wind noise ... how to hush it down a bit??

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ronnieg
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wind noise ... how to hush it down a bit??

Post by ronnieg »

I'm new to the 635, and it sounds a bit windy. Window seals look OK and tight, so it must be something else.

My wife says that why it has a radio....just turn it up and the wind noise will go away...HA!

Anybody with experience or fixes?
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orlando
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Post by orlando »

Welcome to the forum!!

The wind noise is a common problem in the sixers due to the frame less nature of the windows. On inspecting your windows, it is likely you will find that there is a gap between the glass and the rubber seal.

It is PITA job to adjust the door to get the glass to nicely sit on the seal. The procedure to adjust the door to eliminate wind noise is well documented here: http://normgrills.net/bcg/Body_Interior ... or24982937

Good luck and hopefully you get your problem sorted out. Once you do you will be even happier in the sixer (going by your signature!!) and enjoy the car more, then listen to the radio as it was intended to!!

Orlando.
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Da_Hose
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Post by Da_Hose »

One little thing to be sure of is that you have the bump stops on the door lock tumbler - thing.

Open your door and look at the rotating piece that actually locks the door. The top arm should have a plastic cap. It's part #17 on the parts page below.

http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?mod ... g=41&fg=40

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Post by Beaker »

Yeah, mine howls a bit too. I did have an issue with the driver's door glass not closing properly, dropping it a few mm and closing again sorts it (until I align it properly), but apart from that it can be a bit noisy.
Oct. '81 635
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Post by Chris Wright »

The window can look Ok when you look at the window with the car parked, but the top edge can get sucked out at speed.
orlando wrote:The procedure to adjust the door to eliminate wind noise is well documented here: http://normgrills.net/bcg/Body_Interior ... or24982937
There is a trick to getting the window to fit into the top door seal grove that is not mentioned in the basic adjustments in the above link, see below.

Adjusting the window to fit into the top groove of the door seal:
Adjusting for the Grove: viewtopic.php?t=10347&
Basic explanation of the groove: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh ... st21319404
ronnieg
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Re: wind noise ... how to hush it down a bit??

Post by ronnieg »

here's an off-the-wall idea.... if wind noise is coming from the body/rain channel above and in front of the side windows, has anyone tried to quiet it down and streamline it by plugging that channel with a piece of black rubber tubing?

just took a 400-mile trip on a windy day, and the noise was annoying. my window seals are all tight, and the doors are tight and aligned.

any ideas out there along these lines?
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Soperman
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Re: wind noise ... how to hush it down a bit??

Post by Soperman »

I have a pretty extensive collection of old magazines with contemporary road tests and reviews of E24s. A common grumble even back then was the excessive wind noise generated from the window / seal area, so it's clearly as much a design flaw as it is a wear/tear/maintenance issue.

If BMW couldn't get it right on the production line in the 70's and 80's, it's no wonder so many of us still having to put up with it today.
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clipper47
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Re: wind noise ... how to hush it down a bit??

Post by clipper47 »

My 1985 635CSi also has some wind noise from the driver's side window although the seal is in good condition. Recently the sunroof has begun to wind whistle at speeds up over 80kph. It can be very annoying on a long trip. The radio volume helps!
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miike87
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Re: wind noise ... how to hush it down a bit??

Post by miike87 »

May you should replace the sunroof seal. It's not that big deal and helped quite a bit on my M. The seal was pretty squeezed together before adjusting. So it wasn't sealing anymore.
Otherwise you may press the door seal from the inside while driving. That's how I found the exact noisy position. Some rubber cleaner brought it back to the original shape and it got less noisy for me. Maybe the spacing rubber under the seal is no longer in the right position?
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Re: wind noise ... how to hush it down a bit??

Post by sharkfan »

I pushed some well cut rubber into the gap where the front wing butts up to the front scuttle panel in front of the windscreen; this seems to have reduced wind noise quite considerably.

Image

My next trick is to to 'somehow' get a rubber seal between the trailing edge of the front wing and the leading edge of the door.
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ronnieg
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Re: wind noise ... how to hush it down a bit??

Post by ronnieg »

thanks, this is what I had in mind. will try some filler stuff in that channel to see if/how it helps.
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ronnieg
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Re: wind noise ... how to hush it down a bit??

Post by ronnieg »

Has anyone used Dynamat or other sound-proofing stuff to the doors? that might help a bit.....

Are the door panels easy to remove or a PIA?
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ronnieg
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Re: wind noise ... how to hush it down a bit??

Post by ronnieg »

Ahhh, it also appears that my passenger door may have a bit of a gap at the bottom rear of the door, down by the rocker panel. The door lines up perfectly with the body at the top of the door, but is sits a bit proud on the bottom.

All the seals appear to be in good condition.

Should I move the bottom door hinge inward ever so slightly to bring the bottom of the door in tighter?
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ronnieg
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Re: wind noise ... how to hush it down a bit??

Post by ronnieg »

Well, I moved the door catch post in a tad tighter on the body, and that took care of the slight gap I had between the body and the bottom of the door.

might still try a little dynamat inside the doors. will let you know if/when...
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ronnieg
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Re: wind noise ... how to hush it down a bit??

Post by ronnieg »

Tracked down another source of wind noise. The vertical louvered plastic part that attaches to the B pillar between the front and rear window had come loose, allowing wind to whistle in/around it. Used some trim adhesive to reattach it. Getting quieter with each step.

Still might try some dynamat in the doors and/or under the carpet....
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Re: wind noise ... how to hush it down a bit??

Post by sansouci »

The radiator cooling fan in stock form is quite noisy. I am told the modern electric fans are more efficient and should be less noisy. I think Jose (Da_hose) posted a conversion thread on 10/3/2015 but I don't recall whether there was commentary on noise.
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Re: wind noise ... how to hush it down a bit??

Post by BUELLRIDER »

If I put my Window down a few inches then put it back up . My Wind Noise goes away.
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ronnieg
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Re: wind noise ... how to hush it down a bit??

Post by ronnieg »

Has anyone installed new door/window seals -- the ones that go all the way around and sit in a tight channel?

How difficult is it?
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Re: wind noise ... how to hush it down a bit??

Post by ron »

ronnieg wrote:Has anyone installed new door/window seals -- the ones that go all the way around and sit in a tight channel?

How difficult is it?
Very!
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ronnieg
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Re: wind noise ... how to hush it down a bit??

Post by ronnieg »

Still had a bit too much road noise coming from the passenger side. Putting a thin piece of paper between the body and the bottom of the door, and closing the door, was able to easily slide the paper out without much/any resistance. The other door was tight, as were the window seals.

looking closely at the door alignment, the bottom of the door was a bit proud of the body. loosening the lower hinge screws and moving them slightly closer to the body made a big difference in how tightly the piece of paper was held between the body and the bottom door seals. the door is now perfectly aligned, and a lot of road nose seems to have disappeared. Either that, or my mind tells me it's quieter because I made a change. HA/ Either way, problem solved.
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Re: wind noise ... how to hush it down a bit??

Post by songzunhuang »

I had a ton of noise coming from the passenger side and noticed my window wouldn't roll up all the way firmly. I took off the door cards and was amazed to see all three bolts that hold my window regulator in place had fallen out, caught my the plastic moisture barrier!

I re-fastened and tighten up the three bolts and now, I hardly have any wind noise coming from the passenger side window.

If you haven't checked it already, give it a shot. It's much easier than anything you could do to the door!
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