2015 YUKON NOISE IN CABIN

[The Zip]

Nothing personal; but your posting makes my head hurt.

Yeah too much, my bad. Better?

[Nick Useini]

I gave up on returning and the truck. $2000.00. I wasted enough time and money on these issues. I even considered the Escalade and wasn't impressed the same thing, bucket seats have studs sticking out 1" above the floor board in the rear and the carpet looks like patches, the headliner the same, tv's the same, as well as the same thin sheetmetal. I asked the salesman about the ride and have people expressed it being a little harsh and replied "well its a truck" I appreciate his honesty! I wasn't even interested in a test drive at that point.

 

Factory support is a joke, I think they're under the legal department pretending to wanna be helpful to show action was taken and that we do care and we are documenting for legal .. I drive this truck for a living and I cant go to the government like GM did with a banner and expect a bailout. Nope, no government bailouts for us. We need to keep working.

 

- I decided to work with what I have. Getting rid of the Magneride struts and replacing them with Bilstein 5100's isn't as easy as I thought it would be. Need to replace the strut mounts and springs as well. Bilstein doesn't have anything for the LTZ and the springs for the LTZ are also different than the lt. I'm looking at Eibach for a replacement that his zero drop.

[Nick Useini]

The Yukon slt I test drove rode sweet. Anyone jus tried to remove a fuse for the magnetic ride to see if it would ride normal as a Yukon slt. Or even swap struts, of course the fuse is the cheaper way out if that works it's free. If it did I would jus put a switch on that circuit to cut it on and off when I please.

I gave up on magneride with 22" wheels the worst strut I have ever owned! I took one strut out that was flat and it stilled had some type of resistance even though the fluid was gone. My guess with no fuse there would be no dampening.

I decided I'd be going with Bilstein 5100 and Eibach now.

 

SLT is the story of less being more! Stay away from magneride is my advice.

[Del Cee]

I gave up on magneride with 22" wheels the worst strut I have ever owned! I took one strut out that was flat and it stilled had some type of resistance even though the fluid was gone. My guess with no fuse there would be no dampening.

I decided I'd be going with Bilstein 5100 and Eibach now.

 

SLT is the story of less being more! Stay away from magneride is my advice.

I know you deal with these ny potholes so I'm on the same page as you with that. I don't think I can deal with the magneride but I love the denali interior. Info on 17s should be out by now, if same I might need to go with the slt unless changing out the suspension is a reasonable option

[Snoringbear]

Yeah too much, my bad. Better?

Aw, my bad. The old thinker can't multi task like it once could. Actually, you made some good points

[Snoringbear]

Here's an interesting article out of today's WSJ. It's about what the auto industry is doing to mitigate the harmonic oscillation problem, aka wub-wub-wub sensation. Sadly, if you're not a subscriber you'll need to borrow a friends pw to read it. No, I'm not your friend, sorry

 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/cranky-drivers-battle-the-wub-wub-wub-that-comes-from-cracking-a-window-1470683291

[SierraMyst]

Here's an interesting article out of today's WSJ. It's about what the auto industry is doing to mitigate the harmonic oscillation problem, aka wub-wub-wub sensation. Sadly, if you're not a subscriber you'll need to borrow a friends pw to read it. No, I'm not your friend, sorry

http://www.wsj.com/articles/cranky-drivers-battle-the-wub-wub-wub-that-comes-from-cracking-a-window-1470683291

Maybe you could copy and paste the text for those of us that don't have subscriptions.

[SierraMyst]

If some people are more sensitive than others to these issues, I'm curious if those who've noticed it have ever driven in one that doesn't do it? I drove probably 10 Tahoes and Yukons before I bought the one I own, which is the only one that didn't exhibit the really obnoxious noises. It still booms (flick a woofer) at low speed but that seems inherit in all of them.

 

Is the buffeting and booming two separate issues?

 

Im wondering of they are one and the same. Here's why?

 

I drove quite a few before I bought my 2016. And they all had this mild booming like light bass.

 

They were all faint and the radio or road noise canceled it out for the most part. But I didn't really think it was the same as wind buffeting similar to the windows open.

 

But on one of the days, a gentleman drove the same Yukon I did immediately after I did. When he returned to the dealership he came up to me and said "did you hear that noise. It sounded like the rear windows were open"

 

I said I didn't.

 

I just wonder if he had heard what I heard (booming/bass) and for some folks it sounds like buffeting and for others its a booming.

 

Or is there actually two different things happening and I just so happen to be fortunate to not hear the buffeting portion of this issue?

[Snoringbear]

Maybe you could copy and paste the text for those of us that don't have subscriptions.

