RickC5

Even though this is an older thread, the advice on here is still pertinent and accurate.

Our '08 has a bit of wind/road noise and I started the debug process by looking at the plugs in the torque boxes behind the front tires. Sure enough, only ONE plug out of four present. Not having a Lexus dealer within 250 miles, I'm going to have to get creative. Over the phone I was quoted $57.00 to have the plugs shipped to me from Denver--YIKES.

The two round plugs are to fill 25mm diameter holes--close enough to 1", so I'm going to buy two 1" plugs from Lowes--should work for about 25 cents per plug. For the oval holes, I intend to use that shiny metal duct tape--the REALLY sticky stuff. Ought to also work & if not, I can always order the plugs from the local Toyota dealer as they will be cheaper than the $8.00+ each from Lexus.

I also found that the other four plugs along the rocker panels were installed backwards--naturally. So I turned them around--duh. If they're backwards, they stick down & can be pulled out by road debris. They actually pop out quite easily when backwards.

I'll also try the weather stripping if the plugs don't make enough of a difference.

This forum is GREAT!!!

jkutti2000

hi. can u post some pics of what you did . i.e where exactly these oval holes are

RickC5

I would, but we're leaving on a trip & no time to do so.

However, check out Post # 24 of THIS thread--on page 2--and you'll find a link to some photos of the holes/plugs, etc. The holes are directly behind the front tires--one round & one oval on each side--underneath the car--on part of the front sub-frame called the Torque Box. You are going to have to get down on the ground & use a flashlight to see them. If you're lucky, your's will be plugged as they should be.

I found all this stuff by following the links in post 24 & others and I kept reading until I felt I had a clear picture in my mind of what everyone was talking about & how to fix the wind/road noise. Unfortunately I won't be able to work on this until we get back.

nevernu

Thanks to all for this thread. All 4 oval and 2 round plugs missing on my 2007; replaced them and my road noise has become acceptable considering my Michlin tires.

RickC5

Finally got home & replaced the missing 25mm round plugs with some 1" plastic (not rubber) plugs from Lowes: $1.39 for two plugs( so $.70 each, which is less than 10% of the $8.xx plugs from Lexus). I gooped on a bead of RTV/silicone around the edge of the plugs before inserting them. They are a tight fit, but seal the holes perfectly.

Cleaned the metal around the oval hole and covered it with that silver duct tape I mentioned previously.

Both the wife and I believe the road noise lessened a noticeable amount. Good results for less than $1.50!

Blueshark

I did e-man modificaiton on all 4 doors of my ES, but i'm interested on seeing what i can do on the A-pillar, but is there a way to open the A-pillar WITHOUT having to break the clips. I only need to work with the A-pillar partially open to dynamat all the frame holes to prevent any air noise.

jacobjohn

This should be stickied!

haillah

Thanks so much. $2 fix in a luxury car seems priceless.

jagiovana

Hi, everybody. Thanks to all who posted in this and earlier "wind noise" threads. I'm the original owner of a 2007 ES 350, about 100,000 miles. It was mine to drive initially, but then my wife drove it several years, and now I'm just getting it back (we just bought her a new ES 350). I've always wondered if we were experiencing more wind and road noise than we should, although we've always enjoyed the car. My concerns were road noise coming up under the car, and what seemed to be wind noise in the A pillar at higher speeds.

After reading these threads I decided to go crawl under our car to check the body plug situation - sure enough, all four of the oval plugs were missing - all the round ones seemed to be in place. I came back in the house to see if I could find the parts online (I'd rather pay $10 or $15 rather than make a trip to the dealer). I couldn't identify the parts online, so went back outside to measure and photo the holes, expecting to start a search for a reasonable substitute. Just on a whim, I stuck my finger up in one of the holes - sure enough, there was the plug, stuffed up in the hole! I checked the other holes - all four were stuffed up in their respective holes! A little patient manipulation, and I was able to retrieve them all, cleaned them up, and put them back in place. I'm hoping for an even quieter ride Monday morning, out on I-95. By the way, part #90950-01259.

Cheers!