1seeker1

This is the best way I can describe the noise coming from my B-pillar as I drove through the rain today (for the first time) on my way to work. The car is not quite two weeks old and I live in sunny San Diego. The sound was without a doubt associated with the amount of rain that was falling. The harder the rain, the more snap, crackle and pop sounds. These sounds almost seemed amplified. They were also coming from the B-pillar on the other side. It was loud. The occurrence was also associated with speed. You would not hear it until you got up to around 40mph. Most of my 21 mile commute is on the freeway.

Anyone else experience this? Anyone else with an ES 350 in San Diego out there?

On the brighter side, I really like the rain sensing wipers. Though I did notice a minor squeek when they would return to position when I was almost to work and it was barely raining. This would actually become very annoying if you had to sit in traffic with your wipers working intermittently. Any ideas on this as well?

Seeker

ES350Bob

No snap crackle pop noise but do hear a sound like water trickling down within the B pillar on the ES I have now, I never noticed that on the former and have no idea what it is as I looked and could not see any channel that would permit water to run down in there. I don't yet know if this is also the case on passenger side of car but is on driver side.

e-man

I've got the EXACT same thing on my 99 GS400. I hear it only when it's raining. I have no idea what the rain could possibly be hitting that would cause it to make that noise.

1seeker1

Having not seen more posts, it obviously concerns me that I have issue that I will need to raise with service. The problem there is that to replicate the sound, it has to be raining. In San Diego, this is a problem. Then again, on the bright side, it is an issue (if it cannot be fixed) that will not happen that often!

When I got into my car today to go Christmas shopping, I showed my wife what I was talking about. I tapped my fingernails on the two plastic pieces that separate the door windows, and low and behold, it made a very similar sound to what I was hearing while driving through the rain. Certainly sharper sounding from the outside, but very similar. Tap your fingers on it to simulate rain drops and that is what I could hear on the inside (except it was more hallow sounding and slightly softer, but darn near as loud as standing there tapping you fingers). Am I missing some sort of insulating material???

ES350Bob

Do you think it is the sound of raindrops hitting the roof metal and that coming down in the pillar or what you describe as crackle may be what I call the sound as though water is trickling down through that pillar?

1seeker1

Bob,

My best answer to your question is, I don't know. Perhaps we are hearing the same thing, just describing it a little differently. Since it doesn't rain around here very often, I won't have an opportunity to focus more attention on this until it does rain again. I plan on driving to the local dealer and asking for a service rep to take a ride with me next time it rains. Have you ever reported the water trickling to your dealer? If so, what was the response?

Seeker

ES350Bob

No svc. mention, just noticed it within the last week plus during rain and yesterday am as well.

I don't see how any water could be getting inside the pillar though that is what it sounds like and was not there on former ES350.

I felt carpet area at base of pillar both times and no wet area at all.

You described it as tapping, I would say that might be a description to use as long as you are talking light dis-rythmic tapping since that pillar is so close to ear normally.

Water trickling down is best I can come up with though to describe what I hear, or only other thing remotely close is stopping spin cycle on washer slightly too soon and hearing a sound like rushing-trickling of remaining water still in machine as spin stops, not so much the rushing sound, but definitely the trickling sound.

Since we are both, and e-man as well, talking about sound from what seems within B pillar, seems they are similar. If you are going to go to service for it, let me know what they think or do about it.

ES350Bob

Thanks to Joe on 2th's post the mystery of the water trickling sound is solved. I did not realize there was such a deep rain gutter channel under the plastic strip<----didn't realize that was plastic either or that it could have been popped up slightly in front allowing more than usual amount of water in there coming up from windhsield, running from front of car to rear of car on both sides of roof edge.

1seeker1

Bob,

Interesting that you posted on this today. It happened to rain a little here last night when I had the loaner. I went for a drive and was able to replicate the sound I originally described as snap crackle pop. It wasn't raining as hard as it did when I originally started this thread but I definetely heard the same thing. I would not consider my hearing anywhere close to sensitive (just ask my wife ).

I did discover two new things that are bringing me closer to getting to the bottom of this mystery. First, I can't describe my noise as water draining or trickling because I noticed the sound stopped for a short instant when I went under an overpass on the freeway. Very similar to the momentary stoppage of rain on your windshield as you drive under an overpass. The second thing I discovered was the sound is far better replicated by opening your door and tapping your fingernails on the B-pillar. Very, very close to what it sounds like in the car. Kind of a sharp, yet hallow sound. This sound only happens at freeway speeds with a decent amount of rain. The harder the rain, the louder and more prevalent the sound.

I am surprised more people have not chimed in to say they have experienced this as well given that I found the condition not only on my 10/06 build but on the 07/06 loaner as well.

I told my service about this yesterday, I don't know yet if they were able to take it out in the rain (as I requested). Still waiting to hear back from the service manager on a more detailed diagnosis of the things I pointed out about the car. My guess is that I will have to wait until a good storm and then stop by and get a service guy in the car.

ES350Bob

OK, I now know the sound you are talking about, it is the rain drops hitting the roof in area right behind the sunroof, especially where or when you leave the sunshade closed. I hate to say it but it's normal sort of, the sort of being one prefers not to have it at all.

Try opening sunroof sunshade in next rain storm and see if that knocks it back a notch or more. Leaving it closed leaves a hollow cavity behind it.

You can ask that they add more insulation but my car does that too as though you are in a hailstorm with very small hail and it reverberates across the roof and could be viewed as within the B pillar.

The giveaway was it ceasing when going under an overpass.

But, should you ever hear a trickling sound you now know the source for that too.

onsknht

I would think the ES has more sound absorbing material on exterior body panels than the Camry which sounds as if you're being fired at when it rained.

Is it really loud in the ES too?

onsknht

FWIW - if you look in the gutter of the sunroof with it open, there are little holes in or around the corners... These allow the water to drain. I believe these run through piping to the bottom of the car

I'm thinking of those little tiny leaves, I have no idea what tree but it makes a mess, anyway something like that could be in the drain hose... Water as the car starts and stops gathers and drains... I believe since there are 4 of them they go through both A & B pillars, so my guess since B pillar was identified would be, that one has some crap in it.