Soft top wind noise

[Hansenisu]

I have a request for information from the rest of the board members here:

I have developed a pretty annoying wind noise just behind my left ear where the soft top weatherstrip and the driver's side window meet. It starts about 40mph or so. The passenger side is completely quiet. The hard top seals fine on both sides, so I know that its a problem with the soft top.

I took it to the dealer yesterday and I knew I was in trouble when they said "Geez, we hadn't worked on one of these yet". We compared both sides of the car and it looks like the window on my passenger side (which seals perfectly) "pinches" the weatherstrip on the soft top to form a bulge in the weatherstrip to make a really good seal. The driver's side window, however, just slides over the weatherstip and doesn't "pinch" it. They think that the window is adjustable so that they can move it inward to make it seal against the weatherstrip, but I don't know if that's possible.

So that I can help the dealer with all the information I can (I'm sure we're all going to run into dealer unfamiliarity with our cars sooner or later) I'd like to ask you folks to look at your car and tell me whether you've got a "pinch" on both of your weatherstrips or, in general, what it looks like with the windows up.

Also, I thought I remembered that someone had a weatherstrip replaced because of wind noise. I don't remember who it was, but if you could post what the dealer found and how easy or hard it was to replace the weatherstrip, I'd like to know that too.

Thanks in advance for your help!!!



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2002 T-Bird Red/Red/Partial Red
1971 Pontiac LeMans Sport Convertible

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[RedBirdDlx]

The first thing to do is to look at your owner's manual for the window reset procedure.

Sit in the car with the door closed. Lower the window and hold the switch down for two seconds. Raise the window and hold the switch for two seconds. That reprograms the limits for the window travel.

If that doesn't work, then let the dealership have their way with it.

Duane

 

[Hansenisu]

Yeah, already did that, it's not a problem with the window going all the way up, it just looks like its not tilted-in far enough on the drivers side.

Thanks.

 

[Tbird Lover]

First of all, thanks for the excuse to go out and look at my car.

On both windows, the top of the window goes up into the crack between the two gaskets on the soft top. Toward the rear of the window (vertical part), the glass smushes tight against the outer gasket.

 

[TBirdBoy]

I've got the same problem with the drivers side...and also an air leak from the passenger side. It's going to the dealer Thursday.

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Premium Black w/Red partial
VIN - 1FAHP60AX2Y113877
sq#4044
build #14004
Delivered 3/29/02
2000 Chrysler Sebring Conv.
1988 Pontiac Fiero Formula

 

[charliefed]

Just for a bench mark, mine is dead tight on both sides. Before you let the dealer change window alignment think about the affect on the hard top alignment. The problem may be with the soft top. If so, window adjustment may address the symptom, not the problem.

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Charlie
VENUS, a Blue/Blue Premium w/full accent.
VIN 12778

 

[raycunn]

I had the exact same problem with mine on the passenger's side. It started at 35 mph but if I rolled the window down just a crack, it
pretty much stopped. I took it to my dealer and they replaced the weatherstripping and
I have not had a problem since.

Ray

 

[txktom]

Hansenisu, thanks for your post. It's good to know that others are having the identical problem I am having--or one very, very similar--though I wish none of us had it.

On my car, the passenger side window clearly moves up into a "vee" in the rubber trim on the top, right up there by the passenger's ear. On the driver side, it obviously misses the "vee" up there by the driver's ear, leaving the "vee" groove completely inside the window. Hence, the wind noise.

I took it to the dealer, who wanted me to bring the car back with the hardtop in place so they could check it with both tops. There may be a real reason for this, but that is sure a lot of inconvenience. I asked him to look at the two sides of the car's seal trim to compare, but he wasn't interested. He wants the hard top on. This means a lot of inconvenience to me--I have to enlist neighbors to put the top on and take it back off. (Okay, they love it, so far at least, but it's still a hassle.) And it means another day without the car. It also means some body shop will be taking my top off and leaning it against a wall while they look at the real problem. Personally, I think if the dealer wants the hardtop on for a problem that is apparently unrelated to the hardtop, then Ford should pay the dealer to send someone out to my house and put the top on.

Maybe the dealer is concerned about making the top go up too far with the convertible top up and then creating problems later when the hardtop is on. But it seems to me the problem is completely unrelated to the hardtop. Nor is it a problem with the window travel. It's because the window glass is missing the tiny vee-shaped seal in the rubber trim. You can see this with your eyes. You do not need the hardtop to see it.

If the dealer needs the hardtop to fix the problem, they should come to my house and get it. Ford should pay them to do this.

-

 

[RTBRD]

txktom,

I can see where the dealer is coming from. Let's say that they did not ask you to bring in the HT, at some point in the future you put it back on and you find out that it is totally out of alignment and nothing aligns correctly. At that point what would your reaction be? If there is an adjustment for the window, I can see where you would need both tops to assure that the fit is correct for both and this may be an iterative process.

I agree that this is something that should not happen but again we are dealing with a mass produced item and six sigma does not always work in the real world.

As to the top being leaned against a wall, take your top carrier with you and have them us it to set the top on. When I had my windows tinted (HT & ST) that is what I did and they did use it.

Anyway, good luck in getting things going correctly.

BTW, when this is finished please see my post "Problem/Problem Resolution", it appears that you are not the only one to have this happen. Thanx.

-

 

[Hansenisu]

Thanks for all your input, guys (generic term). I think it has to be a weatherstrip problem and not a window alignment problem for the reasons that TXKTOM said - the passenger window hits the "vee" (or "pinches" the seal in my terms) and clearly misses the "vee" on the drivers side by sliding over top of it.

RAYCUNN, I also move the window a hair sometimes and the noise is reduced. I think this helps only because the airflow path is lengthened by doing that and its not all pushing into one problem area.

I really don't think this is going to be a tough fix, but I'll do all the required postings to let you all know what I find out.

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2002 T-Bird Red/Red/Partial Red
1971 Pontiac LeMans Sport Convertible

 

[redbird02]

This has caused me to look more closely at my windows as well. I have noticed what you are describing: passenger window clearly pinches weather-stripping and the drivers window slides over the weather-stripping. I wondered what the noise was, but since this is my first convertible I thought that this was just normal noise you got. I am going to have my checked out as well; would love to hear what your resolution is Hansenisu.

 

[Hansenisu]

Redbird02 - I have an appointment to leave the car with the body shop guys (service dept can't do something like this) at the dealership on Wednesday 5/15, so I'll post resolution on the 16th.

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2002 T-Bird Red/Red/Partial Red
1971 Pontiac LeMans Sport Convertible

 

[BotNew56]

Txktom,

You may have planned to do this, but you might want to take your hard top cart and instructions in when you go so they won't just lean it against the a floor and wall of doubtful cleanliness.

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VIN 106587 White, White, with chrome hood scoop bezel

 

[Hansenisu]

Well, I'm quiet again. The manager at the body shop worked on the wind noise almost all day. They tried adjusting the window (not enough adjustment in the window mechanism itself to tighten the seal), adjusting the weatherstripping and tightening the door up.

A combination of all three seemed to work. I would have liked to had them just replace the weatherstrip first, and then try all that other stuff, but I think that you're going to find that there aren't a lot of dealers that work on these things, so they are going to do what they would do to a Mustang or something.

In any case, no more wind noise!!

(Yes, Jodrod, I will post this on problem/resolution thread so I'll save you a post.)

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2002 T-Bird Red/Red/Partial Red
1971 Pontiac LeMans Sport Convertible