from the driver and passenger windows when they are closed all the way. I only get this annoying noise when at freeway speeds, as if they are open a crack. It seems as if the windows not properly seated and thus the seal is not airtight. Yet they don't leak during the rain.

Re: Wind Noise
 

If you can do it safely, take a stick of incense and see if you can isolate any outflow or inflow of air. This doesn't mean you can easily fix it but the first step is to isolate the source. It might work better if you have another driver and can use the incense to survey all the doors and windows.

GOOD LUCK!
Bob Wilson

Re: Wind Noise
 

Well, sounds like it's time to make a choice. Fixate on Toyota or fix the problem? I can tell you from experience that it's tough to do both at once.

I haven't experienced any significant wind noise from my own example. In fact I love the quiet of the cabin relative to the Accord that I traded in. Which brings up possibility #1: maybe the vehicle you had before was just really, really quiet and your sensitivity is higher than mine? That's not meant to belittle the problem but it's worth asking. It would be nice if you could get a hold of another Prius for a quick run up to 65 to see if your vehicle has a unique problem. Maybe if you impress upon the dealer that this is really, really important to you they'll let you go for a spin?

After that it's time to troubleshoot. What you are looking for is a source of turbulence at or up-stream of the point on the vehicle from which you think the noise originates. It doesn't take much to produce turbulence! Very small details will do it, like an out of place weatherstrip or a bit of plastic. Adding to the challenge is the fact that a turbulence-inducing feature may not even pop up until the air stream forces it out of its resting position. So after the first once-over for abnormalities you need to get creative and think about what might change when air is rushing over the surface of the car. Do a little poking and prodding to find stuff that might be loose. If you find something, tape it down and go for a test drive.

This **could** become a rather rewarding exercise of man vs. machine if you choose to look at it as such. Having the dealer hunt for it is an option but it might be tough to get them to even acknowledge a problem. They tend not to want to invest time in low-rent stuff, and especially problems like wind noise that can be very tricky and time consuming to pin down.

Re: Wind Noise
 

My Prius has the least amount of wind noise of any vehicle I have owned, and in fact of any car I've traveled in. I was a passenger in a buddy's $$$ SUV and the wind noise in that vehicle was way louder than my Prius.

Check to see all the windows are fully rolled up if you are having wind noise issues.

Harry

Re: Wind Noise
 

We have two Prius vehicles, a 2006 and a 2007. Both have window wind noise, so it makes me believe it is normal. It is not engine noise or vent noise, the side windows have wind noise at freeway speeds only, as if the window is open a crack. I have owned many vehicles over my lifetime and none have had such a pronounced wind sound from the windows at freeway speeds as our two prius. It is not so loud that you can't talk in the vehicle while driving but it is annoying and something I thought a company like Toyota would not allow to happen. Toyota quality.....Hmmmmm, my other less expensive GM vehicle doesn't have this noise.


I'm wondering if these would help? http://priuschat.com/shop/product_in...products_id/38

Re: Wind Noise
 

It might help to document the sound levels:

http://www.radioshack.com/sm-7-range...i-2103668.html

Bob Wilson

Re: Wind Noise
 

Not like I really need to do this. The noise is very obvious when driving at freeway speeds. You can't not hear it. Again it sounds like the window is open just a crack. I don't notice it in the back seat windows, just the driver's and passengers windows. During City street driving there is no wind noise.

Re: Wind Noise
 

The meter would also let you isolate where it is coming from. There might be a repairable defect but the first step is finding the precise source.

Bob Wilson

Re: Wind Noise
 

I know where the noise is coming from, it is the same on the drivers and passengers window. It is along the top seal.

Re: Wind Noise
 

One trick is to take a strip of paper, an inch or so wide and use it to find gaps or places where it is not sealing completely. That is the easy part. The hard part is the fix.

If the seal is not damaged, the usual fix involves rehanging the door. That takes power tools and skill . . . something a body shop would do.

Bob Wilson

Re: Wind Noise
 

I don't see how the seal could be damaged in a new car, let alone damaged in two vehicles.

