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Wind Noise?  New To Av Ownership

G

GMcNair

Full Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2003
Messages
67
Location
Birmingham AL
Hey folks. Since this is my first post, I might as well introduce myself as well. I am Greg, and I just purchased a 28k mile '02 North Face in Sage Green. Dang I love this truck so far. Can't believe I was one of the naysayers when these first hit showrooms. In fact, I was quoted as saying i'd rather see a brass pole in my daughter's bedroom than one of these in my driveway. Boy was I mistaken.

I do have a couple questions about it though. There seems to be more noise coming from around the windshield than I would expect from a vehicle that once retailed for $40k. Could I be hearing something else, such as wipers, hood lip, or roof rack?

Also, I searched to find out about bug deflectors, and I didn't find any conclusive answers about which one is best to use to avoid mirror shake and general turbulence. Any thoughts on which to get?

I got out of a 2001 F150 (lease) and jumped into this truck. Haven't looked back since, but I am going to miss my Infinity Basslink sub that fit under my F150 rear seat. Does anyone make a quality sub like the Basslink that fits somewhere in the cab of this truck w/o being removed to drop the rear seat? I don't like "tennis shoes in the dryer" bass, but when I crank up Moving Pictures, I like to experience Neil Peart's bass drum the way it was meant to be felt...in my heart and bones.
 
Welcome GMcNair, What a change a ford to the Av. Ha ha I have the GM bugdeflector on my Av it comes with two sided foam tape that seal down the vertical weatherstripping on the windshield. I get no mirror shake at speed or noise the my Av is very quiet (except the exhaust its just right now) The weatherstrips slap against the glass. To check this use a good 3-m masking tape run a strip down both sides to seal the joint and run the truck down the highway. My 99 silverado had this even with no bugshield sealed the strips noise was gone.. Thats my $.02 Again welcome to the club!! Matt

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My sunroof was not closing correctly when I first bought it. The rear of the sunroof wasn't lifting into position. Also, it wouldn't go into vent position. The dealer fixed it. It was brand new. It was very hard to tell where the sound was coming from at first. We thought it was the midgate until I looked at the sunroof from the top. Much quieter now.
 
Thanks for the responses so far. Unfortunately, the wind noise isn't a flapping sound, nor is it coming from an existing bug shield (i'm in search of the right one). It just sounds like air getting through the edges of the windshield, as if the windshield was previously replaced and not sealed completely. Since my original post, I have delivered the vehicle to the dealership parking lot to await attention on Friday morning. Maybe they'll solve the riddle? By the way, if I ever do get that flapping noise from the pillar trim, that article will be an excellent resource. Kudos to the author for going through the trouble for us.

 
Welcome aboard Greg! Now that you've got an Av in the driveway is the brass pole in your daughters' room on the way? ;D And feel free to post some pics (I mean of your Av, not your daughter...)
 
I have the same wind noise in my 2003. ?At first i thought it was the bug defelctor, I have the GM etched version installed by the dealer, so I removed it and went down the road. ?That wasn't it. ?Next I folded in the mirrors and tried again and that wasn't it. ?Third I removed the wipers and arms and that wasn't it. ?I have an appointment next week at the dealer for my 3000 mile check up so I will see what they say. ?They did install the tape under the window trim when they installed the bug deflector. ?The wind whistle on mine seems to be coming from the center top of the windshield area, but I can't exactly pinpoint it.
 
I am ready to buy an Avalanche and the last one I test drove, I noticed the wind noise. Noise came on at 30mph and grew from there. No bug shield. 2003 5.3L Z66.

I thought it might be the roof rack, but it had no roof rack. Sound definitely coming from the top corner of the windshield on both driver and passenger side.

Dealer guy in the passenger seat played dumb; said he never heard the noise and no one has ever complained about it. I hope Chevy fixey this cause me no place order until they fixey.
 
Welcome,

I had the same issue: only I had flapping and what seemed to be an air leak. I took it to the dealership and they used a silicone sealant (contracted through a windshield replacement company). The service manager said the doubled side tape application would fail down the road, but this was a permanent fix. No trouble since. I hope your dealer takes the same care with yours.

Mac
 
Thanks for the responses folks. ?The dealer re-sealed the windshield, and at low speeds (25-50) it sounds a bit quieter, but at highway speeds, I suppose it's normal hearing wind buffeting around the windshield. ?After all, it isn't exactly a streamlined design. ?It's still a truck, and I have to accept some things. ?I suppose a test drive in an Escalade EXT would assure me. ?If they "fixed" a problem for the caddy owners, then surely they could fix it for us menial Av owners ?:)

And nope, no brass pole in the daughter's bedroom. ?Here's a shot of the new toy. Pardon the dirt, I haven't washed it in a few days.

MVC-133S.JPG
 
Whew, looks like everyones got at least SOME flapping ??? One thing I found was causing it for me was the rubber hinge covers on each side of the hood (which explain why the noise seems to come from the windshield). They tend to flap quite a bit at high speed. Taped mine down and went for a ride and no noise. Thought about cutting them off but didn't want to lose that hinge U.V. protection :2:
 
SgtSchultz said:
I am ready to buy an Avalanche and the last one I test drove, I noticed the wind noise. ?Noise came on at 30mph and grew from there. ?No bug shield. ?2003 5.3L Z66.

