No. I indicated in my very first post, that I don't have crossbars, etc. I'm at a loss as to what it could be

 

sorry, I missed that.

 

Oh no problem, I just thought I'd mention it again, several people keep asking me. I tried to do my homework before I bugged everyone here!

I did so much research and searching on the forums before I made my own thread, I read all about the cross bars, so I ran right out to check to see if I had them (excited, thinking I had figured it out!) and of course, no cross bars. We've tried so many different things, I've literally had my car taped up one side and down the other, with a million tests drives in between. I even got in the car and he TAPED ME COMPLETELY inside the car...lol..windshield, doors, I taped over the little side vents on the doors, the sunroof, etc. Still there! Air is getting in somewhere! Frustrating

 

Have you taped over the passenger side air intake on the hood?

 

I'm almost embarrassed to admit how much time and all the things we've done to try and find this problem, before I came here LOL

No..we didn't tape the actual outside of that intake vent..Maybe we should try that...but we did investigate that box underneath it. When we took off the black case, we saw the big empty space in there with the filter. When the AC/Heater is on that automatic doors stays open..my husband completely blocked that with a towel into that box over the filter to block any air flow. Same noise still there when I drove it. He also double checked and that automatic door thing that goes up and down sure seems to seal completely. He checked the seal all around and it looks fine. UGH!

When I say we've tried everything...I mean...We even took off the WINDSHIELD WIPERS... to see if THEY were causing a weird drag. Sound still there! My husband said the only thing he can't tape up 100% is the bottom of the windshield because of how it has that plastic piece/cover that goes right on top of the firewall in the engine compartment. (not sure I'm explaining what he just told me correctly.) We taped over it but he said air might still be able to get in to the bottom of the windshield,from the engine compartment? Ugh.. So you can see why I'm so frustrated!

My only guess, after all of our troubleshooting, is that somehow the windshield just isn't sealed correctly..and when driving, maybe it flexes a little and allows air to get in. I said that to my husband and he didn't think it would flex but hey--stranger things have happened. Maybe they didn't put enough sealer goop or whatever they use. Ya never know?

Maybe the dealer knows somewhere to check that we don't know; I'm hoping!

 

even more embarrassing is the fact that I've done ALL THIS..and maybe they will tell me this is just "normal wind noise" LOL

 

Some more taping adventure. We taped up the air intake boxes (both). Stuffed towels in the area behind that (close to windshield) taped up the headlights, side of hood, up to the windshield.







WIND NOISE IS STILL THERE. Dealer here we come. My husband is ready to divorce me

 

Never. As stated before, considering what you've bought, you should have high expectations. It's not being whiney or whatever, it's making sure you got what you paid for.

 

Take it to the dealer at this point.

 

Hmmm..Today was a beautiful day here...I think I figured out a "bandaid" fix for the irritating wind noise in the cabin:

I found that if I slide the sunroof open all the way, the windnoise that has been bugging me disappears. I can't even hear it over the wind noise from the sunroof

Dealer on Friday!

 

or you could just turn the radio up really high

 

True that

 

Boy we had a windy day here in Southern California. Made this wind noise even louder. I wondered how it would sound if it were actually windy outside--Now I know!

 

Little update. Our appointment is for tomorrow to go down to the LA dealership to have them replace the defective NOX sensor thing. My husband once again told them about the wind noise issue and the service advisor he said he wasn't sure how to really deal with that, because we'd need to make an appointment with a salesman to "test drive" a new car and he wasn't sure if they would do that? Ugh... Can't the SA just have a 350GL there to compare it with? why would we need to make an appointment with a salesman. That would be a waste of that salesman's time. This is a service issue, not a sales issue?

We are thinking we will just have this dealership fix this NOX sensor and be done with them and move to a dealership closer to ours. We rode in a friends GL350 (2010) and there is NO wind noise in that thing. There is definitely something wrong with mine

Here is today's wind noise. If anything, it gets worse. I have NO idea what the high pitched squealing noises are. It happens twice. Today it was REALLY loud in my car. I just held the phone in my hand on the steering wheel facing up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Btqx8l-pok

 

Now that you've had a chance to compare yours to another 350, I would just find a service advisor that wants your business and ask them to fix it. No more tape, test drives etc. Just tell them you've ridden in another one and that there is clearly a problem with yours.

I had a similar problem with a body panel and gasket (didn't cause wind noise though) and it took going to a second dealership to get it fixed. First sa just blew it off, the second got the fact that I had paid a lot of money for the car and that it needed to be fixed. He has all my business now. Just like in any other field, there is a wide range of attentiveness among service advisors.

