Gentle Vibration At Idle & Wind Noise (2000 -- Ny)

[amanda]

hi. i recently purchased a 2000 es300. it's been a good car, but i've noticed a couple of things regarding noise, which surprised me as i was expecting silence. maybe i was being unrealistic.

in any case, when i come to a stop light, the engine(?) or some other mechanical part begins to purr/hum softly. i can hear the slight droning, kind of like engine revving and i think it gets slightly louder the longer i sit. i can also feel it in the steering wheel. as soon as i step off the brakes, even without touching the accelerator, the vibration stops. is this normal?

the second item is the permeability of external noise into the cabin. i can hear stereos playing in neighboring cars and swishing noises from the windows when driving on the highway. i have closed the doors by pushing on the windows rather than the metal below and i don't know if it has contributed to the problem.

does everyone else experience these things when they drive? if not, is there a way to readjust the parts/windows or do whatever else to make it quieter in the cabin?

thank you.

[SW03ES]

Well, a Lexus is one of the quietest cars on earth, but no car is silent, that wouldn't be safe. You can hear whats going on outside the car, its just sounds muffled and far off. As for the wind rush at the windows, its possible that the glass needs to be aligned. Closing the doors by the windows does push the glass out of alignment causing noise.

As for the vibration, that doesn't sound normal to me, we'll need to get some second opinions on that.

[amanda]

thanks, steve. do i have to take the car to a shop to get the windows aligned or is it something i can do myself? if i have to take it to a shop, do you have an idea about what it would cost?

[SW03ES]

Someone with an older model ES300 will know for sure (the 02 and up have framed windows), but I think any body shop can quickly align the windows for a reasonable cost.

[lean]

does everyone else experience these things when they drive?

I feel it in my '97. Not much, but I feel it.

I'd rather have a car that is smooth at normal running speeds, and if that means a little more vibration at idle, so be it.

If you have problems with hearing other peoples' stereos, ask them to put on something you like.

[SpeedRacer959]

Amanda,

The vibrations or wind noise doesn't sound normal. I've got a 97 that's purrrrrrrfect. I put silicone tire dressing on the window seals to help them seal better. Also, Lexus recently adjusted my windows to make them fit tighter against the car.

There are no vibrations what-so-ever when I'm stopped w/ the brakes on.

My car has 120k miles, so maybe yours just has to break in more :)

I would try the easy things first. Have the transmission fluid checked for cleanliness, and changed if necessary. Also, a tune up couldn't hurt, check the air filter yourself (that's easy) and have a professional check the spark plugs.

How many miles does your car have?

Let us know what you find out when you do, so we can treat it (or prevent it) on our cars.

Thanks,

Jimi

[ellieoh]

I had similar problems with wind noise in my 98, however since my passenger changed their diet the wind noise has significantly decreased :D

Regards

david

[steviej]

in any case, when i come to a stop light, the engine(?) or some other mechanical part begins to purr/hum softly.  i can hear the slight droning, kind of like engine revving and i think it gets slightly louder the longer i sit.  i can also feel it in the steering wheel.  as soon as i step off the brakes, even without touching the accelerator, the vibration stops.  is this normal?

amanda, I think you hit on something when you stated it goes away as soon as you start to pull away.

one question, is the AC on when you hear the purr/humm and feel the vibration. If it is, turn it OFF and see if the purr/humm and vibration are there and then go away when a load is placed on the engine.

couple of things to look for:

1. serpentine belts and PS pump, AC compressor and Alternator.

You may have a lose belt setting up the noise and the vibration may be from a component bracket that is loose at idle. When load is placed on the engine, the belts tighten, which in turn stops the component from vibrating.

2. an engine mount may be loose or getting worn. have them checked out.

DIY:

start you car while in park, put on the e-brake. Have someone or yourself, stand next to the car with hood open and try to pinpoint the purr/humm and see if anything sounds like it is shaking. While you are standing there, have someone else apply a little gas (keep the car in PARK). See if any noise goes away.

post back with results.

