BETHESDA, Md. — One unintended consequence of better-quality cars is that a loud, annoying and long-standing problem may actually be getting worse. Drivers who have had a rear-seat passenger crack open a window are familiar with the issue: a loud, throbbing noise that takes over the cabin.
It is now a painful problem in some of the world’s best-engineered cars, even when multiple windows are open. Experts say that because modern vehicles’ panels fit so closely together, and because cabins are generally sealed so well, air from open windows is sometimes unable to vent effectively. That in turn causes bursts of pressure known as wind throb.
Charles Brownstein, of North Bethesda, experienced the problem with both windows down on his 2013 Porsche 911. That car can cost around $100,000 new, but he came up with a fix with a much lighter price tag: about $5, plus some creativity.
His solution is a miniature spoiler that fits between the front of the driver’s window and the side mirror. It only sticks out about three-quarters of an inch, but the tiny device is enough to interrupt the airflow into the cabin and eliminate the throbbing. Brownstein only needed to turn to the fridge for his primary material.
“I realized that the nice thick plastic on an orange juice container might work, drank the juice, and that was how it happened,” he said.
The cut-and-formed plastic was painted matte black to match the car’s trim, and it’s easily removable. Brownstein, who works for an area think tank, says his familiarity with race cars gave him the idea.
Brownstein’s fix was reported in The Wall Street Journal.
Brownstein said the wind throb issue occurs at highway speeds, although it will go away if the sunroof is cracked open. However, that is not an option at the racetrack, where rules may require windows to be down and sunroofs to be closed for safety reasons. In addition to making an annoying noise, the pressure can cause ear pain.
“It gets horrendously loud” over 100 mph, Brownstein said, and that’s “not good” when a driver is trying to concentrate.
Brownstein said he is surprised the designers at Porsche, which has a rich racing history, had not caught the problem.
“They either hadn’t realized it or just figured that most people would keep the windows up,” he said.
As the WSJ also reported, many automakers deal with wind throb. Fixes include aftermarket air deflectors, or simply finding the right combination of open windows. Jaguar has even designed a feature that opens the windows just the right amount to minimize the booming noise.