 

Eric Franey, of San Diego, produces an ‘anti-wind buffeting kit’ that is attached near the front of Porsche window openings.

Eric Franey, of San Diego, produces an ‘anti-wind buffeting kit’ that is attached near the front of Porsche window openings. PHOTO: ERIC FRANEY

By JONATHAN BACH

Aug. 8, 2016 3:08 p.m. ET

126 COMMENTS

Charles Brownstein’s annoyance with the “throbbing noise” that invades the cockpit of his Porsche 911 at high speeds became so intense that he turned to an orange juice bottle for relief.

 

Like millions of car drivers, including those with humbler vehicles, Mr. Brownstein couldn’t handle the oppressive “wub wub wub” head-exploding sensation when certain windows are rolled down. He fixed a makeshift deflector—made of sturdy plastic cut from the side of a Tropicana juice container—to the sports car’s front window frame, which did just enough to divert air from crashing into the cabin.

 

“I like to solve problems,” said Mr. Brownstein, of Bethesda, Md., noting he has a “working knowledge” of aerodynamics from racing even though he isn’t an engineer.

 

 

The vibration actually has a name. It is the Helmholtz resonance, or “wind throb,” and it has long plagued an auto industry that has generally made cars better with each passing year. It is as likely to assail a pricey sports car as it is a compact sedan.

 

The most common instance of wind throb is when a back seat driver rolls down a window when the front ones aren’t cracked. The usual advice: Open a front window. There are other scenarios, too.

 

 

Mr. Brownstein and other Porsche drivers complain about the throb happening while traveling at highway speeds or racing down a track. “The noise gets very, very annoying” past 100 miles an hour, Mr. Brownstein said. The 72-year-old stores his homemade plastic “flic” in the glovebox for when he is driving and doesn’t want to pop the sunroof, which also silences the throb.

 

A Porsche AG spokesman declined to comment.

 

Wind throb happens more often now because vehicles are designed to have fewer gaps between parts to eliminate any chance of their cars being labeled rattletraps.

 

“It is getting worse because cars are getting tighter,” said Stephen Remondi, president of Exa Corp., which designs digital simulation software for auto makers.

 

The throb is caused by wind passing over flat openings, like a window, in a way that matches the “resonance frequency” of most car cabins. The phenomenon is just like what happens when someone blows over the top of a Coke bottle.

 

“Most vehicles today, regardless of manufacturer, are sealed so well to improve NVH levels, they can’t vent the volume of air needed to reduce or eliminate the phenomenon,” Jason Nunamaker, a Toyota Motor Corp. expert on vehicle frames, said in an email. NVH is an industry term that stands for noise, vibration and harshness.

 

There are fixes on the market for some of the problems. Some models with sunroofs have a shield that deflects wind on top of the car when the sunroof is opened. Others are selling devices to attach to car window frames. Several U.S. patents have been filed for devices that may eventually adorn new automobiles.

 

Charles Brownstein, of Bethesda, Md., created a fix for wind throb in his 2013 Porsche 911 by cutting out a deflector from a Tropicana orange juice jug and coloring it black.

Charles Brownstein, of Bethesda, Md., created a fix for wind throb in his 2013 Porsche 911 by cutting out a deflector from a Tropicana orange juice jug and coloring it black. PHOTO: CHARLES BROWNSTEIN

So while the redesigned Honda Civic has been widely praised by auto critics for a suite of enhancements, its occupants may need to fiddle with finding the right window-cracking configurations.

 

In a highly unscientific test, this reporter found that wind throb made the car’s cabin sound a bit like a European electronic-dance music concert. The pulsing sound barraged the inside of the car and the rearview mirror shook.

 

Wind throb is “not something that we’re looking into from an engineering standpoint,” said a Honda Motor Co. spokeswoman, because pretty much all cars confront wind throb at moderate to high speeds with a window open, “especially on a highway.”

 

Those shelling out a few more bucks may find a moment of relief. Jaguar has a solution called the “comfort stop.” The British brand’s “comfort stop” option opens the window just enough to keep the Helmholtz resonance at bay. It can only be overridden if occupants hit the window button again.

 

Jim Hart, of Grosse Pointe, Mich., has another solution, but it presents some challenges. A few years ago, he rolled down the rear window of his new Buick LaCrosse and mistook the throb for a flat tire. “I called the salesman and said ‘what’s the deal with this?’ ” He says the dealer told him the problem is normal.

 

Not content with normal, Mr. Hart figured out a homegrown solution: Keep the rear seats down, thereby opening a passageway to the trunk.

