Rapide Wind Noise
Discussion
Hi. I took my new-to-me 2014 Rapide on its first road trip and I've discovered that there is significant wind noise at highway speed coming from somewhere around the passenger side. I tried the procedure in the owner's manual of resetting the window limits (full down, hold for >5 sec, full up, hold for >5 sec) but that didn't seem to help much if any.
Any advice on what to check or look for? It's not too bad from the driver's seat, which is probably why I hadn't noticed before, but it's quite apparent from the passenger seat and I've still got a thousand or so miles to drive. (It's frustrating having these fancy dual-pane windows to reduce noise and now this happens.)
Thanks!
Any advice on what to check or look for? It's not too bad from the driver's seat, which is probably why I hadn't noticed before, but it's quite apparent from the passenger seat and I've still got a thousand or so miles to drive. (It's frustrating having these fancy dual-pane windows to reduce noise and now this happens.)
Thanks!
Possible window module malfunctioning.
Had it in my DBS drivers side...I was wondering where the noise was coming from. I did the reset, worked for a few days then same noise again. The window would drop on opening the door but then would not reseal on closing, leaving a gap. Check if it reseals on closing the door.
Long story short, my module failed shortly after. Replaced it and all is well...not chesp though...
Good luck.
Had it in my DBS drivers side...I was wondering where the noise was coming from. I did the reset, worked for a few days then same noise again. The window would drop on opening the door but then would not reseal on closing, leaving a gap. Check if it reseals on closing the door.
Long story short, my module failed shortly after. Replaced it and all is well...not chesp though...
Good luck.
First thing to check is to look at the passenger's door glass and see if it's all the way up into the seal at the top - you're probably aware that, to clear the trim and seals when you open the door the frameless door glass does a "short drop" when you pull the handle. Make sure this is all the way up - you only need a gap of a millimeter or so to create a problem. You can compare the two sides as you know the driver's side is good.
Then open the door and carefully check the seal around the glass aperture on the body - you're looking for obvious damage, cuts or pieces missing.
Finally it may be that the glass isn't pressed into the seal all the way round. I'd check this by using a narrow strip of paper, open the door, hold the paper against the seal, close the door to trap it in between the glass and the seal and gentry try to pull it out; you'll be able to feel if the paper is being gripped, which would indicate seal contact. Start at the base of the division bar and repeat all the way around the door glass. It may be that the glass needs resetting against the seals, which can be done by adjusting the regulator and glass runners inside the door.
The Rapide seal design was regarded as one of the better systems that Aston came up with. I have a VH V8 Vantage and, apart from a little wind rustle around the door mirror, my seals are quiet up to 3-figure speeds. Hope this helps
Then open the door and carefully check the seal around the glass aperture on the body - you're looking for obvious damage, cuts or pieces missing.
Finally it may be that the glass isn't pressed into the seal all the way round. I'd check this by using a narrow strip of paper, open the door, hold the paper against the seal, close the door to trap it in between the glass and the seal and gentry try to pull it out; you'll be able to feel if the paper is being gripped, which would indicate seal contact. Start at the base of the division bar and repeat all the way around the door glass. It may be that the glass needs resetting against the seals, which can be done by adjusting the regulator and glass runners inside the door.
The Rapide seal design was regarded as one of the better systems that Aston came up with. I have a VH V8 Vantage and, apart from a little wind rustle around the door mirror, my seals are quiet up to 3-figure speeds. Hope this helps
Thanks for all the tips!
Armed with this information I was able to spend a little time poking around the car this morning and I think I found the problem. If you consider how the front and rear window panes have to be parallel when the door is closed and the windows are up, the driver's side meets this requirement. The rubber seal between the panes is nice and tight. However, on the passenger side there is a very small gap at the top between the front and rear panes, as if the gap is very slightly V shaped, and I can actually put a fingernail between the panes.
I'm at my current location for a few days and there is an Aston dealership here. I'll get in touch with them first thing Monday and see if they can help me before my next thousand mile leg to get home. Fixing the alignment is hopefully a simple repair they can knock out in a couple of hours.
Armed with this information I was able to spend a little time poking around the car this morning and I think I found the problem. If you consider how the front and rear window panes have to be parallel when the door is closed and the windows are up, the driver's side meets this requirement. The rubber seal between the panes is nice and tight. However, on the passenger side there is a very small gap at the top between the front and rear panes, as if the gap is very slightly V shaped, and I can actually put a fingernail between the panes.
I'm at my current location for a few days and there is an Aston dealership here. I'll get in touch with them first thing Monday and see if they can help me before my next thousand mile leg to get home. Fixing the alignment is hopefully a simple repair they can knock out in a couple of hours.
Now that you think you have found the problem you can check this with a little masking tape. Put your passenger in, shut the door and put a piece of masking tape over the gap you have just identified, smoothing it nice and flat. Then take the car out for a spin and, if the noise has gone, you've confirmed your problem source. Sellotape or similar would also do - just harder to get the adhesive off.
I recently saw an old Wheeler Dealers and a DB7 had a similar problem. Try to see if Ed's fix can work for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGirjqyrMcY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGirjqyrMcY
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