Are Yaris' just noisy cars?

[nasamorpheus]

Toyota try to reduce wind noise but they have big problem with road noise and of course engine..

[SouperChris]

There is a problem with the door seal that results in some noise. I've not come across a solution, but a fix certainly would help as it's right next to the ear 

[JCT-DK]

What problem would that be? Problems from bad manufacturing?

[Guest]

13 hours ago, Lawnmowerman said:

Well, not now - I can't hear my Omega Speedmaster - but that may have more to do with my hearing 😀.

Or it's still on The Moon?

 

13 hours ago, Lawnmowerman said:

The loudest thing in a Rolls-Royce was - my watch!

It used to be said that a Rolls Royce owner changed to a newer one when the ashtray was full.

[clonzana]

On 7/3/2023 at 10:52 PM, bathtub tom said:

Have you owned the car from new? If not could it have had some accident damage repair that left panel gaps creating noise?

That's a good point - I bought it used, and it had been in an accident. As a result, there's quite a significant panel gap between the bumper, headlight and side panel - could this be a source of wind noise specifically?

[Trewithy]

My Corolla is the best but noisiest car I have had in a long time.  I can't hear the engine but there is a lot of road noise especially from the back end. Also the windows are so thin I can hear other vehicles pass by as if the window or door is not shut properly.  However I would still consider another Toyota as my next car, there are so many positives about the car that I am prepared to overlook a few negatives, after all I haven't owned a perfect car yet.  

[TonyHSD]

57 minutes ago, clonzana said:

That's a good point - I bought it used, and it had been in an accident. As a result, there's quite a significant panel gap between the bumper, headlight and side panel - could this be a source of wind noise specifically?

Yes, of course and very likely a source of these issues.
We had two exactly same Aurises bought used.  
One of them had accident repair signs and replaced windscreen, obviously a poor quality work as there was a widescreen sealant missing bottom left corner. The results were horrible wind noise , engine noise and when braking the regenerative sound was much more pronounced than the other car.
That was not all, the worst was that at motorway speeds you can literally feel a wind blowing into your face from the bottom left corner of the dashboard where meets the windscreen. And this was official Toyota dealer Approved used car , what a joke 😂👌

[clonzana]

4 minutes ago, TonyHSD said:

Yes, of course and very likely a source of these issues.
We had two exactly same Aurises bought used.  
One of them had accident repair signs and replaced windscreen, obviously a poor quality work as there was a widescreen sealant missing bottom left corner. The results were horrible wind noise , engine noise and when braking the regenerative sound was much more pronounced than the other car. That wax not all, the worst was that at motorway speeds you can literally feel a wind blowing into your face from the bottom left corner of the dashboard where meets the windscreen. And this was official Toyota dealer Approved used car , what a joke 😂👌

Thanks. I also note that the rubber trim around the windscreen is not perfectly flush with the glass. However, I was under the impression that this trim is not sealing the windscreen as such, more just protecting it. How can you "see" the sealant, or did you only know this retrospectively once it had been sorted? Thanks

[TonyHSD]

1 minute ago, clonzana said:

Thanks. I also note that the rubber trim around the windscreen is not perfectly flush with the glass. However, I was under the impression that this trim is not sealing the windscreen as such, more just protecting it. How can you "see" the sealant, or did you only know this retrospectively once it had been sorted? Thanks

Well, I work on cars and also I have seen few windscreen replacements including on Auris like this and I have an idea what could possibly cause the issue. On the other Auris also had a windscreen replacement but luckily that time there are no noises at all, yet another small issue, the windscreen seats 5-10mm higher and protrude a bit over the roofline, typical fitting signature by autoglass uk.
At least no noise and no water leaks, which actually the other car in question had them both. 
Another thing to look at if you have wind noises around side windows area is to lower the windows a bit and clean them properly both sides along the edge through the entire window length. 
These tips may help a bit if there are no other issues, like poor previous repairs. 👍

[bathtub tom]

1 hour ago, clonzana said:

That's a good point - I bought it used, and it had been in an accident. As a result, there's quite a significant panel gap between the bumper, headlight and side panel - could this be a source of wind noise specifically?

It's not going to help. You could put some sticky tape over the gap temporarily and see if the situation improves.

[clonzana]

Just now, bathtub tom said:

It's not going to help. You could put some sticky tape over the gap temporarily and see if the situation improves.

So it's *not* a potential source of wind noise? The gaps are about an inch.

[TonyHSD]

If you don’t feel a wind blowing from inside and the noise coming exactly from that area then gaps aren’t an issue. 
Generaly speaking Toyota cars are noisier than some other brands like to like, and VW polo is indeed much quieter car. 

[Cyker]

If the gaps were making a nose I suspect it'd manifest more as an annoying whistle or tone than just wind rushing. My Mk2 had panel gaps you could put a finger in but was still a fairly quiet car (Well, except when I was wringing its neck trying to overtake something  ).

