I have this annoying whistling of air on my t-top firebird that is evident above 40 mph. I thought it was the ttops but I took black electrical tape, sealed the entire roof tight with it (tops to body) and drove around and still heard it. I checked the door weatherstripping and it all looks tight.

any trick to diagnosing an annoyance like this?

Thanks...

 

Maybe the triangle seals. (Under the A pillar, next to the exterior mirrors).

 

Checked those and they are not the issue. Does anyone know how to diagnosis these air leak problems? It doesnt leak if I put water on the outside of the area where I hear the air whistle.

Kinda driving me nuts. the weatherstripping looks tight. Just wondering how the pros figure this out if someone brings in their car with this issue.

Thanks

 

Fog machine (or something to that effect) and blast the windows.

 

First off...Do you think that it's a whistle from air coming into the passenger compartment or an external fixture on the vehicle. (ex: mirror assembly)

If it were my car i would check the t-tops (previously mentioned) and then the urethane around the windshield. On my 85 Firebird i found the urethane to be disintegrating from age and this was causing a noise concern that i was having. Now that would be considered an external source.

Also, when we had NVH (Noise Vibration and Harshness)at the dealership and suspected a leaking window seal or weather stripping we used to get two people. One sitting inside of the car observing, and one outside with a hose. We also used this technique for water leaks, but sometimes proves to be equally effective to find gaps/ perforations in weather stripping.

You were on the right track using tape but use a wide strip of masking tape as opposed to thinner more flexible electrical tape. I found that electrical tape due to it's thinner nature has to be overlapped on top of itself to cover the same area that one piece of wide masking tape may cover. These seams create more possibilities for wind noises IMO. Plus, electrical tape is more flexible and can catch the wind, which could possibly create more noises. Hope that my rambling can be some help! -Bob

 

Thanks for the replies. I am almost positive it is an air leak and not a fixture. Also this car is like a musuem piece. 89 formula with low miles and immaculate all over (i.e. no rotting weatherstripping, rust, etc.). The rubber under the tops and doors are soft and pliable and nothing is missing. This is why it bothers me so much. I tried hitting the car with water (hose) and nothing. Dry and tight. the way it whistles at 50 mph + leads me to believe it is a very small leak somewhere. As the speed increases 70, 80, etc. the whistling gets worse.

 

Hmm my iroc did this it definitely turned out to be that black plastic triangle near the mirrors.

There was a small gap in the seal.

Doesnt sound like this is the case with your car though.