'99 LS road noise
Thread Starter
Rookie
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 63
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From: Washington State
'99 LS road noise
I posted a similar message in another forum a month ago. Just wanted to see if there any new ideas here.
I bought a pristine '99 LS, 79k, clean and straight as new. No accident or other damage evident or in Carfax report. Car has been checked out by local Lexus dealer and by an independent shop. My problem is what I consider excessive road noise. I had a '90 LS before this and I swear it was much quieter. I traded from Michelin Symmetry tires to Primacy MXV4 thinking that was the problem, but no. The car is quiet as a chapel tooling around city streets, but get up to 60+ on anything but a perfectly smooth freeway and the road noise is something else. I am noth mistaking wind noise, although there is some of that too.
Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Gene
I bought a pristine '99 LS, 79k, clean and straight as new. No accident or other damage evident or in Carfax report. Car has been checked out by local Lexus dealer and by an independent shop. My problem is what I consider excessive road noise. I had a '90 LS before this and I swear it was much quieter. I traded from Michelin Symmetry tires to Primacy MXV4 thinking that was the problem, but no. The car is quiet as a chapel tooling around city streets, but get up to 60+ on anything but a perfectly smooth freeway and the road noise is something else. I am noth mistaking wind noise, although there is some of that too.
Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Gene
Driver
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 155
Likes: 0
From: GA
I posted a similar message in another forum a month ago. Just wanted to see if there any new ideas here.
I bought a pristine '99 LS, 79k, clean and straight as new. No accident or other damage evident or in Carfax report. Car has been checked out by local Lexus dealer and by an independent shop. My problem is what I consider excessive road noise. I had a '90 LS before this and I swear it was much quieter. I traded from Michelin Symmetry tires to Primacy MXV4 thinking that was the problem, but no. The car is quiet as a chapel tooling around city streets, but get up to 60+ on anything but a perfectly smooth freeway and the road noise is something else. I am noth mistaking wind noise, although there is some of that too.
Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Gene
I bought a pristine '99 LS, 79k, clean and straight as new. No accident or other damage evident or in Carfax report. Car has been checked out by local Lexus dealer and by an independent shop. My problem is what I consider excessive road noise. I had a '90 LS before this and I swear it was much quieter. I traded from Michelin Symmetry tires to Primacy MXV4 thinking that was the problem, but no. The car is quiet as a chapel tooling around city streets, but get up to 60+ on anything but a perfectly smooth freeway and the road noise is something else. I am noth mistaking wind noise, although there is some of that too.
Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Gene
I have the same year, and it is as quiet as church. I would have thought tires as well, but there is something else I've heard. Does your front windshield say Toyota on it, in small frosted print? I have heard that if the windshield was replaced with generic/aftermarket glass, it will make road and wind noise seem louder. Don't really know if this is true.
David
Lead Lap
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,595
Likes: 271
From: Kansas
I owned a 1990 LS400 from new until 183K miles and kept it for a few months after I bought a used, 38K mile 2000 LS400 in 2003.
I was so amazed at the differences between the 90 and 00 that I often alternated between them.
My take was that there was less wind and mechanical noise in the 2000 LS400 than in the 1990 LS400 making road noise in the 2000 LS400 more noticable.
Another factor might be that the 90 LS uses narrower tires (205/65-15) than the 98-00 LS (225/60-16). Wider tires pick up more road noise. I remember well that when I bought a set of 225/60-15 tires for my 90 LS, the wider tires caused far more road noise at highway speeds than the standard 205/65-15 tires.
You might try checking the noise ratings on the Tirerack website. Primacy MXV4 tires have a pretty decent (7.72) noise rating and are rated better than the Symmetry (6.4)
I was so amazed at the differences between the 90 and 00 that I often alternated between them.
My take was that there was less wind and mechanical noise in the 2000 LS400 than in the 1990 LS400 making road noise in the 2000 LS400 more noticable.
Another factor might be that the 90 LS uses narrower tires (205/65-15) than the 98-00 LS (225/60-16). Wider tires pick up more road noise. I remember well that when I bought a set of 225/60-15 tires for my 90 LS, the wider tires caused far more road noise at highway speeds than the standard 205/65-15 tires.
You might try checking the noise ratings on the Tirerack website. Primacy MXV4 tires have a pretty decent (7.72) noise rating and are rated better than the Symmetry (6.4)
Rookie
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 54
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From: Colorado
Go to Radio Shack and get a Sound Pressure Level Meter (SPL.) Use it to measure the db inside the car in different areas. Then compare that to readings in other cars that you own or drive. That way you can do an actual comparison using data to see if the car is noisy or just seems that way.
Thread Starter
Rookie
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 63
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From: Washington State
I have the same year, and it is as quiet as church. I would have thought tires as well, but there is something else I've heard. Does your front windshield say Toyota on it, in small frosted print? I have heard that if the windshield was replaced with generic/aftermarket glass, it will make road and wind noise seem louder. Don't really know if this is true.
David
David
Dacecil, I do have an SPL, will use that to test. I'm not sure my other cars would make a good comparison. One is a Pacifica (pretty good, considering) and the other an F350 diesel. That makes everything else seem quiet!
Thanks for the help.
Gene
Driver
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 155
Likes: 0
From: GA
David, I think you are on to something. My '99 has had the windshield replaced. The existing glass is PPG or something, but not Toyota. And, I have noticed that the noise is coming from the windshield/dash area. I'm not sure I understand how windshield glass affects road noise level though. I will investigate this. I did notice that a rubber block or plug that exists on the left side of the windshield, under the cowl, is missing on the right side. I suspect this is where my wind noise comes from.
Dacecil, I do have an SPL, will use that to test. I'm not sure my other cars would make a good comparison. One is a Pacifica (pretty good, considering) and the other an F350 diesel. That makes everything else seem quiet!
Thanks for the help.
Gene
Dacecil, I do have an SPL, will use that to test. I'm not sure my other cars would make a good comparison. One is a Pacifica (pretty good, considering) and the other an F350 diesel. That makes everything else seem quiet!
Thanks for the help.
Gene
David
Thread Starter
Rookie
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 63
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From: Washington State
Thanks.
Gene
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Thread Starter
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From: Washington State
!
Pole Position
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 256
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From: Pennsylvania
hmmm....my ls does NOT have a lexus windshield....i always thought my car was super quiet.....i can't believe it could actually be even quieter!
hope a stone hits my windshield soon!
hey...would insurance pay for an OEM windshield??
hope a stone hits my windshield soon!
hey...would insurance pay for an OEM windshield??
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: TX
Driver
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 155
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From: GA
Now, if I could only get them to pay for timing belt replacements!
