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      11-21-2012, 03:23 PM   #13
X Three
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Drives: 2011 BMW X3 xDrive28i
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Boston, MA

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Wind Noise/Whistling sound around 50-70mph

Glad this post has been started, I was going to post the other day about the very same thing I am experiencing (seems like there are good number of us out there)- a whistling/wind noise that is present at above 50-mph.

The car has made this noise since it was new. I figured it was just something I had to get used to as it is an SUV type auto and I was not expecting complete silence, but the noise does get quite irritating and is also noticed by my passengers, they keep commenting I may have left one of my windows cracked open. It doesn't always occur above 50mph and it is almost not noticeable at all. With the radio off the wind noise is definitely there at times when the car is traveling above 50mph or so. This keeps having me check that all my windows are up. I have seen the other posts about a TSB referencing a possible source as the mirror gaskets/seals.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...=578694&page=3


But the noise I am experiencing sounds like it's coming from higher up near the windshield area or sunroof, so I am not convinced this is the source of the noise I am hearing. I tried to track down the source of this noise and noticed that when I tilt the sunroof open (i.e. tilted-up, not slid back) the whistling noise stops! The interior cabin is actually quieter, again there has to be no other noise (i.e. radio, people talking) for you to notice this. Which got me wondering, as you would think that tilting it up would have more wind noise coming in the car. On my car I noticed that with the roof retracted all the way back the leading edge of the sunroof base (not the glass itself but the opening in the car itself) the rubber seals do not completely go all the way around the front end of the sunroof opening, they stop at the two sides. This seems to have been designed this way, I don't know why, as all the other cars I have had with sunroofs (which btw were very silent) have the rubber seals go all the way around the sunroof opening. I can't help but wonder if this is causing the issue with the wind noise we are hearing for those of us with sunroofs that are hearing this slight high-pitched whistling wind noise.

I love this car but there are some idiosyncrasies with it, I am going to post another problem here about my more serious and recent transmission problem!
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