Okay...so I know there are a number of threads regarding wind noises on LS's. I have an intermittent ANNOYING wind noise coming from the roof. My first thought was the sun roof...I ended up adding some grease (the one recommended not he forums) and it did not help. I had my kids listen for it while sitting in the back and they pointing at the roof right below the antenna. I looked at the antenna and it definitely is a little loose...the adhesive holding in place isn't holding it.

Has anybody experienced this and if so, what was the fix? I am thinking I may use some clear silicone sealant to reattach the antenna. Thoughts? The ideal fix would be to unmount the fin, remove the double sided tape and retape it but that does not appear to be an easy job.

 

Is your car an LS460?

 

yes…it’s a 2014

 

I’d try taping it off first and see if it makes any difference before doing anything else.

 

Gerf's suggestion is good. There are google search results on this subject if it turns out to be the culprit. I agree, doing it right isn't easy, but doing it wrong can be even worse. Noises like this can be difficult to pinpoint but you have a starting point. The gasket around the sun roof shrinks and dries with age and exposure. Taping that after eliminating the fin as the source should help. It's recommended one applies a dressing to it regularly. Also, the trim/area around front and rear glass can cause wind noises, especially if the glass has been replaced without following Lexus procedures. Then there's the infamous triangle leak on the front doors. It's less of an issue on 13+ models. Keep us posted.

 

I confirmed the fin is causing the noise. I had a terrible wind noise/buzzing running down the highway today at about 80 mph. I saw a hardware store, pulled in and bought some painters tape and added a couple small strips on the front of the fin. The noise was gone afterwards...I even jumped up to 90 to see if it would com back. Much quieter!

So is there an easy way to remove the fin so I can re-tape it? If not, I will go the silicone route.

 

Great you pinpointed it. From what I read, there's a through bolt that is accessed from cabin. Probably not easy. I suggest that you research different types of sealer before using silicone. #M makes so many innovative products. Look for automotive applications. Something that is paintable would be ideal. Keep us posted and good luck.

 

Just to update everybody on this. I ended up spending $1k at the dealer trying to get this resolved. No luck. They rode with me, confirmed the noise and also believed it was the shark fin. It was replaced but the intermittent noise persisted.

A couple of weeks ago, Lexus had a 20% off parts sale so I bought a few things:

• I ended up replacing the sun roof. The weatherstripping around the glass was cracking and I wanted to ensure no air was getting into the roof cavity through the cracks. This was an easy replacement (4 screws) and took me about 30 minutes to complete. The longest part of this was making fine adjustments to ensure the glass was level.
• I also ended up replacing the upper stop light and associated trim pieces. This also took me about 30 minutes and was an easy job. I did find a couple of the plastics pieces/tabs that held the light bar in place were broken and I suspect this may have been the cause of the noise.

I am optimistically hopeful that the cause has been identified and corrected. It's been a week now and I have not heard the noise yet. However, the noise has been so intermittent, I will give it a little more time before I mark this as success.

 

Mine was coming in from the shark fin. I siliconed it down. Having one screw was a bad design and it flexes when the wind hits it at an angle. Just pull to a side and you'll see.

 

i know this is no help, but what's in the shark fin? Radio antenna? I wonder if there's a flat version of the shark fin.
If it is just a radio antenna housing, I'm going to guess the reception hit won't be too bad in urban areas. Also, with so much streaming radio station, i don't know if it's needed.

 

Mine does the same, its a bit loose and wiggles. gonna silicone it soon.

 

Similar problem I was sure was the sharkfin. Intermittent wind noise, almost a howl at freeway speeds. Definitely intermittent. To confirm it was the sharkfin, I sat in the back seat to record the sound. If I pressed hard on the headliner just below the sharkfin, the noise disappeared. How could it not be the sharkfin? I went to the Lexus dealer explaining the sharkfin problem and a very experienced tech listened to the noise I had recorded. He then got on a small stool and with a bright pen light looked under the roof drip rails on each side and for the length of the car. I observed this and asked what he was looking for. He said the thin, rubber seal under the drip rail can fold over and, strangely enough cause the sound. When I pressed on the headliner, apparently that would change the shape of the roof and airflow enough to change or eliminate the noise. He put silicone seal around the sharkfin and told me to call if that fixed it, which he doubted. He said he wanted to do some research and told me to make an appointment to come back if the silicone didn't do it. It didn't. No change in the noise. Called to make appointment and he said he consulted with techs at Lexus and they discussed two possible causes. One, replace the rubber molding under the drip rails which is what the tech originally thought was the problem. They did this and Lexus covered the cost despite my LS being out of warranty. If the drip rail molding replacement didn't work, they suggested re-sealing the upper center brake light. Replacing the rubber molding under the drip rails solved the problem so I don't know what is required to re-seal the brake light. Go far enough back and there is a thread on this topic.

 

I believe it's for the satellite radio.