 

A spokesman for General Motors Co., owner of Buick, said wind throb is an “industry-wide challenge.” He said the company advises consumers to “open either a front window or the sunroof, if equipped.”

 

ENLARGE

Inventors working for Ford Motor Co. have filed for a number of patents that confront the problem. One is an “air extractor,” placed near the rear of the car that is tuned to 12 and 18 Hertz, the usual frequency for wind throb in the cabin, according to patent documents. Another is a “false division bar” that essentially divides the window into two sections to stop wind throb.

 

“You’re breaking up the strength and you’re breaking up the frequency,” said William Gulker, one of the inventors. He has been working for years on addressing wind noise.

 

A Ford spokesman, in an email, said “patents are a normal part of our business.” He declined to comment on wind throb.

 

Eric Franey, of San Diego, Calif., who owns a Porsche, says there is no way to avoid the “excruciating” feeling if you like to compete where he races. Track rules mandate open windows while driving.

 

He came up with a wind deflector that sticks onto the edge of the door with 3M Co. automotive adhesive that allows owners to attach, detach and reattach at will. His MacGyver’d fix, which he sells for $140 from his website, looks like a triangle that attaches to the trim near the base of the front window.

 

The device eliminates the “wub wub wub” he says, but “you still hear wind noise.”

 

This is the best I could do. WSJ has designed their electronic version to make it difficult to forward articles to non-subscribers. Their objective is to take you down a path to subscribe. At one time I had Snag It which would probably do the trick but no longer have it. Sorry

[SierraMyst]

 

This is the best I could do. WSJ has designed their electronic version to make it difficult to forward articles to non-subscribers. Their objective is to take you down a path to subscribe. At one time I had Snag It which would probably do the trick but no longer have it. Sorry

Thanks!

[FogDucker]

Very interested in hearing more about these 6 exhaust dampeners. Any more info and or pictures? Where was the dealer that did this?

 

I finally got around to taking some pics. They're not the best as I only parked the passenger side on a curb so that I could crawl under more easily. I was only able to find 5 dampers. One next to the spare tire and 4 just behind the catalytic converter.

 

These exhaust dampers eliminated the "booming" sound that could be heard on gravel/snow covered roads and when driving over other bumps. It sounded like a 12" subwoofer was being flicked.

 

My Yukon is still noise free. I've heard the buffetting *maybe* once or twice since the tires were RFB'd and it might just be in my head or it's mild and brief. I'll be replacing the Continentals with MICHELIN DEFENDER LTX M/S at my first opportunity but that might be a while as I have my BFG KO2s for winter duty. The vibrating was 100% eliminated with the new rear axle.

 

Hope this helps!

[SierraMyst]

 

I finally got around to taking some pics. They're not the best as I only parked the passenger side on a curb so that I could crawl under more easily. I was only able to find 5 dampers. One next to the spare tire and 4 just behind the catalytic converter.

 

These exhaust dampers eliminated the "booming" sound that could be heard on gravel/snow covered roads and when driving over other bumps. It sounded like a 12" subwoofer was being flicked.

 

My Yukon is still noise free. I've heard the buffetting *maybe* once or twice since the tires were RFB'd and it might just be in my head or it's mild and brief. I'll be replacing the Continentals with MICHELIN DEFENDER LTX M/S at my first opportunity but that might be a while as I have my BFG KO2s for winter duty. The vibrating was 100% eliminated with the new rear axle.

 

Hope this helps!

I'm going to bring this up to my dealer.

 

My 2 week old Yukon that had no booming is now booming. It's most noticeable now from 38-43 mph and 68 - 73 mph. But we hear all the time on rough and bumpy roads.

 

It's not horrible, but bumps and vibrations enhance it. I'm really interested in this damper since it seem to me what want ever is casing the booming feels like loose metal vibrating.

 

Being a 2016, I don't believe it's the roof since GM has modified the method the roof are attached dance the 2015s.

 

I think it's come from under the truck.

 

Do the dampers absorb the bounce/shake/vibrations?

[John Dell]

Does anyone know if Arlington, the only plant that produces these had a model year shut down to make new 2017 year changes or did they just keep building and change the year of manufacturer?

[FogDucker]

I'm going to bring this up to my dealer.

 

My 2 week old Yukon that had no booming is now booming. It's most noticeable now from 38-43 mph and 68 - 73 mph. But we hear all the time on rough and bumpy roads.

 

It's not horrible, but bumps and vibrations enhance it. I'm really interested in this damper since it seem to me what want ever is casing the booming feels like loose metal vibrating.

