CR-V noise when rear windows open

I have a 2004 Honda CR-V with less than 3000 miles on it. Today for
the first time I had it out on the highway with the rear windows open.
As I started up (after a brief roadside stop), as I approached highway
speeds the car began making the most incredible noise. It was a low,
shakey, rumble, but so excruciating I was almost ready to scream. I
thought my head and eardrums were going to explode. It was like being
on the flight deck of the USS Enterprise.

I was shocked as the car has always been smooth and silent until now,
and had been until 5 minutes previously when I had stopped to walk my
dogs. I first rolled up the rear windows, and instantly the noise
vanished. The ride was smooth as silk, and just a quiet as ever.

I cracked open the front windows, and it was still quiet. I opened the
moon roof, and it was still quiet. I closed them all and opened the
rear windows, and once again the noise was enough to split my skull,
like the car was about to explode. Shut the windows and all was quiet
again.

When I got home I told my sister, and she said she knew what it was
because her Toyota Highlander does exactly the same thing. With the
rear windows open the noise is excruciating. She said her husband
heard a segment about it on CarTalk, and that it is because of some
sort of aerodymanic airflow problem, and that if you open the front
windows as well as the rear it breaks the air vortex causing the
problem. I went for a test drive, and sure enough with both front and
rear windows open there is no noise.

But I can't find anything written or documented about it. Only thing
even close was a web site where I found someone selling a "rear window
air flow deflector" product. Maybe I just don't know the right words
to search on. I can't find anything here. Has anyone heard of
something like this?

Deb

 

"Scall0way" wrote

I heard the same thing, and my 2004 Accord and 1997 Civic (both 4-door) have
the same problem. What I recall Tom and Ray saying is that indeed, it is
about the aerodynamics along with how air-tight(?) cars are made for
quietness (I may be all wrong about that part of my recollection)... there
is nothing you can do about it. If I open my driver side window, all is
well. Open the passenger side, too, and it gets uncomfortable. Try different
window combinations. On my Civic I found I could open the driver window and
the right rear window and the noise wouldn't be too objectionable.

Howard

 

Every car does this! Are you blond by any chance?




____________________________________
Do not write below this line. Reserved for me.

 

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If you stick an empty pop bottle out the window, it will whistle too.
Same reason. . . . No basis for a class-action lawsuit or anything. All
new cars are like that. Get an old car with a no-draft (remember those)
window and the problem won't be there. They also leaked air like a
screen door. :-(

'Curly'

 

LOL, actually I've never owned a car or been in a car in my life that
did this before. It's a new one on me and I've been in *lots* of cars.
But it's nice to know that, at my age, I can still learn something
new.

Deb

 

Another astute observation by a molester of the innocent