Wind Buffeting: (Not buffet like eating) When I open a back window and everything else is closed, A very loud and low beating noise comes from the window. To correct this problem, I always open the moonroof or a front window.

First: Who has ever experienced it? (I remember this on my '99 RX300 also; will see on the new 330 when I have it longer)

What causes it?

How can I avoid it?

 

I get this as well in my Land Cruiser.

I'm sure it's just some dynamic with airflow within the cabin. I'm sure some engineer can explain it.

 

Every SUV I have every owned has done this. It is not vehicle specific.

 

turbulence. It's just aerodynamics. This happens on cars too.

It will happen sometimes w/ cars when only the sunroof is open and there is enough turbulence created from the low pressure inside the cabin to the high pressure outside.

The way to relieve it is to equalize the pressure by doing what you did, open another window or sunroof.

 

strange, never had that on the back window only. happens to me when there's only one window in the whole car open and the rest closed.

 

Don't open the window.

 

It is called the Helmholz or Helmholtz effect pulses, I learned that in the music class

http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/~jw/Helmholtz.html

Charleston

 

I will ask the music teacher about this when I take my 4-year old to piano lesson tomorrow

 

I never knew buffett had a 2nd definition

It's not an suv thing yaro.

I tried this on all window combination. When driving with just 1rear window open, especially the rear-right, this causes the most noise/buffett. Then it's rear left, front right, then just the driver.

When I have all the windows closed and that one back seat right passenger opens the window, it's really annoying. I have to crack my window to release the pressure. Somehow, I don't think that rear passenger feels it b/c he doesn't complain and continues to leave it open

That's why the driver has the window lock button

 

I get the same noise in my '05 GX and my wife's RX. It sounds like a helicopter landing in the car!!!

 

btw, this happens to me, most of the time, from the moonroof when ur running around 30-35 mph.

 

Newton's First Law and Air Pressure
- A body's center of mass remains at rest, or moves in a straight line, unless acted upon by a net outside force.

The air inside the car got "pushed" or "sucked"out because when car is moving forward fast but the air is staying in the same position. The average air pressure inside the cabin becomes lower.

When the cabin air pressure is low enough, the outside pressure will "burst" or "push" air back into the cabin to equalize the pressure and the "pushes" create pulses.