e-man

I posted this in response to another thread, but I thought it warranted a thread all its own, so I copied my comment below.

I just thought of something related to wind noise. Have you guys tried putting your climate control on recirculate? Here's what I'm driving at, and I don't know why I didn't think of this before. Is it possible that the wind noise is caused by air leaving the cabin as opposed to air coming in? I once had an 87 Mustang GT with t-tops that had horrible wind noise issues on the highway. Because the car had t-tops, it did not have window frames holding the windows in place and they would bow out on the highway about a 1/2 inch. Despite multiple attempts, the dealer could not fix the problem. I tried everything (including double-sided tape around the weather stripping to hold the windows in place). The dealer suggested putting the climate control on recirculate while on the highway. In essence, the wind noise had to do with higher air pressure inside the cabin, and by putting the climate control on recirculate, it prevented the car from taking in new air and building up air pressure inside the car. It was just a band aid, and I was still pretty disappointed that they couldn't correct the problem, but it definitely made the problem easier to live with.

So, maybe one or two of you could try this over the course of the next day or two and post up your results on this thread. I really hope this helps (although I'm guessing it probably won't). I figure it's worth a shot.

e

2thfixr

The only problem with this even if it is a 100% solution to the problem is, the recirc function only works for a specific period of time. It automatically times out and switches to fresh air. It's worth a try though I guess.

ES350Bob

e-

thanks for always trying to help out..

On my former car, setting to fresh air seemed to back if off-- very slightly-- rather than recirc. which did nothing at all for it. I thought trying it, fresh air setting, would put positive pressure inside to knock back what seems intruding from outside.

My current has wind noise too though not to the degree of former and I believe partly due to it's doors being aligned for all intents and purposes. Former was off significant stair step as one side of car pics posted in wind noise thread. I have not tried experimenting with this car where air setting is concerned.

Though I strongly believe the 2 larger plugs each side of car are being put in upside down and are somehow part of the issue, I have also not experimented with that either this car, yet, but intend to.

ES350Bob

I finally got around to experimenting with larger plugs and immediatley noticed something very perplexing to me.

My current car 09/06 build month has black goop a foot wide more or less and running lengthwise from the front of the car behind front wheels all the way to back of car in front of rear wheels on both sides of car, and the larger plugs are positioned sort of midline of that width and surrounded by the goop, including sprayed on as though plugs were not in when it was sprayed on as it also coats the recess the plug edges would otherwise recess into.

My former 06/06 build month car did not have this goop, black or otherwise, and it's plugs were also midline of same front to back area described above, but midline of bare aluminum metal or whatever that metal under there is, nothing sprayed on the front to back expanse of metal and no goop covering recess area where plug edges fit snugly.

Is this a reason my former car could easily be described as much noisier as to exterior sound intrusion where my current is slightly better with that?

Did something change and this goop is now placed there on builds after my 06/06 build month?

I wanted to overturn plugs and place them in right side up but the overspray of goop won't let me do it to the same snug fit as former car might have so their play in wind noise lessening is up in the air to a degree though I did put them in right side up, but the goop is uneven and does not allow as snug a fit into recess.

If I notice any improvement I'll add to this but now I have more questions than before I got up under there on newer car.

BillP

Certainly sounds like the material could be a sound deadener. Lexus may have observed some slight harmonics down that section of the belly and is using this stuff as a quick fix. Then again, I probably have no clue what I'm talking about. I don't recall seeing anything on the belly of mine (9/06 build). I'm changing the oil this weekend; I'll have to look again.

ES350Bob

Bill,

My newer with the stuff is 09/06 like yours so it would be great if you can see if you have it, mine is black I assume because my car is black.

Oddly my 06/06 did not have any of this under there like 09/06 does.

Just visualize about a foot deep and starting just inside the outside edge of car frame applied going inward about a foot toward middle of car and running the length of car from front wheels to back wheels. There is a wide section in the middle underside between these two strips that does not have this but nearly a foot wide near edges is covered with it. It is also very unevenly applied, mostly about a 1/16th to 1/8th at best though some, very few, spots have a good 1/4 to 3/8 inch thickness.

1seeker1

Bob,

I looked at my plugs at the dealer before I bought the car (thanks to this forum) and they were all there. I do not recall seeing any of the substance you describe but when I get my car back (see post under 2007 Camry transmission concern) I will look again. I will also try and remember to look at my loaner.

Seeker

ES350Bob

1seek...,

Thanks it would be good to know what role the goop plays in noise reduction just for my own curiosity.

I have to go over to that transmission thread in a while after I figure out what I want to say because you are VERY sharp, it does say there were injuries and worse and I don't want to seem like I minimized it by asking for a title change trying to be fair to Toyota/Lexus if true, or that fear of fear post I put. The report is as clear as mud as you implied and I would feel terrible if the clerk mistakenly clicked no crash but later filed the death and injury and then my posts seem callous in that regard when I did them, they are, only on the basis of it being just a transmission problem with fatality concerns as opposed to an actual one and injuries.

BillP

I looked at mine today and it has the same coating. It looks like sound deadener to me; I wouldn’t think that it’s for corrosion control.

ES350Bob

Thanks for letting me know Bill. I agree it looks like sound proofing stuff.

Seems odd it was not on my 06/06 build but is on my 09/06 build. And the stuff works up to a point to limit some of the road noise by comparison between the two builds.

07LexusGuy

This is odd, mine is a 10/06 build but I dont seem to have this black substance as you've described it. Maybe it was a one-month-only experiment by the factory?

I dont have much wind noise to speak of however, so maybe Lexus did something to resolve the wind noise issue for my build date and didn't need to use the black material anymore? I'm really just making guesses but it's certainly a possibility.

ES350Bob

07lex...,

The goop would not help with wind noise, just road noise and the like.

It may be black on my car because my car is black but other colors on other colored car.

Is your's just bare metal under there in the area we are discussing?

This is not something that would be an experiment, as it is noise abatement material.

I think they forgot to put it on my 06/06 build but remembered to put it on for my 09/06 build.

07LexusGuy

I think its just bare metal, either that or its so dirty, everything looks like dirt to me But my color is the Smoky Granite, so I'm not really sure I guess - maybe my car's a bit dirty, looks like a lot of mud and dirt down there, I couldn't really see much of a black area that may have been sprayed on or applied from the factory. Or... maybe they forgot to do it on my car? That would not be very cool.

ES350Bob

It's more or less a 1 foot deep and length of car swath of the stuff from front wheel area to rear wheel area each side of car with those larger plugs sort of in the midline of it.

When you have real good light check it out and see though I know it is a pain to get down and look under there. The bare metal is easy to spot, or was on my former car, it just looks like aluminum.

OAKPLANK

My 11/06 Smoky Granite has the black tar like goo. I live in Toronto Canada. Could this goo be for additional rust protection for northern cars due to the salt used on our roads in Winter months?
oakplank