 

Tell them you want to fix the wind noise as you've rode in another 350 and it is not normal and you want it fixed as part of your upcoming visit.

 

Agreed.

I think there's a very high probability that the front windshield gasket was not installed correctly. That's a pretty easy fix.

- Mark

 

oh really good thinking. now that he triggered my memory, we had a new windshield installed in our porsche this summer. on the highway it made a very bad whistling / wind type noise. it came from the lower portion of the windshield. they came out and resealed it and it was fixed.

 

I'm SOOO crossing my fingers that's it and can be fixed no problem! (and they don't give me any problems doing it!)

I hate being such a complainer, because I really do LOVE the car! (except when I'm driving it.) lol..

Heading in tomorrow at 1. I'll update with what they say. If they won't help me, I'll go to the dealer closer to us!

Thanks for everyone's insight on this. I appreciate having a place to come ask questions and vent.

T.

 

I also have a 2011 GL 350 and the wind noise is minimal. My previous car was a 2007 BMW 750i. When I drove the 350 on the freeway I was expecting to hear more wind noise due to the large frontal area compared to my BMW which by the way I thought was VERY quiet. I was surprised to hear minimal noise on the 350 even at speeds above 90mph. You should test drive another car at the dealership for comparison. Did you go on the test drive with the technician when they tried to reproduce the noise?

Good luck!

 

Ugh! Well..if you are getting quiet wind noise even at 90mph, there is no doubt something wrong with my car..lol...I get it starting about 45-50mph...I have never taken the car to 90, but I can only imagine it's even worse up there LOL!

 

I took the GL into the dealer today down in LA. (Keyes). The SA listened to my recording, definitely could hear the wind noise on there, had the actual technician come out, listen to it..definitely could hear it, but was just suprised it was actually from my GL...so we went on a test drive....

You cannot get to 65mph really, on those freeways LOL...And..the noise from the road (with the run flats, etc) combined with all the big clanking trucks and traffic...you couldn't really hear the wind noise at 45-50mph (as it's lower there) than at 65. When I did get to 65..he would start to hear it but we'd have to slow WAY down, of course, which makes the wind die down. Even I admit, on that 405 freeway, the wind noise seems like the least of your worries. It is just absolutely ridiculously loud all around you, any way you look at it. The technician DID say he could hear the wind noise, but he said there was no way he could even begin to hear where it was coming from with all the other noise around him. He totally believed me, he was really a nice guy. We spent about 20 minutes trying to get it to where he could hear the noise and it just wasn't going to work. Traffic, even at 1pm on a Friday, on the 405..just wasn't good

He advised me to take it to our local dealer here. He said they would be able to help me far more than he could because he said there is just no way to diagnose it there. I understood. I wanted to be upset with him, but he really did try to help me out.

So..we are taking the car to the dealer here in a couple days. We actually just built a pool for a guy who knows one of the mechanics at the dealership--He said he is going to make a few calls for us-- (this is the same guy whose GL350 is quiet with no wind buffeting.) The mechanic I talked to today told me he doesn't really know "how" a GL should sound at freeway speeds..they don't really get them up to 65 around there!? LOL..So...back to the drawing board.

They did replace my already defective NOX sensor. He said he's only seen ONE of them ever go out. It's odd that it went out after only a few hundred miles he said.

I will keep everyone updated. I am still convinced that I have a defective gasket in my windshield (as someone else mentioned.) This noise, on a decently smooth road (with no grooves that make these run flats so loud), is UN-MISSABLE.

Thanks to everyone!
T.

 

Don't give in to their excuses. They have to fix this for you. They should give you a loaner and hold on to your car until the issue is addressed!

 

I agree..But my issue is, how do you "convince" the SA (or technician) that this isn't "normal" windnoise. The ones down at the LA dealer both said, "yes, I hear that but I don't really know what normal wind noise IS for this vehicle." I politely tell them that Mercedes says the GL has BARELY NOTICEABLE wind noise. Does this seem BARELY noticeable to you? Of course, it's a constant apparent wind noise/buffetting above 50mph. So to ME..that doesn't constitute "barely noticeable."

My husband is having his friend who knows a tech at the MB dealer closer to us, give them a call to warn them ahead of time of our issue and we'll go from there. Believe me, I'm NOT letting this go..there is really something wrong with my windshield!

Tam

 

I looked at your pictures showing taped areas. Did you try the top of the windshield, the top side rails, the moon roof, and the side mirrors?