As for the windows, pre'02 cars have no frames on the window as was stated. This leaves the window more vulnerable to be grabbed when closing the door, which will alter their positions.

The rubber window seals are exposed more and suffer more drying out and cracking for the sun and elements. Try rejuventating them with Tri-Flo, silicone, or tire dressing.

The can be replaced if necessary.

And as stated, the window can be readjusted.

Also check the sunroof gasket, it dries and cracks too. This can let in lots of sound and air/wind.

good luck.

steviej

[amanda]

well, i've got some good advice to begin my gum-shoe gig.

thanks, but if anybody else has any other thoughts, please keep posting.

oh, the car has 52000 miles on it now.

[bbsal]

also check the motor mounts!theres a dog bone shaped one in the front that may be the culprate.as for wind noise just try some silicon or tire dressing around all the seals.hope this helps.

[blake918]

Also, Lexus recently adjusted my windows to make them fit tighter against the car. 

Jimi, how much did Lex charge you for the window adjustment?

[bbsal]

does everyone else experience these things when they drive? if not, is there a way to readjust the parts/windows or do whatever else to make it quieter in the cabin?

thank you.

as to that question..no i can barley hear anything when im in my car.the only vibration i hear is me after eating a big cheese steak.hmm maybe air freshners would be a good idea after all!try some of the earlier ideas and that should help the noise. :D

[steviej]

no food allowed in my Lex!!!!! :chairshot:

steviej

[SpeedRacer959]

Not sure how much Lexus charged for the window adjustment. It was done RIGHT before I bought it, so luckily I missed out on that expense. I'de like to know though.

Also, it can't be that hard to do yourself. I recently took the door panel off, and I think once you get it to that stage, it would just be a bolt or something.

-Jimi

[bbsal]

no food allowed in my Lex!!!!! :chairshot:

steviej

lol..me too!i never let any food in there.that black interior gets dirty just by looking at it!

[SKperformance]

i had my window done once by lexus and tey screwed it up even worse

it seems no one ever gets them done

or atleast at the dealer

also they charged by the time used not a standard price

and yes do not close the door using the window

i use meguires tire endurance on the gaskets

around the doors upper and lower and trunk and sunroof

basically anywhere air can get in or out

it make a major difference in taking up the slack left in it

i also say the engien mounts are suspect for the vibration

[olezip]

I am not much help on this one. ...just bought a 2000 Lexus ES300 with 56,000 miles on the odometer. It runs and shifts smoothly, and is quiet inside the vehicle with no wind noise or vibration whether I'm sitting at a stop light or driving on the Interstate. We are really enjoying the CD and radio sound system. Of course this is relative to my Saturn and Caravan which are incredibly noisy in comparison. Hopefully you can get the windows aligned or sealed, and your engine/transmission vibrations subdued. Good luck.

[amanda]

i am going down the list here.

i can't seem to find the air filter. can someone clue me in a little bit?

also, when i was checking the transmission fluid, i noticed that the engine would shift/spring up or down when shifting gears. does this mean mount troubles? the noise also seems to come mainly from the left side of the engine.

i know some of you have recommended looking at the dog bone, but darned if am not totally car-ignorant. can you guys also clue me in on checking the dog bone? where is it exactly (i think it's to the left of the engine from the front of the car - where the pesky vibration comes from) and how do i know if it's bad or good?

some people seem to think 52000 miles is about where the mounts start to act funny.

if they are funny, i assume it's not a job for the clueless (e.g. me). so how much is a mechanic going to charge me for it and should i go only to a lexus dealer?

on the other hand, i've read some postings indicating that the top mount is often bad (and relatively easy to change) but the bottom is not. is there a way to tell if i can just change the top myself without bothering the lower.

and if i can change just the top, can i get the part only from a lexus/toyota dealer.

thanks so much.

[amf1932]

i noticed that the engine would bounce up and down when shifting gears.

How do you know the engine is bouncing up & down if you're inside driving the car.

[amanda]

i got x-ray vision as a package deal with my es300. maybe that's why i had to shell out so much cash for it.