I thought it might be the roof rack, but it had no roof rack. ?Sound definitely coming from the top corner of the windshield on both driver and passenger side.

Dealer guy in the passenger seat played dumb; said he never heard the noise and no one has ever complained about it. ?I hope Chevy fixey this cause me no place order until they fixey.
Click to expand...

This topic surprises me, I have a 2002, 2500, only options it does not have are a bug shield, roof rack or sunroof. I have no wind noise at any speed. As a mater of fact I traded my 2001 Suburban in on the AV and the first thing I noticed about the AV was the lack of wind noise compared to the Suburban.
 
Just fixed my flapping noises. I had both the rubber hinge cover noises, and the window trim noises. Mine were caused by a hood scoop and/or the grille guard I installed, don't know which since I installed them about the same time. Seems like anything done to the front end could cause the flapping noises. This thread really helped in fixing it, thanks guys!   
 
Do 05s have the same problem or has it been corrected during the assembly process?  I am getting a GM deflector with the AV logo on it and an wondering if I will need to do any mods to correct wind noise?
 
Iceberg said:
Do 05s have the same problem or has it been corrected during the assembly process? I am getting a GM deflector with the AV logo on it and an wondering if I will need to do any mods to correct wind noise?
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not a mod...a part of the installation process of bug deflectors is to glue down the windshield trim...

and you will have to do it...or run the risk of hearing the noise of a thousand bugs hitting your windsheild...

check this article...

CAFCNA Magazine - March 2002: What Is That Flapping Noise???
 
I have read all the posts.? No one says if they have the problem on their 05.? I called it a mod because I consider ANY modification to the vehicle either seen or unseen is a modification to the original state of the vehicle.? ?Sorry if I use the wrong verbage.? :eek:
I guess I will have to wait until I install it and see if it makes any noise.  Thanks!
 
Try it on your 05 and see. Mine is an 02, but the noise only came from one side.. ???  Just put the tape on the one side, noise gone. It that respect, nothing has changed between the 02 and 05.

AVid
 
No wind noise from mine yet. I installed a BugFlector II on my AV about 2 months ago. I have yet to notice any flapping, but now that this topic has been brought to my attention, I'm sure I'll notice something the next time I am on the highway :E: :beating:
 
Hello all....bought an '05 demo in Dec. with low miles, decked out with bug guard, window vent guards, sunroof, wire grill........noticed wind noise at windshield on test drive, and was assured it could be fixed.? It's not an air leak, more like a wind rush on the windshield. Have carried the truck in and the dealership mechanic actually heard the noise, it starts at about 40 mph, and gets louder. They took it and had the windshield re-sealed, which did nothing. This weekend, I removed the bug guard and windshield vents to test, no luck. I also took some plastic and put it over the grill for a short run to see if it was that with no luck. The only things left are the xmradio and onstar antennas, and I really don't think that's it..... :E: :help:
 
The unexplained flapping issue sounds as much of a difficult issue to pin point as the obvious answer to the following question is to overlook.............a electric train is traveling downhill towards the east at 30 mph into a 40mph headwind which direction does the smoke from it's boiler blow?
 
'05 LT 2wd - definite wind noise coming from flapping of the windshield moldings.  Happens at 50 mph and above and most pronounced when travelling against the wind which seems to be all I do around here.  Is the wind ever at my back?  Same thing happened with my '04.  Was told it was the bug shield that the dealer installed that deflects the wind differently.  I say bullcrap with a $30k vehicle.  Just another thing that drives me crazy about this car.  Does GM wonder why they are in the trouble they are in. 

I'm not into double sided tape on a brand new vehicle - is there a service bulletin on this or a more permanent fix I could convince my dealer to do?
 
Jman said:
'05 LT 2wd - definite wind noise coming from flapping of the windshield moldings.? Happens at 50 mph and above and most pronounced when travelling against the wind which seems to be all I do around here.? Is the wind ever at my back?? Same thing happened with my '04.? Was told it was the bug shield that the dealer installed that deflects the wind differently.? I say bullcrap with a $30k vehicle.? Just another thing that drives me crazy about this car.? Does GM wonder why they are in the trouble they are in.?

I'm not into double sided tape on a brand new vehicle - is there a service bulletin on this or a more permanent fix I could convince my dealer to do?
Click to expand...

If you are not into double sided tape you are in for a shock! There is a lot of it on the Avalanche right from the factory. I think that is the permanent fix.

Butch
 
I installed my GM Bug deflector the other day.? At first no noise but then I started to notice it around 65 or 70mph.? The deflector is for an 05 and it did come with the extra 3M tape. A few of the mechanics at the dealership I work for had the same problem.? They either used the 3M tape or silicon on the windshield molding to fix the problem.? We will be putting the 3M tape on mine Friday

 

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Jman said:
I'm not into double sided tape on a brand new vehicle - is there a service bulletin on this or a more permanent fix I could convince my dealer to do?
Click to expand...
Silicone it to glass
Super glue
Single sided tape doubled back on itself to be double sided tape

I guess the point is the only way to stop the noise is to fix the window trim to the glass so it will not flap in the turbulent air...

OR

Remove your bug delfector...
 
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