Strange Pulsating wind Noise!?!?

[HeadlessPonch]

My wife's 2006 Freestyle does the same thing. So did my 2012 Fusion. We call it "helicoptering". Something about new construction creating that tighter air space so the wind has nowhere to go or something. Have to open more windows.

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[Big Willie]

Anyone else experiencing a strange pulsating wind noise that hurts your ears if driving down the road over 45mph with the back windows rolled down? It's so bad you have to roll the windows up or it feels like your eardrums are going to exploded!
It was present before I installed a bed cover and still there afterwards. Very weird!

It's wind buffeting, happens to some extent in every vehicle. Play with your windows and rear slider, you will likley find a combination that eliminates it. I crack the front passenger and rear driver window. Both rears cracked and the buffeting is pretty bad. It was the same combination in my Colorado.

 

[MasterCylinder]

What makes it so strange to me is I've been driving a long time and to many different vehicles to count and this is my first time ever experiencing this phenomenon. Not even my F150 did it that was traded in! Doesn't seem to matter if one windows down, both are down but it's very noticeable and irritating to say the least. We shouldn't have to experiment with window combinations just to roll down a window without irritations! Oh, I need to roll down the right back window for the dog but can't, I have to crack or open window A and window B before I can do that scenario, seems ridiculous you know.

 

[AssolMarandy]

Yes, this can happen when air moves through the cabin at certain speeds. It can cause a pulsing sound with the windows down. Some people fix it by slightly opening a front window or adjusting the rear window angle. It is normal for trucks and SUVs with large openings.

 

[Bushmechanic]

A common issue that's happens in most vehicles.

Helmholtz resonance, also known as wind throb, refers to the phenomenon of air resonance in a cavity, an effect named after the German physicist Hermann von Helmholtz.[1] This type of resonance occurs when air is forced in and out of a cavity (the resonance chamber), causing the air inside to vibrate at a specific natural frequency. The principle is widely observable in everyday life, notably when blowing across the top of a bottle, resulting in a resonant tone.

I recall looking at a 2004 Discovery for the first time and wondering what the canisters attached to the intake hose were for. Someone had gone through a lot of trouble to design and package them.

Turns out they were Helmholtz resonators.

 

[ba15996X50]

Ratio to overall back window size has a lot to do with it. I had a 2001 Sportrac and the rear window was my favorite feature of the car. NO wind buffeting, period. I could have all windows up and the back window down and no issues at all. The Raptor sliding window is a lot small to overall rear window size and that makes all the difference.

 

[YukonRanger]

This is a good sign

Means your cabin is airtight

Roll the windows up or down slightly and it will go away

Physics is a b*tch

 

[ATXian]

Maybe just showing my age.
I don't remember this in the 50's, 60's cars that were built like tanks. No AC so the windows were always down. (Weather permitting).

They might've been built like tanks from a structural standpoint, but they were built like sieves when it came to airtightness—that's why this didn't happen. Nowadays people want things sealed up, and without somewhere for the air coming in to escape, you get wind buffeting.
Cracking open the rear sliding window is probably the most 'efficient' way to fix it.

 

[RANGER PRIDE]

do we still have the vents behind the rear seats that were, I assume, were there to alleviate pressure differential in the cabin?

I rarely drive with the windows down anymore, but have had other vehicles do the thumping. I've actually witnessed the seats moving when it happens. its like the cushion is a drum skin.

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