wind noise cause by the loose tape underneath the side mirror

My friend had this same problem. The dealer said the fix was a new piece of tape. I'm sure there was some reason behind the tape being there, tho it isn't exactly clear to me at the moment. The whistle would appear around 35 mph or so on his. I'm sure a new piece of tape would solve the problem for awhile.

 

The tape is obviously there to keep the mirror from whistling. :madgrin:

 

For permanent-fix, you can fill those screw holes with putty/epoxy, smooth them out and then touch-up paint them black for longevity or weather protection. No more tape issues.

 

I just purchased a certified used 06 Prius and have this wind/whistle noise coming from the driver side window. I checked the mirror and none of the holes had tape so I purchased some clear 3M tape and covered all the holes with no reduction in the noise. Anyone have other suggestions on how to narrow down the source? Having searched the forum some have said it may be a mirror gasket or door molding issue.

Thanks!

 

I think I may have found the source of the whistle noise. I found that the windshield rubber moulding about half way up the A pillar had a slight indentation. Looks like the windshield was replaced at some point (with OEM) and they reused the rubber moulding. Not sure if it's warped or what caused the indentation, but I did what I could to pull out the indentation and the noise is reduced. When I bring the car back for the items promised to be fixed at the time of purchase I'd like to have this windshield moulding replaced. Anyone know if the windshield has to be removed in order to replace the rubber moulding around it?

 

Took it to the dealership and they said that all the weatherstripping was fine and that the noise is normal. They said it was due to the shape of the mirror and I asked them why the passenger side doesn't make the noise and they said because they are reverse shape. Wth. Bothers me enough that I'm looking for aftermarket replacement mirrors now that are smaller and noise free. Any suggestions?

 

Obviously I don't know what your wind noise sounds like, but I have a 2006 and haven't experienced anything like that, unless your ears are much more sensitive than mine (always a possibility). Before you go to the trouble of replacing mirrors, find another 2006 and go for a test drive.

Tom

 

The noise I'm talking about is a wind/whistle noise coming from around the driver side A-pillar. Depending on wind direction and speed it's there and if the radio is off and I'm trying relax it's just annoying. I'll see if I can locate another prius to see if it has the same issue. I think i'm going to remove the tape that I put over the mirror holes too since it didn't see to make a difference.

 

I don't have that, so I don't buy the dealer's argument that it is normal. As an experiment, I would try taping some of the suspected problem spots and see if you hear any difference.

Tom

 

I just saw another thread about wind noise and the source of the problem was the driver side mirror gasket which needed replaced. I'll try taping up around the mirror tonight to see if the gasket is indeed worn.

 

Haven't had a chance to drive another 06 yet, but while driving out to Toledo, OH and back this weekend I played around some. I taped all around the door, mirror and windshield with zero change in wind noise. I did however notice the noise was drastically reduced when i pushed the mirror forward so that the actual mirror was facing away from the car. The dealership told me the noise was normal and a result of the shape of the mirror and I'm half ready to believe it.

 

Decided to take the car to another dealership and told them that I hope they were more competent than the dealership I had been dealing with. That must have been motivating enough because they found the problem fairly quickly and didn't charge me! The problem was insufficient insulation on the driver side mirror where the wires come through into the car.

BTW... my mirrors do not have tape covering the screw holes. Covering them did not make a difference.

 

I just removed the tape on mine. It appears that it's just ragged tape that whistles.

 

SOLUTION FOR: wind noise cause by the loose tape underneath the side mirror

After a month of a high pitch wind noise from my drivers side window, I found the cause. There is a rubber gasket between the side view mirror and the speaker.

To fix the problem(Driver-side):
Open the driver-side door carefully remove the speaker near the side-view mirror. The speaker pops off without any screws.
Next: undo the 3 nuts to remove the side-view mirror. (Be Careful not to let the mirror hit the side of the car...use a towel as protection.)
Next: Between the triangle'd shape plastic piece on the outside of the car and the car frame, you will find a rubber gasket. The gasket is the cause of the noise. My local dealer said I had to buy a completely new mirror to get the new gasket.
I decided to use Two Sided Weather Proofing Foam for window installation. Approximately 1/8 inch thick. Thicker the better I would assume. Cut the foam and adhere it in the same shape as the gasket making sure there is no room for air to get through. Make sure the tape is not on top of each other in the corners as this will create the same noise. It needs to be the same thickness all the way around.

Reinstall the mirror following the reverse instructions above.

Good Luck!

 

Thanks GreenEnergy.... Did this last night and helped big time.

Here you can see me adding insulation behind the mirror. Note the wimpy factory rubber gasket hanging.


Back side of mirror mount that attaches to door panel. Had water in it and gasket basically peeled off when removing side mirror.


Close up of where I added molding/ insulation.



Since the gasket was ripped when removing I took thin double sided tape and covered the area where the gasket was. I suppose you can use silicon or a real gasket. Also taped the area with duct tape and poked holes where bolts/ mounts would poke through. Stuffed some 3x2in foam pieces inside the speaker mount and around that area internally.


Wind noise is gone.