My first Mk1 had an annoying whistle/tone at exactly 63mph, but weirdly my 2nd Mk1 didn't...! They were both D4Ds made in japan, both post-facelift, same trim level - practically identical! The only big difference was one was 3-door and the other was 5-door!  

My Mk4 thankfully has no such thing, just a fairly high background noise, but it doesn't really bother me - I figure it has a JBL sound system so why not use it  

 

[corradovr6]

I would check all the seals are intact and not split anywhere. Press them as though the door is closing on them to see if there are any 'hidden' splits.

If all ok then put some grease around each seal and close the door. Then open it and see where the grease has come off onto the frame. Where it hasn't is where there is a potential.noise source. 

If you have access to an air compressor, with someone sitting in the car use the blower attachment and run it around the door frame, window frame or anywhere else you suspect. The person inside will be able to hear or detect the change in noise, not dissimilar in principle to blowing across an empty bottle. 

Do let us know how you get on

[bathtub tom]

2 hours ago, corradovr6 said:

If all ok then put some grease around each seal

I'd be very careful about using any petrochemical compound on door seals. I've been known to use furniture polish.

[clonzana]

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I have tried the following to no avail:

1) using tape to seal up the huge panel gaps. No difference.

2) sealed up the quarter light window as well as all of the moulding around the windscreen. No difference.

3) used silicone grease on the door seals to make them more supple.

In the rain, it appears to be less of a problem. It's not a high pitched whistle, it's more of a low pitched bellowing wind that almost feels like it is making its way through the thin doors.

In the bottom corner of the window (where it meets the door frame), I noticed that there is a small gap where the weatherstripping doesn't meet the door frame both internally and externally. When driving, I can put my ear to it and notice that there is quite a bit of sound coming through. Given that it's the smallest of gaps, and the weatherstripping is "curved" at the end, I'm struggling to think of a way to seal this particular gap.

 

Could it just be that the doors are extremely thin and it's just heavy crosswinds as opposed to any particular leak?

Finally, I note that the windscreen moulding is very "moveable" i.e. you can basically peel it from the windscreen. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm assuming this is not necessarily indicative of a failing seal in the windscreen? There's a chance that my taping of the windscreen moulding is not perfect, but I'd still expect the noise to be a higher pitched whistle instead of feeling like my car is getting blown around by the wind? 

 

It could also be a lack of acoustic glass...

 

Thanks again.

[Cyker]

Most of the noise in mine is definitely from the road - Whenever I go on this new type of tarmac they've been laying here, it's suddenly so quiet it's like someone pressed the mute button  

 

[bathtub tom]

6 hours ago, clonzana said:

Finally, I note that the windscreen moulding is very "moveable" i.e. you can basically peel it from the windscreen.

Your windscreen is 'glued' in. If you can peel back a piece of moulding, I suspect there's something wrong. Does it let water in when it rains? Can you post a picture?

[Cyker]

I don't know about the Mk3, but the Mk4 windscreen has a sort of rubber gasket thing around it. Not sure why, maybe to stop stuff getting under the 'edge' or to help fitment?

It doesn't hold the windscreen in in any way

[corradovr6]

On 7/6/2023 at 10:38 PM, bathtub tom said:

I'd be very careful about using any petrochemical compound on door seals. I've been known to use furniture polish.

Another alternative is, believe it or not, toothpaste!

[Lawnmowerman]

On 7/5/2023 at 10:04 AM, olonas said:

Or it's still on The Moon?

 

It used to be said that a Rolls Royce owner changed to a newer one when the ashtray was full.

To infinity and beyond.................😀

[Lawnmowerman]

On 7/6/2023 at 10:38 PM, bathtub tom said:

I'd be very careful about using any petrochemical compound on door seals. I've been known to use furniture polish.

I use Gummi Pflege and no sticking doors in winter (works well on sunroofs too).

[Cyker]

I initially read that as Gummi bears and was confused

[Big_D]

21 hours ago, Lawnmowerman said:

I use Gummi Pflege and no sticking doors in winter (works well on sunroofs too).

I use it too. Have for years now. It's brilliant. I even use it on the rubber door trim on my front door of the house

[MarkBUK]

On 7/5/2023 at 11:32 AM, Trewithy said:

Also the windows are so thin I can hear other vehicles pass by as if the window or door is not shut properly.  

Fits with my theory. To boost fuel economy, Toyota is fitting thinner, lighter glass, especially in the side windows. Shortly after getting my mk4 Yaris I was caught in a traffic jam on the M25. My car static, same for the lane to the right. I could hear a conversation, thought the radio had come on and was playing a speech programme by mistake. Realised it was a guy in a Transit next to me, in the passenger seat, window wound down, chatting to the driver. Would never have heard that in my previous car (Fiesta).