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      10-11-2021, 03:36 AM   #1
matowi
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Dears,

Just picked up a new G11 740d (European) from a dealer. Got it as an ex-demo car (in fact it was operated by an airline to shuttle first class passengers to their planes)

The car had around 3k miles (4.5k km) when I got it, so it's pretty new

As much as I like the car (especially the looks on 21" m performance wheels), I am rather disappointed and concerned with the noise level in the cabin

Road noise coming from the tires is low, engine noise is low, but the wind is unacceptable. At highway speeds there's no point turning the audio on, as the music would have to play really loud to break through the wind noise generated around the A and B pillars. I found myself fiddling with the side window buttons just to check if both front windows are closed all the way up. The noise is much above the levels I was used to in my 2015 F10, not to mention a Volvo V90 I had recently and which sported the double glazing feature and was dead silent inside

I will welcome any suggestions where to look for the causes of my car's wind problem. I did search through the forum before writing here, but haven't found much

Thank you!

And, oh… here she is:
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      10-11-2021, 07:17 AM   #2
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Silly question, the windows are all 100% closed?
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      10-11-2021, 09:28 AM   #3
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Something is amiss somewhere. I've had two G12's and the wind noise levels are very low at highway speeds. I have been on several long trips where highway speeds generally ranged from 55-60 mph to 75-85 mph. As speed increases of course there is slightly more wind noise (mainly from the mirrors I think) but it has never interfered with listening to the radio or music.

I would check door/window seals but I am no expert on this.
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      10-11-2021, 10:31 AM   #4
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Acoustic glass does not come as standard on these vehicles. That might be the problem. Also, if the noise is “much” above, that might be a seal issue. Worth test driving another 7 to confirm.
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      10-11-2021, 11:49 AM   #5
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I have an LCI 7 as well, I used a DB meter app today to test the sound at 70mph on fairly smooth tarmac at it was 64-65db which is pretty quiet and feels it to me, the road then changed to a coarser surface (more typical of the UK's roads) and the noise jumped to 68-69db but all the noise was road noise no noticeable wind noise.

Here she is showing off her big grilles.
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      10-11-2021, 12:43 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AP View Post
Silly question, the windows are all 100% closed?
Hahaha

Yes, windows are pulled all the way up and closed tightly
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      10-11-2021, 04:39 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by matowi View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by AP View Post
Silly question, the windows are all 100% closed?
Hahaha

Yes, windows are pulled all the way up and closed tightly
I still have a gripe with how noisy my 750 is. Took it to the dealership multiple times for creaks and rattles, some of which were rectified, others not at all.

The wind noise/road noise was a huge concern of mine as well. Especially horrible when there's precipitation on the ground. Noticed there was a couple millimeter difference between the rear and front door trim piece which led me to believe that's where the noise was coming from. Dealer said it was within spec so the problem persists.

Overall I've been very disappointed with the fit & finish of their "flagship" car. Looking forward to the lease ending this January so I can get into something more refined like a Panamera.
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      10-14-2021, 02:55 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wills2 View Post
I have an LCI 7 as well, I used a DB meter app today to test the sound at 70mph on fairly smooth tarmac at it was 64-65db which is pretty quiet and feels it to me, the road then changed to a coarser surface (more typical of the UK's roads) and the noise jumped to 68-69db but all the noise was road noise no noticeable wind noise.

Here she is showing off her big grilles.
Oh, lovely shot! Is that dravit gray?
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      10-14-2021, 03:00 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mile muncher View Post
Acoustic glass does not come as standard on these vehicles. That might be the problem. Also, if the noise is "much" above, that might be a seal issue. Worth test driving another 7 to confirm.
I did test against a demo car the dealer had. Same spec as mine: 740d, no acoustic glass. Wind noise is esoteric… to me the demo was much quieter, the dealer disagreed…

Suffices to say, they did not rectify the problem. And now I'm left to my own devices… first thing I'll do, will be to purchase some second-hand acoustic glass for side windows. Should be much easier to replace than the front screen (this I don't want to touch, unless it's absolutely necessary)

Plan B is to give the car to some expert garage that deals with sound deadening in cars. Having done a few calls I gather BMWs are a frequent sight in those places and enjoy poor reputation among the sound experts (one said straight away: worst German make in terms of soundproofing; MB being much better apparently)
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      10-14-2021, 03:37 PM   #10
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Oh, lovely shot! Is that dravit gray?
Yes it is, it really changes colour in bright sunlight almost looks brown in that shot.
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      10-14-2021, 04:07 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by matowi View Post

Suffices to say, they did not rectify the problem. And now I'm left to my own devices… first thing I'll do, will be to purchase some second-hand acoustic glass for side windows. Should be much easier to replace than the front screen (this I don't want to touch, unless it's absolutely necessary)
Given that your car is still under warranty, is there any merit in trying a different dealer, or talking to BMW Customer Services, as they may be able to get your local main dealer to be more receptive to the issue. As soon as you start making your own changes, they may not be as receptive.
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      10-14-2021, 04:10 PM   #12
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I had the same problem with my 740d, it was quite laud when getting up to speed. Complained to the dealer, but the result was as usual: it's normal, every G11 has the same.