 

Being a 2016, I don't believe it's the roof since GM has modified the method the roof are attached dance the 2015s.

 

I think it's come from under the truck.

 

Do the dampers absorb the bounce/shake/vibrations?

 

For me, the 40mph/70mph noise was "buffetting" and was *not* resolved with the exhaust dampers. My description of the buffeting is:

 

Buffeting at speeds of ~65km/h and ~115km/h [40mph and 70mph]; not heard at speeds greater than 130km/h [80mph]; annoying as hell; sounds like driving with rear windows down [Helmholtz resonance]; sounds like double bass from a heavy metal band using a broken amplifier; 30-70Hz range; not all the time, but most of the time; some road surfaces, even smooth ones, seem to excite it more than others; can be heard more clearly when ear is facing rear of vehicle; fades in and out; happens with seats up, down or folded; more audible from front seats.

 

 

 

The buffeting was caused by tires with a RFB greater than 15lbs. I'm 100% certain of this for two reasons. The first is that my dealer fixed it on a separate visit, isolated from the "booming" and "vibration" problems/fixes. It took 6 new Continentals to get all 4 under 15lbs. The second reason is because I re-introduced the buffeting at the same speeds when I put my BFG KO2s on for winter duty. I re-visited the tire dealer where they got all 4 KO2s under 15lbs of RFB and the buffeting again disappeared. That all said, I do believe that there is a flaw in our new truck platform that makes them too sensitive to out-of-round tires, but that's not in my or my dealer's control. The tires [input] are.

 

The "booming" is an entirely different problem, but it sounds very similar to the buffeting and I confused the two. My description of the "boom" was:

 

 

Single instances of "the boom" at low speeds over bumps [driveways, expansion joints...]; coincides when rear wheels go over the bump; sounds like somebody flicking a 12" subwoofer with their finger; doesn't always happen; slightly more difficult to hear; commonly heard on concrete borders between driveways/lots and roads; always noticeable on gravel or brick roads; seems to originate from rear of the vehicle

 

Again, my dealer fixed "the boom" on a separate visit, isolated from the other problems so I'm sure that the dampers were the fix. This may have/will be fixed with the revised exhaust that was spoken of a few pages back. This noise has nothing to do with speed and can be heard at 5mph.

 

The last major issue that I had was vibration. This was fixed with a complete rear axle replacement.

 

All 3 problems were fixed in isolation of each other on different dealership visits and that's why I'm certain of what the fixes were. This is especially true of the "buffeting" at 40mph and 70mph because I re-introduced it with a different set of tires and then resolved it a week later through Road Force Balancing.

[SierraMyst]

For me, the 40mph/70mph noise was "buffetting" and was *not* resolved with the exhaust dampers. My description of the buffeting is:

 

 

 

The buffeting was caused by tires with a RFB greater than 15lbs. I'm 100% certain of this for two reasons. The first is that my dealer fixed it on a separate visit, isolated from the "booming" and "vibration" problems/fixes. It took 6 new Continentals to get all 4 under 15lbs. The second reason is because I re-introduced the buffeting at the same speeds when I put my BFG KO2s on for winter duty. I re-visited the tire dealer where they got all 4 KO2s under 15lbs of RFB and the buffeting again disappeared. That all said, I do believe that there is a flaw in our new truck platform that makes them too sensitive to out-of-round tires, but that's not in my or my dealer's control. The tires [input] are.

 

The "booming" is an entirely different problem, but it sounds very similar to the buffeting and I confused the two. My description of the "boom" was:

 

 

 

Again, my dealer fixed "the boom" on a separate visit, isolated from the other problems so I'm sure that the dampers were the fix. This may have/will be fixed with the revised exhaust that was spoken of a few pages back. This noise has nothing to do with speed and can be heard at 5mph.

 

The last major issue that I had was vibration. This was fixed with a complete rear axle replacement.

 

All 3 problems were fixed in isolation of each other on different dealership visits and that's why I'm certain of what the fixes were. This is especially true of the "buffeting" at 40mph and 70mph because I re-introduced it with a different set of tires and then resolved it a week later through Road Force Balancing.

Thanks FD. I really need to get a better understanding of what the booming vs the buffering is.

 

I hear the low boom at low speeds when I hit bumps or on rough roads.

 

And the sound at 41 and 71 sound the same just louder.

 

I dropped the truck off for its third Rob today on the Bridgestones. If this doesn't work, the next step will be havong them replace my tires with the Michelin Defenders.

 

I had them give me a copy of the TSB for the exhaust booming while I was there since it's been updated to include the 2016s.

 

I guess I'm going to have it tackle this one thing at a time.