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Wind noise at freeway speeds

Did you ever verify its not the windshield?


I pulled the A pillar trim piece and verified it isn't the windshield. I traced the noise with a curved funnel to between the door and the body of the car where the top of the door starts slanting (running parallel to the a pillar)

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Still fighting this one all these years later. I made peace with it for a few years but I’ve had enough. In the last 6 months the windshield has been replaced with an FYG windshield, I’ve replaced both seals with brand new fresh OEM door seals but the noise still persists although it’s slightly less than when I started. I’ve also tried pushing the window frame so that it’s closer to the body and no difference. I taped up the area surrounding the window frame and the car is dead quiet at freeway speeds so the windshield isn’t at fault. I kept the tape away from the window channel rubber so that isn’t a factor either. I did notice that the body lines between the front fender and door aren’t exactly even. There’s a .3mm difference between the top and bottom of the body line when the door is closed (bottom of the gap is narrower). The top of the door is level with the fender and the rear door and the door doesn’t require much effort to close. Should I be looking at the door hinges as a possible suspect as far as the wind noise goes?
 
I participated in an OEM vehicle launch and they legit fixed odd noises with some BS fixes, there was some whistle caused by a hole for screwdriver access on a side mirror, tiny piece of tape, whistle gone.

So... my 245 has the antenna there running along the A pillar, that could also be playing with the air and changing the noises.

I'd somewhat suggest taping the door shut from the outside, crawl in via a different door and confirm if full blocking of airflow fixes it. Then remove some of the tape, drive again.

If you think door alignment is a problem (it totally can be) then watch some videos on door fitting (like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hEx-wgrdAw). The connections for hinge mounts are not precise shoulder bolts, they are fat clearance and you can wiggle alignment on them with either a plastic chisel or pulling, pushing, being violent with the door. Doing adjustment to the striker may be all you need for the extra closing squish needed to end the noise.
 
I participated in an OEM vehicle launch and they legit fixed odd noises with some BS fixes, there was some whistle caused by a hole for screwdriver access on a side mirror, tiny piece of tape, whistle gone.

So... my 245 has the antenna there running along the A pillar, that could also be playing with the air and changing the noises.

I'd somewhat suggest taping the door shut from the outside, crawl in via a different door and confirm if full blocking of airflow fixes it. Then remove some of the tape, drive again.

If you think door alignment is a problem (it totally can be) then watch some videos on door fitting (like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hEx-wgrdAw). The connections for hinge mounts are not precise shoulder bolts, they are fat clearance and you can wiggle alignment on them with either a plastic chisel or pulling, pushing, being violent with the door. Doing adjustment to the striker may be all you need for the extra closing squish needed to end the noise.

I guess it could be an alignment or hinge wear issue. I did tape up the window frame temporarily and the noise did stop. I also modified an mechanics stethoscope to find drafts and the wind noise is definitely coming from the gap between the window frame and the car body. I think I?ll try throwing in some nice spare hinges I have laying around and see if that makes a difference. Thank you for the tips!
 
It's also possible that the door hinge is just too worn out. Is there any slop if you try to lift the door up while it's partially open? Not a hard fix, just have to use a floor jack under the door, then remove the kick panel, move the fuse block out of the way, and replace the hinge. I need to do that on my 242.
 
It's also possible that the door hinge is just too worn out. Is there any slop if you try to lift the door up while it's partially open? Not a hard fix, just have to use a floor jack under the door, then remove the kick panel, move the fuse block out of the way, and replace the hinge. I need to do that on my 242.

There's the tiniest amount of play when lifting the door when its opened just past the striker. Would that still be a factor if the door is easy to close and level with the front fender and the rear door?

Thanks
Matt
 
Update in case anybody else is fighting this as well: I pulled the door and found that the bottom hinge had a ridiculous amount of play in in it. I replaced the lower hinge with the best one in my collection. I rehung the door and I was able to get the door aligned better and faster than I could with the old hinge. The gap between the back of the fender and the front of the door are much closer to being even but the door needs to come forward a tad. Hopefully this will translate into a door that seals better. Failing that, I might attempt to ream the worn out hinges that I pulled so they can accommodate a hinge pin from GM vehicles. Dorman sells a hinge pin for GM vehicles that could potentially be used as an ?oversized? hinge pin with some modifications so I might try that out if the hinge that I currently have in the car doesn?t work out.
 
Put masking tape around the perimeter of the driver door or at least some sections, get in from the pass side and drive- if the noise is not gone then it's not the door. May be the mirror. I added inner seal to my '76 and it made the big difference.
 
Put masking tape around the perimeter of the driver door or at least some sections, get in from the pass side and drive- if the noise is not gone then it's not the door. May be the mirror. I added inner seal to my '76 and it made the big difference.

I taped up the gap between the window frame and the body temporarily and the noise did stop. I also modified an mechanics stethoscope to find drafts and the wind noise is definitely coming from the gap between the window frame and the car body. I was hoping it was the window channel seal or the window not going up all the way but that wasn?t the case. I also taped up the mirror and that made no difference either. I?m hoping to see if replacing the hinges helped but it doesn?t look like I?ll be able to mess with it today.
 
The window frames can bend slightly with age, and they don't preload the seals as much.

You can easily yank the window frame in a few mm and preload the seals and stop the leaks. This also keeps the lower section of the doors and fenders aligned. Just pretend you're working on the Yugo assembly line and tasked with hanging the doors.

The 242s are terrible about the window frame deflecting over time (and cracking the welds).
 
The window frames can bend slightly with age, and they don't preload the seals as much.

You can easily yank the window frame in a few mm and preload the seals and stop the leaks. This also keeps the lower section of the doors and fenders aligned. Just pretend you're working on the Yugo assembly line and tasked with hanging the doors.

The 242s are terrible about the window frame deflecting over time (and cracking the welds).

I tried tweaking the window frame in the front near the a pillar over the years and unfortunately it didn?t make any discernible difference.
 
Update: making some progress.. I think I?m starting to see where I?m supposed to go now. The wind noise now starts at around 55 mph as opposed to 35-40 mph when I started. The body lines are now better than any of the other doors too. The wind noise is still unacceptable to me but I can see the front of the door needs to be lifted slightly by a few millimeters so I?ll probably try that when I get time.
 
Still on this one. I did manage to get the doors aligned as well as I could but the wind noise still persists. I tried getting the panel gaps perfectly even but that proved to be impossible. That being said the door appears to be at the right height and tilt. It also opens and closes beautifully like the rest of the doors. I?m totally lost on what to do next as far as resolving the wind noise goes. Ugh.

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I think you are chasing your tail. 240s are known for a lot of wind noise. I just drove a 240 wagon I have the other day and that is what immediately came to my attention. How much wind noise it generates compared to my more modern cars.
 
I think you are chasing your tail. 240s are known for a lot of wind noise. I just drove a 240 wagon I have the other day and that is what immediately came to my attention. How much wind noise it generates compared to my more modern cars.

I dunno. I agree they aren?t particularly quiet cars but none of the other doors have the issue even when I?m riding in the other seats. the car is dead quiet at freeway speeds (by 240 standards) when the gap between the door and the body are taped up too.
 
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