I just bought that Radio Shack sound level meter, the digital one but now I have to figure out how to use it.

Re: Wind Noise
 

Excellent! Now I have an excuse to buy one too!

Bob Wilson

Re: Wind Noise
 

You tell me to buy the meter and you don't have one?

Re: Wind Noise
 

Compared to our Toyota Echo, the Prius is silence personified. But the meter provides a way we can objectively measure vehicle noise. However, I need some details to replicate the test methodology:

• speed - what 'air speed' are we shooting for (I assume we're doing level and will adjust for head/side/tail winds)
• distance from door - say 3" or do we want to measure from our shirt pocket? I'm sure we want to keep the instrument isolated from mechanical contact with an vehicle surface.
• delta comparison of closed to open window noise - do we seek the maximum "window noise" or just "open all the way." My experience is about 3-4 inches seems to make a louder racket than all the way down.
• concrete or asphalt - do we need to normalize the road surface? I'm also using 50 psi. What pressure do you use?

We've had folks come here before with a lot of FUD on EMI and electro-magnetic fields. I've always recommended they get a meter and 'do the test.' This gets us out of the mode of arguing opinion and speculations to real facts and data. So you with your meter and I with mine will allow us to do some real compare and contrast measurements. I'm looking forward to comparing the results.

Now my Prius is a 2003, NHW11 model. The body style changed significantly with the 2004 models. However, I have a friend in Huntsville, David Kelly, who is nearly as geekie as I am. He'll love a chance to 'get some data.'

Bob Wilson

Re: Wind Noise
 

Freeway speed (65mph). Driver or Passenger seat (dead center in the seat). Windows all the way up. Asphalt freeway.

Re: Wind Noise
 

Here is what I found. At 65mph the noise is 68db, not to bad. But at 75mph the noise is 88db, still not to bad. But the issue I discovered is the noise is like a fluttering sound as if there is an air leak. This happens in both front windows and with both cars. I did some checking and was told other Toyota models do this also. A friend with a RAV4 has terrible window noise at freeway speeds. Since this is my first Toyota, it is my first experience with the problem. If this is normal for Toyota, all I can say is, how do you all deal with it? Again I am not impressed with Toyota quality so far. Should I mention the flimsy Prius center console?

Re: Wind Noise
 

My '07 Prius touring has similar "problems," except that there is a slight whistling outside the drivers window, at highway speeds, which is amplified when the wind crosses from the RF to LR. Not that annoying mind you, but still worth investigating.

I am wondering if the two are related?

Re: Wind Noise
 

A note: For the greatest consistency and meaningfulness of your Sound Level Meter readings, I suggest that you set the averaging time to "long" (the "slow" setting), and use 'A' weighting to approximate the ear's audibility curve.

A possibility: The car is so quiet at speed, compared to normal vehicles (due to the lower engine rpm), that even noises that would be unnoticed in regular cars become audible in these hybrids. So, the real question may be: "Is this noise a sample defect, or just the loudest of the remaining noises?"

Stan

Re: Wind Noise
 

I would bet my other bigger engined vehicle works less at freeway speeds and thus makes less noise during this time than my Prius does. The Prius engine simply has to work more at those speeds and thus makes more engine noise then.

Re: Wind Noise
 

I would agree with Resist, my other cars were quiet, without the slight whistling that I hear. I am wondering where my noise eminates from, whether it is from the windshield, door seal, or other place. Granted, it is not that bad, nor that annoying, but the car should not be making this nosie.

I previously had horrible wind noise, on my Saab 9-5, and the dealer replaced the door seals three times, before getting it right. This is noise is not as bad as the Saab.

Re: Wind Noise
 

Well in my issue, the noise is definately from the side front windows. If I crack them open a tad, I get the same kind of noise at speed.

Re: Wind Noise
 

I'll try to pickup the sound meter this weekend. In the meanwhile, you might try moving the side mirrors so they are somewhat parallel to the body instead of sticking somewhat broadside to the slipstream. This may reduce the velocity between the mirror and the car body and make a change. . . . just a suggestion.

