RandyV

Clever approach - I'm guessing the output display changes as the sound input location is varied?

chunkyda

Yes, it changes in real time showing amount and frequency of sounds. This type of monitoring should be done by a passenger since you'd need to monitor the display as it is moved around.

Fhobbs

Trying to figure out how to read it. What do you look for? A spike on one side or the other that indicates an increase in noise?

Devh

I did the fix today, thanks JMcRaney. I did not have any thin sheet metal around so I used aluminum tape and form fitted it to the area after I added sealant. Then I tripped up to add thickness and last added the plastic triangle with sealant to hold everything in.

The difference was night and day and now I can faintly hear the cars wooshing by and the buffeting effect is gone. All that remains is a little wind noise but it's to be expected. Other sounds normally heard in the cabin like going over bumps and engine sound are more apparent. You don't realize how quiet everything is until you start a conversation and then it becomes apparent that your voice is louder then before.

Thanks for bring attention to this problem and easy fix.

ATCMIL1

Merry Christmas from Australia (on the beach as I write!) - we stupid Aussies pay USD$200,000 for LS460 new! Go figure! I have the same problem with mine and am going to do this fix myself shortly - will write up my experiences and photograph too!

Cheers - Gordon

cyaford

JM is the man!!!!!!!!!!! I bought my CPO '07 460 back in August. Never really paid attention to the wind noise until a few weeks later. After 3 useless trips to the dealer, they tell me that there is a fix, but Lexus will only do the fix for cars under the orginal warranty?! CPO vehicles are not eligible. It gets better. The price for the wind noise fix? $1400!!!! I hope to have the time soon to try out the JM fix. Worse case scenario is that I still have wind noise, but it looks like it will be at least 90% better than it is currently. It's been the main annoyance of owning the car. Everything is quiet, well almost everything, except for the #*$^ wind noise. The occasional clicking from the dash is another story, but not nearly as bad as the wind noise. What's funny is one of the reasons I chose the LS460 was because just about all of the reviews said it was one of the quietest cars ever made. I traded in a '03 SL55 for the 460. The SL55, a vert, was MUCH quieter than what I've been dealing with.

jgbackes

iTrader: (2)

As has already been posted in other threads, there is a combo fix that seems better. Purchase the new covers from Lexus for around $40 delivered and install them with lot's o' silicone sealant.

Aero Fin Thread

jmcraney

jgbackes,

Thank you for your comment above. You have made many useful inputs to the discussions here and we have benefited from your comments and are grateful for your participation. Even though we don’t always agree, the free flow of information and opinions is good for all of us.

I have been reluctant to respond to your comment above because I don’t want to appear to defend the procedure that I posted at the top of this thread, but I am afraid that your comment will cause some people to not attain the best possible results. I have spent a lot of my time and some of my treasure trying to help people understand what causes the “wind noise” problem in many of the cars and how to fix it. I have said many times that there are lots of ways to fix the problem that will give good results. It has never been “my way is the only way” and I have urged people to fix the problem by any means necessary. The method that I suggested is a very conservative repair that will fix most of the causes of detachment, and there are several, ranging from adhesive failure to improper gasket installation to manufacturing tolerance issues that vary from car to car.

Although some have claimed that they have a “better” fix, I remain very confident that they might get results that are very satisfactory and as good as the repair described in Post #1 of this thread, but their results will not be better. The problem addressed by this repair is just a simple detached trim problem and has nothing to do with air flow or aerodynamics and is not helped by anything other that repairing the trim detachment. Using as little sealant as possible is the best approach as lots of sealant makes an unattractive mess.

roadfrog

I was going to say the same thing (well, almost). The day that a convertible is quieter than a saloon (even if it's a 1965 Ford Galaxie.....)

I've owned several convertibles, and no way were they close to quiet. It's a trade-off. The MB SL has a db rating of 74 (which isn't terrible). The Lexus?? 68 db.

But back on track......I did the hybrid fix as mentioned here. I purchased the upgraded trim pieces and I used silicone sealant around as many areas as I could. My results were great. SO much quieter.

cyaford

Sorry for the confusion. When I said quieter, I was referring to just the wind noise and "swooshing" sounds from passing cars. The wind noise has been bad enough for my wife to comment on it, who never pays attention to these types of things. Sorry for you non-believers, but "MY" particular LS460 has much more wind noise than my SL55 did, and it's not even close. Just to be clear, I'm talking about with the top up. lol The db ratings were obviously taken with normal examples. I don't consider my LS to be normal, since the wind noise is a definite noise problem that should not be there. All of my research said the LS is one of the quietest cars ever built. I'm sure the majority are, but mine is not. I have also inspected the trim pieces. Sure enough, the top corners on both sides are slightly detached and I can pull the trim back with my finger. Now I just need to find the time to fix this problem.

roadfrog

5 minutes to order the part and 10 minutes to install... tops.

DO IT!

jmcraney

The parts that are already on the car will fix it as good as it can be fixed. "Better" results can not be attained with different parts. A different look can be attained with different parts, but not better results.

jmcraney

Many of the '07 - '10 models didn't have a "wind noise" problem and I have not seen a single report of wind noise in the '11 or '12 models. None of the these models came with a vortex generator on the trim. Anyone with a car that does not have a problem will not realize any improvement by replacing the trim. If you realize an improvement then the trim was detached.

I don't doubt that the vortex generator has an effect but most of that effect is behind the car. The car's self generated noise that might be attributed to the triangle trim is already below the threshold of hearing and any reduction cannot be detected. And I guarantee that the new pieces don't offer any advantage over the old pieces as regards wind noise.

If Lexus and Sewell are so smart why have they let their customers suffer with this problem for six years? And why are they not retrofitting all the cars that have wind noise complaints? I am still waiting, six years, for a promised call that would come when the solution was realized. I sat down with the general manager of Sewell Lexus six years ago and explained that the wind noise was caused by the detached trim and I sent a letter to the president of Lexus North America explaining the problem. This has not been a trivial problem for Lexus or owners of the LS460 and LS600s. Lexus had to buyback many cars, probably over a thousand, because of legal action and Lemon Law arbitration. I hope anyone with a continuing wind noise problem will go to the nearest Lexus dealer and tell them that you just heard that there has been a breakthrough and ask them to repair your car under warranty.

Your comment that Sewell is selling a lot of the new trim pieces should give you some insight as to the magnitude of the owners who still have a wind noise problem. I assure that it is not a small number.

You don't have to look any farther than Post #111 above to understand that the only "wind noise" repair that Lexus dealers are offering is for big bucks and will not be effective.

If you need a refresher on the "Wind Noise" problem then start reading here:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...d-threads.html

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...d-threads.html

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...iscussion.html

Now tell me how smart you think Lexus is.

jmcraney

I agree that they are "Much smarter than all of us" and they will probably not do anything to help the masses with the wind noise issue because of the legal jeopardy. And I can assure that if those new pieces don't fit properly or are not applied properly then they will have the same wind noise problem that the other problem cars have.

jmcraney

By all means fix your car even if it cost X10, or X20, or X30 because it is worth it. Your pleasure of ownership and pleasure of driving will be enhanced immensely. Use the new pieces if it works for you. If you use the new pieces and your results are not perfect or durable then do a more conservative repair using either the new trim or the old trim.