Does wind noise sound like crickets?
03-07-15, 09:45 PM
#1
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
Does wind noise sound like crickets? UPDATED
I've chased down and eliminated a bunch of nagging noises and issues with my '02 UL lately and I have one left. Honestly the car is very quiet and solid but starting at @40mph I start to get a nearly constant (80-90% constant) noise that sounds like the distant din of cricket chirping. Very low volume but as time goes on I seem to notice it more and it's annoying. It also sounds a bit like a bunch of soccer fields off in the distance on a Saturday afternoon, when there's a handful of refs constantly blowing their damn whistles. Not a constant bad-bearing-type whine though. Got a bit of a warble to it. Problem is I can't tell where it's coming from for the life of me, but my guess is the front half of the car. The noise does not get louder with speed, it's the same at 80mph or 45mph, on or off the throttle, climate control on or off, not affected by bumps in the road or turning or anything. I'm not sure what the common "wind noise" problem with our cars sounds like, but since this seems speed-related I'm wondering if I have a wind noise issue. Any ideas?
Last edited by ancdmd; 04-13-16 at 06:57 PM.
03-09-15, 03:14 PM
#4
For those who have never tried Shin Etsu grease I highly recommend you try it. I did my entire car in about 1.5 hours. Taking my time with an adult beverage. I applied the grease using a MFiber rag. One for each door. I also used it on the weather stripping under the hood and trunk. To get under the doors, I put down a moving blanket and layed underneath. There are 3 weather strips under there. No more creaks or wind noise. My 03 UL cabin is quiet as day one!
06-08-15, 08:53 AM
#5
I've chased down and eliminated a bunch of nagging noises and issues with my '02 UL lately and I have one left. Honestly the car is very quiet and solid but starting at @40mph I start to get a nearly constant (80-90% constant) noise that sounds like the distant din of cricket chirping. Very low volume but as time goes on I seem to notice it more and it's annoying. It also sounds a bit like a bunch of soccer fields off in the distance on a Saturday afternoon, when there's a handful of refs constantly blowing their damn whistles. Not a constant bad-bearing-type whine though. Got a bit of a warble to it. Problem is I can't tell where it's coming from for the life of me, but my guess is the front half of the car. The noise does not get louder with speed, it's the same at 80mph or 45mph, on or off the throttle, climate control on or off, not affected by bumps in the road or turning or anything. I'm not sure what the common "wind noise" problem with our cars sounds like, but since this seems speed-related I'm wondering if I have a wind noise issue. Any ideas?
06-08-15, 10:18 AM
#6
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
06-09-15, 08:20 AM
#7
There have been people complaining about wind noise and I think it comes from the top of the windshield. Air gets in the gap between the windshield and the roof of the car. When I bought my car, the previous owner had the dealer place a strip of 3M clear tap over the gap to help the problem.
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06-09-15, 08:35 AM
#8
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
There have been people complaining about wind noise and I think it comes from the top of the windshield. Air gets in the gap between the windshield and the roof of the car. When I bought my car, the previous owner had the dealer place a strip of 3M clear tap over the gap to help the problem.
06-09-15, 05:02 PM
#9
I thought about wind noise but I am doubting it, due to the fact that the noise volume doesn't change with speed (above 40mph), nor does it get worse in a headwind or with gusts, and it's not a whooshing sound. Mine is almost constant, but there are periods of several seconds where it disappears. It sounds like a mildly squeaky wheel hub on a kid's bicycle or something, but isn't high-volume. As I said in the other thread the best word I could use to describe the noise is tinnitus. If I had a tech test drive the car he probably give me the ol' "I don't hear anything" line. I'm not ruling out an air-leak/wind problem of some sort but I'm about 95% convinced it has to do with the driveshaft or something rearward of the transmission overdrive.
I know how it feels when there is noise coming out of nowhere, and it you keep looking and looking for it but not a clue.
04-13-16, 06:54 PM
#11
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
Problem solved, it was the driveshaft. I had a shop check the driveshaft adjusting nut to make sure it wasn't loose and they said it was tight, but I wasn't convinced. My transmission started to fail about six weeks ago and I had it replaced with a used unit, and after that the noise was still there. Since I had a similar noise issue with this driveshaft nut in the past, I decided that maybe the years of driving with a loose nut caused the shaft splines to be damaged, requiring a new driveshaft. I sourced a very low-mileage used one for $150 and installed it myself. Before I removed the old one I could tell it wasn't right because it rattled at the splined joint by grabbing the front shaft and turning it back and forth quickly. After replacing it, the noise is now gone.
04-15-16, 02:37 PM
#12
Failed Trans? Very unusual. Not too many posts on bad LS430 Trans. At least all is well for you now. Good luck.
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