The mirrors are designed to slip out of detent if a clumsy person or poor driver comes too close. This would be just a temporary test.

Bob Wilson

Re: Wind Noise
 

The side mirrors have nothing to do with it. Air is leaking in, it is that plain and simple. Personally I wouldn't waste your money on a sound level meter. I am thinking about taking mine back. It won't measure anything under 50db. It can't even pick up the sound I hear from my computer, unless I place it right up to it. The sound I heard in my Prius was easily heard with my ears, I can even tell what part of the window seal it is leaking in from with my ears.

Re: Wind Noise
 

I notice sound at 75mph in the Prius rather than 65mph, but what's striking about the sound is 2 things:

1) The gas engine is so quiet, that's NORMALLY what I'd hear in a car at that speed, so

2) The silence makes any wind sound a little bit eery and

3) The "shape?" of the sound is different from most cars - it's more or less from all around me rather than a few spots (I assume because of the aerodynamics of the Prius).

Sometimes that wind sound freaks me out a little bit, but I'm still confident that it seems loud not because there's a lot of wind, but because I can't hear the gas engine at all and normally that would cover up the sound of air rushing by.

I have also noticed that a good waxing at the car wash reduces the volume of the sound... driving with a dirty car increases it.

Re: Wind Noise
 

Well the fluttering wind sound I hear is not all around me. It is most clearly from the front side windows.

I'm not sure what other cars you have driven but with most of mine, I would not hear this wind noise, even if they had a quiet engine. In fact, most other vehicle engines make less noise than the Prius at freeway speeds. As I said before, this is because bigger engines have to work less at higher speeds. At the same speed they use less RPM's than smaller engines like the Prius. Less RPM's equals less noise.

I may order a set of those wind deflector shields. If they do eliminate the wind noise then that will tell me the Prius doesn't have a very good window seal.

Re: Wind Noise
 

I came here hoping for a fix. C'est la life.

Anyway, I hear this whistling sound too. To me it sounds like it's coming from the outside rear view mirror--maybe the wind going through the crack where the mirror housing rotates if someone clumsy (like me) bumps it. You think?

Re: Wind Noise
 

Wow, the thread is over a year old.

I still have the wind noise and it is not coming from the outside mirror. Most definately from the window seal.

Re: Wind Noise
 

I realize that this is a very old post at this point but I wanted to put in my experience anyway. As an owner of a 2005 Prius I have to say that I also get wind noise. I find it annoying. I dont know what causes it but I doubt there is anything that can be done to stop it. I just listen to music and try to ignore it. I find it interesting that some people don't notice it at all, it can't just be on individual cars, it has to be on one or all. In my opinion, it is not air leaking, it's a result of a design flaw on the sides of the car. I love my Prius and wouldn't trade it in for this minor problem.

Re: Wind Noise
 

About once a year I coat, lightly coat, my rubber door and windows seals with NAPA Sil-Glyde. Helps reduse wind noise significantly.

Re: Wind Noise
 

Hi Resist and fellow Prius owners.
Old boy in Prius world also has wind from closed window,also non heated side mirrors,plus a couple of other smaller gripes.
Could be why my car has the toy nobody will ever use :-self parking ?
This toy takes your mind off other problems.
Ever tried writing to Mr Toyota with any problem /
Will give you their answer and save you the trouble :-"never heard of it bfore".
All iall still by far the best car I have had this one being the 21s and last.
Good luck and take care.

Re: Wind Noise
 

2008 Prius 90k miles. Wind noise stops when pushing on the molded speaker assembly (tall black triangle shape at bottom front of driver/passenger windows). I opened the door and viewed a cavity at the top of this assembly. Our wind noise was a whistle sound which is caused by rotating air - like in a police whistle. I gently inserted/stuffed several pieces of sponge/celled foam - or some material that compresses then expands, into the open top cavity using a flat bladed screwdriver. This disrupts the spinning air and stops the whistle. Don't know about other wind noises other than our whistle but it stopped our noise.