pio

It's annoying when I roll my window down for some air just to get that weird wind resonance. Has anyone had this problem. How can I fix it? I was thinking about getting those window vents for all four windows to smooth out the airflow. Any thoughts?

Daddy-O

Does this happen with any particular window, at any particular speed?

pio

It happens with all the windows. If I put two windows down though it goes away. The only other car that I could remember doing this was a lowly Dodge stratus.

CDN_Lexus

I find that it is most evident when one of the rear windows is down. As you said lowering one of the others, preferably one of the fronts even a crack will alleviate the problem.

pio

YES! How do get rid of this annoying sound?

HowieNJ

Both of my previous SUV's did this as well. 1997 Isuzu Rodeo and my 2000 Dodge Durango SLT Plus. The Isuzu was a base model, and the Durango was the top of the line. Didnt make a difference. The kids roll down their window in the back and look out, ear splitting noise and pressure. I have found no way to alleviate it other then crack a front window slightly. Well you can also tell them to close their window and turn on the AC Buts thats about it.
Happens in the RX too, just the way it is.................

pio

What about those window vent shades? Has anyone used them and had less wind buffetting?

HowieNJ

Vent shades made no difference. Had them on both the Rodeo and the Durango. Havent decided whether or not to add to the RX. But they made no difference as far as the problem we are discussing here. They do keep the rain out though.

Lil4X

Improved air management, resulting in improved boundary area flow in these newer generation vehicles, combined with the fairly large interior space results in the cabin resonance described here in several threads. Think of your RX as a bass flute. The effect is to create a smooth flow of air over the open moonroof or window, producing that low frequency resonance. You might be able to disrupt the airflow over the window to alleviate the problem, but the solution would likely be ugly - and LOUD. Filling the interior space with a number of large passengers or taking your living room furniture with you might similarly raise the resonant frequency. Alternatively, you can open a window slightly to “unseal” the chamber and change or eliminate the resonance. It's not necessarily a flaw - as Salim says, "It's a feature!"

SUVs of the 70’s and 80’s having all of the aerodynamic characteristics of a brick had no such problem. I always ordered my old Internationals and Suburbans with the tailgate feature, rather than the doors available on the Suburban. Sure they were a pain to load, but you could get on the highway, set the cruise control and open your window. Then you could raise and lower the rear glass to select the amount and direction of air flow – even achieve a dead calm in the cabin at 70mph – just by adjusting the rear window. I miss that feature.

pio

Yeah, but what does Salim say about fixing the problem? Will those ventshades work?

pio

YES! How do get rid of this annoying sound?

HowieNJ

ventshades do nothing to alleviate the problem

Lil4X

"Doctor, Doctor, it hurts when I do this!"

"Don't do that anymore"

mooretorque

Someone call for a doctor??

Lil4X's explanation is perfectly accurate. His solution, same.

There is NO WAY to avoid the resonant frequency problem short of markedly changing (for the worse) the aerodynamic characteristics of the RX. Create turbulent airflow, drag coefficient goes up, acceleration at higher speeds and top end both go down, gas mileage goes down, but hey!, no annoying resonance. And, as Lil4X points out, LOUD buffeting now results. Try staying awake in that physics class next time!

Not a new problem, either. All three of my second gen Preludes back in the mid 80s did the same thing, except only the sunroof was the culprit.

Sorry. Windows up.

salimshah

In this case once again laws of Physics rule. Just like a round object will roll, a chamber will resonate.

If you drive with windows rolled up, you have NO problems. [this is how I drive]

If you drive with more than one window down you have No problems.

If you insist on driving with one window down, [Problem case] why not just open another ... just a wee bit.

wwest had another solution, but is not cheap and free as the one above. Dig the archives for helicopter noise etc.

Salim
[ps: I have not owned many cars but all cars exibited the resonance problem at one speed or another. None have been a convertible ]