Hi All

I took my cat for a little run on the German Autobahn, did enjoy it a lot. Despite its age the car is very stable and safe even at very high speed, and it looks like one of the pre-owners removed the speed limiter.

However I noted two annoying issues:
- there is a rattling wind noise at 80-100km/h, coming from the passenger side (upper front window). Kind of frt!fllt!frrt!fllt!. Hard to describe, lol. Sounds like a very small flag in the wind. I did not find anything loose outside. Using Wipers or changing air con settings / switching it off did not make any change.

- there is some more wind noise between 150km/h and 180km/h, its a constant hiss in the 1kHz range that seems to come from the front. As if someone is playing flute in the engine bay. I noted that there is no seal underneath my headlamp units. The seal goes around on top of the headlamps, but there is no seal between bumper and headlamp. Is this standard, or did it get lost in the past?

I will try to locate the source of the noise, but maybe one of you experts has an idea what could be the root cause.

Many thanks,
Chris

 

You don't mention coupe or convertible but on my coupe I have found that wind noise near the mirror is very sensitive to the window adjustment. If the window is a little too low, it can sound like that.

If you open the door and use the window up button to raise the glass to the fully up position, where does it fall in the triangle shaped seal at the front?

I've also noticed some amount of noise from the mirrors themselves that seems to be just a function of the cars design. Wind rush you might call it.

The seal around the headlamp extends ~3/4 of the way around, and the bottom is supposed to be open.

Are you sure are aren't hearing the supercharger whine?

 

Hi Chris, Can't help with the wind noise, but side window adjustment--if done correctly---might solve some of it, but that by it's self can be a bucket of worms.
BTW: How close to "Nancy" is Wyssachen? My last name --so the story goes--originated in Nancy back in the cross bow and sword days. I'm sure they both are pronounced the same.

 

ccfulton,
I noticed that on the left headlight on my car, the rubber seal went all the way around, but the right, was missing the bottom half of the seal as Chris stated.
I was always getting moisture pickup in the right lens after a rain or heavy fog, so I got some seal material and closed the lower gap---moisture has not returned.
Why is the gap meant to be there?

 

Thanks for the answers. I will check the passenger door tomorrow. Yes, its a coupe, sorry for not saying earlier.

@Charlie: definitely not the supercharger wine. The hiss is a bit lower in frequency and its constant, even if no load is on the engine, plus it goes away at 180km/h.

@Chuck: When I saw your name I was immediately wondering if it does not origin from Alsace. This is an area between Germany and France, it changed owner a couple times in the past decades. Nowadays it belongs to France, but the elder people still speak a German dialect. A lot of the names in Alsace include 'x', thats why I thought of Alsace when I saw your name. Now Nancy is not in Alsace, but in 1870ties a lot of people emigrated from Alsace to the Nancy region. Maybe your ancestors where amongst them.
Beautiful place, just 300km away from my location

Cheers
Chris

 

On my 1999MY Coupe no wind sound can be heard until accelerate to approx 60km/h. After that steady 'hissssss' sound. I suspect door seals. Works kind of overspeed warning also

 

Perhaps we are not referring to the same thing. The glass lens should be sealed as an assembly whether in the car or not. The piece I am talking about shouldn't have any effect on the lens steaming up.

I was meaning the gasket that goes between the headlight and the body panels. There is a rubber strip that goes around the top of the lens that tucks in at the sides (red arrows). On the bottom there is not a gasket between the headlight and the bumper (green circle).

 

Chris.
Thanks friend. You may be right and the information is very interesting. I loved Paris and the French countryside as well as your wonderfully beautiful Switzerland. My wife and I toured all that area back in the middle 70's.


CC, That's the area I'm speaking of. If it isn't supposed to have the seal there, wonder why one of mine had the seal and the other didn't???

 

Neither of mine have a seal on the bottom but now you've got me wondering which way is actually correct...

 

Just walked out and looked at my wife's 2006 XK8. No bottom seal on either headlamp assembly but it sure looks as if there should be one there. So what's the story?

 

I used to dread the 'creaks,squeaks,pops,groans and wind noises' when I worked at the dealer. It would drive you crazy trying to find specific sounds.

Here is some info from 'back-in-the-day'.

bob gauff

 

Thanks to all!
Bob, this is really cool stuff, I will work trough it when I'm back from my trip.

Cheers
Chris

 

Hi Guys,
I understand you are looking for a specific wind/ or ? noise, however.


I just installed some acoustic material ( not an endorsement) like a Dynamat material in my trunk area of my '99 XK8 drop top.


Removed the spare, installed this material under the spare, between the carpet and fuel tank, left and right quarter panels so far.


I cannot describe the change in in the drive of my XK8. The difference is fantastic and I am not done yet.


The insulation material blocks out the annoying tire/ road noise. Leaves the nice rumble of my exhaust. As the material advertises , the material not only insulates, it absorbs unwanted vibrations.


By the way, so impressed, I install some material in my pickup ahead of a 12 hour drive planned. What a difference in my Sierra. Only trouble, I can now hear a little wine to my rear differential.


hope this helps a bit. Rich

 

Rich,
sounds interesting. Did you by any chance take some pics of the installation?

 

Sorry guys, I did not take any photos of insulation install.


Had two projects going at same time prior to going into work. Rich

 

Here are a few pics of when I did the interior of my coupe. I also put some inside the doors, against the outside skin. Haven't done the boot yet, but been thinking about it.

As Rich said, makes a big difference.

Only down side is that it is pretty heavy stuff, but what is another 50 pounds out of 4000.

 

Thanks, Charlie.

One more for the list...

 

Comment:
The only thing that concerns me, when adding this material to the car is moisture. When the car heats and cools due to WX, could this be a problem?
It would take some time, but if it did cause some moisture, there would be no way for it to breath in order to dry out....
Hummmmmmmm!

 

Hey Chuck, doubt moisture to be a problem. The backing of these insulators are a self sticking material,. Seals out air as well as moisture. Bet the result to the work Charlie did to his coupe must be enormous. The little I did to my convertible in comparison made a drastic change to the quiet / road noise and vibrations of my XK8 Rich

 

Rich,
Sounds encouraging, but I think I'll contact some of these insulation manufacturing people and see what test they may have made concerning moisture----if any. I have the name "Dynamat" mentioned above, do you know others?