Need help finding source of high-pitched wind noise

[ArtThouFeeling]

Hey everyone!

I know it's a somewhat common theme with Tesla and wind noise, but this one is being extremely elusive. I can't find posts with a similar description/noise, so I thought I'd ask if anyone else knows where to look. I have a noise that seems to come from the driver's side "wing" window. It doesn't happen all the time, but certain strips of road make it pretty repeatable. It seems to happen more frequently when wind is coming from the passenger side and I"m driving; it doesn't happen when stopped.

I've taken it to Tesla twice, but was unable to duplicate it on our drive (of course!), so nothing was done other than ensuring the window was aligned. They essentially said if I bring it in again, it'll be a couple of days to troubleshoot and that it may not be covered under warranty since wind noise is specifically called out as not covered. Welp, I hate paying money when I know they're not going to find anything right away, so I decided to try and pinpoint the source myself. I started small by taping off where I thought the noise would be coming from, but nothing helped. Today I finally said screw it, and taped the whole damn door and side of the windshield... noise was still there. I'm absolutely flabbergasted.

Am I missing something? Where else could wind be coming in from to cause noises like this.. any ideas? I appreciate any help you can provide!

Video of it happening. Depending on what you're listening from, it may be hard to hear, but it's a lot more obvious in person. It's easier to hear towards the end at 23 seconds since I'm slowing down and the road noise is less:

Below is what I did. I took a picture after removing the tape that was covering the bottom seal and window, and there's electrical tape covering the whole left side of the windshield:

 

[youngmcdonald]

Such thing would drive me nuts. I had a Model 3 and a door grille rattle almost made me sell the car among other reasons. Service center is a manual-friendly college dropouts for the most part for many car brands these days with good mechanics super busy and therefore hard to be assigned to your car, so mostly useless.

I am back with a Model Y and while so far so good, I dread these noises. I know exactly what you’re going through (going crazy).

Here is what you should try.

1. Open the front doors. Right where the top hinge is, you’ll see a tunnel like opening that goes toward the frunk. Push some thick foam into that gap. Jam it in. Just make sure you can remove the foam again. Do it on both driver and passenger sides and test again.

2. The nature of the sound tells me that it’s coming from a very small opening as it’s almost a whistle. While driving excessively safely, on the roads where you get this sound, fold your mirrors and see if the whistle goes away completely. If it does, something is up with those side mirrors. If sound is still present, your mirror alignment is ok. I have a feeling that there is something going on with the mirrors.

3. I know they checked for windows alignment but you’re absolutely sure that the glass is closed all the way yes? What happens if you open the windows a little bit? Does the sound go away?

 

[ArtThouFeeling]

You're right, it's a sound that definitely drives me up the wall! I appreciate your response.. definitely going to shove some foam in that hole. Sounds like it may be the culprit (crossing my fingers).

I did think it could also be something with the mirror as well, so I wanted to fold them in while the sound was happening, but from what I remember it doesn't allow you to while driving. Is there some kind of bypass to allow that?

I also tried bringing the window down every so slightly like I've read others do, but the sound is still there up until the window is slightly opened. I'm assuming the incoming air overtakes the sound at that point.

 

[jkdman123]

It could be the mirror.

 

[youngmcdonald]

You're right, it's a sound that definitely drives me up the wall! I appreciate your response.. definitely going to shove some foam in that hole. Sounds like it may be the culprit (crossing my fingers).

I did think it could also be something with the mirror as well, so I wanted to fold them in while the sound was happening, but from what I remember it doesn't allow you to while driving. Is there some kind of bypass to allow that?

I also tried bringing the window down every so slightly like I've read others do, but the sound is still there up until the window is slightly opened. I'm assuming the incoming air overtakes the sound at that point.

Ah, the mirror fold may be disabled during driving.

Take a cloth shoebag and shove it on the mirrors and tightly tie it down (essentially cover the mirror) and see.

 

[ArtThouFeeling]

Actually, I was able to fold the mirrors as long as I was going relatively slow (20mph?). When the noise was happening at that low of a speed, I folded the mirrors in, but of course nothing changed; noise persisted.

I just got done shoving some foam I had from a spare pelican case in all the nooks and crannies of the fender this morning before heading to work....noise still present. This sucks, no matter what I do, it's still there with no change in intensity/pitch. I'll continue to throw more foam/tape at it and will hopefully update this thread when I find the cause. Appreciate your inputs!

 

[ArtThouFeeling]

Forgot to add the pictures... would be nice if we could edit our posts.

 

[BenM3P]

"It doesn't happen all the time, but certain strips of road make it pretty repeatable."

Finally someone with a similar problem to mine! I, too, am chasing a mysterious noise, very similar to yours in location and sound. I've also taped the car and stuffed foam in the same places to no avail. My noise sometimes can be tolerated or even disappears, and then on other days, is back in full force.

Because of that I suspect the source must be something "flexible". Have you tried somehow "manipulating" the seals / weatherstripping on your driver's door? Does it look still OK?