Weird inside cabin sound when rear windows open on CC.

[sangio]

I own a crew cab, XE. The other day my kids asked me to roll down the two rear windows while driving on the freeway (the other windows remained closed). The sound we heard is so weird it is difficult to explain. It sounds like if you are surrounded by 10 feet woofers pulsating at ~30 Hz. You ears want to explode. We ended up bringing the windows back up. The effect is repeatable at speeds over 50 mph. Its stronger as you go faster. I'm sure it has to do with air pressure. But I don't undrestand why it pulsates.

Has anyone else experienced this?

[CaliforniaTitan]

What your describing is called buffeting....putting your drivers or pass window down about half an inch will get rid of the sound.

A LOT of vehicles do this.

Chris

[SarkaZm]

Yep, Most cars with rear roll down windows do this. My Accord does it to. What CT advised works!

[Ltdan]

AKA wind-throb (no really). Real common when opening a sunroof at speed with all of the windows rolled up.

[sangio]

Thanks for the clarification.

[keane]

My does this badly, even at slow speeds. My little guy was going to spew in the backseat on the weekend. I opened the back window to give him some air and the noise actually made it worse. Thank god he was able to hold it - it would have been a mess to clean up!

[Doghouse]

Had the same thing happen on the maxima the other night. WOW is it a surprize if you are not expecting it!

[dman]

Very, very common unfortunately. Sometimes, it makes you wish the rear windows couldn't be rolled down. Always scares the crap out of me if I am cruising with some friends and someone in the backseat unknowingly rolls down the window and about blows out everyones eardrums...ouch

[Briarman]

Oh Lord...now I've got to try it!

[Canteen Titan]

Have had the same thing happen on other 4-door cars. If you have a sunroof or the sliding rear window open, this should help too I would think. I know opening the sunroof will as I use to do this on my Audi A4.

[Coug]

Car Talk had a good description of the the process at work. Here is what I remember: Rear windows and most sunroofs are located at a point in the car's slipstream that are under positive pressure with respect to the interior. As the air enters the inside of the car, the pressure builds until it is equal to outside slipstream and no more air can get in. It then spills out with a little help from venturi effect, then the process starts again.

[Canteen Titan]

Originally Posted by Coug

Car Talk had a good description of the the process at work. Here is what I remember: Rear windows and most sunroofs are located at a point in the car's slipstream that are under positive pressure with respect to the interior. As the air enters the inside of the car, the pressure builds until it is equal to outside slipstream and no more air can get in. It then spills out with a little help from venturi effect, then the process starts again.

Absolutely! I seem to remember that riding with just the sunroof open and all other windows closed produces the same noise.

[ElNegrito]

Originally Posted by Canteen Titan

Have had the same thing happen on other 4-door cars. If you have a sunroof or the sliding rear window open, this should help too I would think. I know opening the sunroof will as I use to do this on my Audi A4.

Yep, I agree with you Canteen Titan, anytime I want to drive with the rear windows down, I open up the sliding rear window. Absolutely helps reduce the buffeting effect by giving the air some place to flow through