Then after switching to 750i its day and night, either its the double-glass or mirror parts were properly fitted this time. But still not as quiet as an S-class
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      10-15-2021, 07:43 AM   #13
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It might be a faulty window or door seal . May not be obvious but worth a check.
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      10-15-2021, 05:24 PM   #14
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Seals seem okay… this the dealer confirmed

The wind noise appears along the whole length of the A-pillar, starting from the base and going along the roofline towards the B-pillar. This does point to seals or door alignment, but… this was apparently checked and is in line with OEM spec

Will report when I find any second-hand acoustic glass
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      10-15-2021, 06:27 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by matowi View Post
Seals seem okay… this the dealer confirmed

The wind noise appears along the whole length of the A-pillar, starting from the base and going along the roofline towards the B-pillar. This does point to seals or door alignment, but… this was apparently checked and is in line with OEM spec

Will report when I find any second-hand acoustic glass
Have you recorded the decibels via a DB app? I ask this as mine is whisper quiet really (although most of my cars have been M cars)

Download an app and record the decibels it will be interesting to compare.
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      10-15-2021, 09:51 PM   #16
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Seat ventilation turned off? Those suckers are loud!
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      10-16-2021, 07:55 AM   #17
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Seat ventilation off
Got the decibel app. Will measure in a couple of hours and report back
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      10-16-2021, 11:19 AM   #18
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Do you hear this same noise from the passenger side door? If not, suggests the driver’s door probably needs adjustment. Within oem spec might not necessarily mean it’s situated on the seal ideally. Happened to me after a door replacement after a minor accident. The drivers door, in my opinion, wasn’t adjusted as tightly against the seals as before so starting from 60-70 mph, there would be this whistling noise from a similar area as you’re describing (diff vehicle though). This wasn’t the case with the old door. Passenger side unaffected by this problem.
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      10-16-2021, 01:48 PM   #19
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Good point. Checked today, and…

1) must have downloaded a crappy dB app, or it's completely misaligned. On my iPhone 12, the read out was below 60 dB at 100mph (160 km/h). Impossible
2) both front doors generate similar wind noise
3) it's noticeably quieter in the back
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      10-16-2021, 11:28 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by matowi View Post
Good point. Checked today, and…

1) must have downloaded a crappy dB app, or it's completely misaligned. On my iPhone 12, the read out was below 60 dB at 100mph (160 km/h). Impossible
2) both front doors generate similar wind noise
3) it's noticeably quieter in the back
Funny you say that - the LCI press release indicates that BMW indeed increased soundproofing in the rear relative to pre LCI. They added additional soundproofing in B pillar, rear seatbelt outlet covers, rear seat backrest, and “optimized shielding of rear wheel arches.” I think these fixes address previous complaints of high road noise entering the rear. However, the front issue still remains. It looks like the only way to reduce wind noise in the front would be to add the acoustic windscreen and side windows, given the nature of high wind turbulence in that area from the side mirrors and A pillar (aka the two most problematic areas of a car for wind noise). This is discussed in this article: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/matthewdepaula/2014/07/31/how-mercedes-made-the-quietest-interior-in-the-world-on-the-2015-s-class-coupe/amp/.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rkZH-qsZxq8

This reviewer notes the decent level of wind noise coming from the front at minute 4:20 (non acoustic glass car). You can also hear it.

FYI the 750i comes standard with front windscreen/side window acoustic glass and also adds acoustic glass to the rear side and rear windows. As someone said above, it’s a day and night difference.
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      10-22-2021, 10:44 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by matowi View Post
Good point. Checked today, and…

1) must have downloaded a crappy dB app, or it's completely misaligned. On my iPhone 12, the read out was below 60 dB at 100mph (160 km/h). Impossible
2) both front doors generate similar wind noise
3) it's noticeably quieter in the back
dB app depends on the mic pick-up IMO.

Everyone has different thresholds for sound and my car has rougly the same 60dB (average) at that speed on concrete road - lowest reading is 57, highest is around 63-ish. It's too quiet in my book, even spooky-quiet sometimes.

Could it be that your ears have gotten used to quiet cabin that even the slightest noise (like wind) becomes very noticeable? I bet you might even hear a feather dropping on the floor

But hey, good luck! Hope you sort it out.
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      10-24-2021, 04:16 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by g11hoonigan View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by matowi View Post
Good point. Checked today, and…

1) must have downloaded a crappy dB app, or it's completely misaligned. On my iPhone 12, the read out was below 60 dB at 100mph (160 km/h). Impossible
2) both front doors generate similar wind noise
3) it's noticeably quieter in the back
dB app depends on the mic pick-up IMO.

Everyone has different thresholds for sound and my car has rougly the same 60dB (average) at that speed on concrete road - lowest reading is 57, highest is around 63-ish. It's too quiet in my book, even spooky-quiet sometimes.

Could it be that your ears have gotten used to quiet cabin that even the slightest noise (like wind) becomes very noticeable? I bet you might even hear a feather dropping on the floor

But hey, good luck! Hope you sort it out.
Well… Thanks

I am known for having replaced all doors in my house, as I was able to hear people talk in their rooms, without wanting to eavesdrop… and yes, I am overly sensitive to noises in my cars. I can recite from memory all creaks, rattles, and squeaks my past cars had… and how I detest the child seats… though, luckily, the one I currently have in the 7er is blissfully quiet (One of the newer BeSafe models, iSize compliant; highly recommended by the way!)

I am not letting my hopes. Will check with some professional car "silencers" and hope this will let me know more about possible ways forward

First world problems… not making a fuss about it
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