The WhaWha noise when the windows are down

Vent Visors (Smoker’s Guards, Rain Protectors, what have you) really cut down, almost eliminate, the negative pressure…

Like Cindy, I also have a Jeep Liberty. I applied the rain guards over the windows and it eliminated the problem. I used the glue-on type, as those were the only ones available at the time, and they cost about $119. The in-channel type would be preferred; but either of them look great and solve this problem.

I wonder if setting the vent to outside air and tuning on the fan would help.

No, Scottsta, it doesn’t–or at least it hasn’t on all of the cars I’ve owned or ridden in that suffered from this problem.

Eliminate window whumping by ameliorating automobile aerodynamics with a large hammer.

While C&C talk about aerodynamics of modern cars causing this, my first car that had this problem was an '86 Jeep Cherokee, with all the ‘aero’ of a brick. Go figger…

A post-script for Cindy if she is reading: A set of rain guards for Jeeps goes for about $30 on ebay, a much better deal than I got a few years ago. Good luck!

i open only the passenger side windows (front & rear) a little. creates a swirl …no buffeting

That was a re-run of an old show, and this thread is a re-run of an old thread:

Keep all the windows up, push the window lock button, and tell the kids they are sol.

I have had the best luck with that WhaWha noise and great air circulation by opening the sunroof and lowering one of the back windows a few inches. if you lower the rear driver side window, you get a good downbreeze on the passenger side, and if you open the passenger rear window, you get a driver side downbreeze. The further you lower the rear window, the stronger the downbreeze. No WhaWha.

I used to have a car with no AC. In the summer I would roll down both the drivers window and the rear passengers window. Even going 70mph on the freeway, the wind didn’t seem to bother me. Open any window other than those two and a hurricane would break lose in the car. I never had any passengers in the car, so I’m not sure if this setup is any good for them.

If you open the front passenger side window and the rear driver side window, you get air flow without the annoying “whawha” noise. If you open the front driver side window and the rear passenger side window, same thing (but air rushes past the driver). If you open the front and rear windows on the passenger side of the car, there is no wind noise, but some air swirls onto the driver.

It really depends on the vehicle.

My 98 Pathfinder…if I rolled down either back window - NO PROBLEM. If I rolled down BOTH rear windows - I got the whomp-whomp.

My 05 4runner - If I rolled down either rear window or both at the same time - whomp whomp.
If I rolled down the the front window (just a little) along with the rear window (on same side) - NO PROBLEM.

I used to have a 2003 Jeep Liberty, and I had the same problem. I used to open the passenger side front window and the driver side rear window, and that seemed to alleviate the problem. Now that I have a 2008 HHR (with the rain guards!), I still have the same problem. I use the same technique with the HHR as I used with the Liberty, and it seems to work.

Up North we call that the Wiffle Ball effect, can be used to torcher the people in the backseat.

t-o-r-t-u-r-e

That was a tortuous spelling of torture.

I agree with lowering both windows on the passenger side by about the same amount. Driver’s side will work but it’s noisy for the driver.