Whistle noise - Not sure what? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Dav-on · 08-14-2006, 09:08 PM

Hey,
I just bought a 2000 Boxster (artic Silver with Navy Blue Interior) in the past week from a private seller. I love it. It has about $49,000 miles on it, but it looks brand-new.

However, during the test drives I never noticed this little whistle noise at all. Now, when I drive it, about every 5 minutes I will hear this whistling noise (deep whistle, nothing too squeeky) coming from the Passenger side front tire vicinity. Not sure if it is the wheelwell areodynamics, but it only happens on the passenger side. Could it be the powersteering???? It whistles mostly at lower speeds, 20mph or 30 mph, and is very intermittent. Last for about 3-5 seconds then stops. It happens while going straight, so it is not a tire rubbing or anything.

Anyone have any ideas what this noise could be?

- Dave
San Diego

Rail26 · 08-15-2006, 06:45 AM

My car whistles too...try this:

http://www.ehow.com/how_11281_play-kazoo.html

Dav-on · 08-15-2006, 07:28 AM

Thanks for fwding the thread. I will see if it really is the mirror making the noise. Sounds logical.

Oh yeah, to the other funny guy. If I were to play the Kazoo while my Porsche whistles...we cound make quite a symphony. Perhaps I can get a third instrument in the passenger seat.

- Dave

Norminhouston · 08-15-2006, 08:20 AM

I think the whistling mirror is a peculiarity of the 987 model only.

cr8on · 08-15-2006, 08:53 AM

I bought my '02 Boxster-S four months ago and just heard a whistle, coming from the passenger side (mirror area), for the first time yesterday....

I just took a look at the under side of my mirrors, and they have a small hole (approx 1/8") in the bottom of the housing. I assume for drainage purposes, but is sure looks suspect, when considering where a whistle is originating. Maybe I washed it too well on Sunday, and knocked the dirt out of it. LOL

denverpete · 08-15-2006, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rail26

My car whistles too...try this:

http://www.ehow.com/how_11281_play-kazoo.html

Hmmm. Mine only does it while I'm working on the car..... Strange.....

Rail26 · 08-15-2006, 05:39 PM

This should help you with the other instrument...should be a bass section.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dav-on

Thanks for fwding the thread. I will see if it really is the mirror making the noise. Sounds logical.

Oh yeah, to the other funny guy. If I were to play the Kazoo while my Porsche whistles...we cound make quite a symphony. Perhaps I can get a third instrument in the passenger seat.

- Dave

denverpete · 08-16-2006, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rail26

This should help you with the other instrument...should be a bass section.

And here I thought that sound was just from Hip-Hop music. Gives a new meaning to "thumpin sound"!

Dav-on · 08-17-2006, 02:04 PM

Okay...This whistle is NOT from the Mirror. (My mirror has no hole). It is coming from somewhere underneath, like in the wheelwell itself (passenger right side. It is a deep whistle, now it is happening alot more.

help!

Any other suggestions?

Dave

TriGem2k · 08-17-2006, 02:13 PM

Could be the Hood...Check your rubber stops...

CJ_Boxster · 08-18-2006, 09:58 AM

I think i know where exactly the Whistle noise is coming from on my 986 box, Oh the drivers and passengers side mirrors, Look at the base of the mirror, where it mounts to the door, The corners of the base are "Suppose" to be shrouded by a rubber lining...the top corner of the mirror base starts to stick out and at freeway speed the whistle can be heard.

I notice this when my passenger side mirror was whistling and the rubber wasnt covering the top corner of the base but my driver side mirror was quiet and was covered by the lining....Now my drivers side is whistling and the base is starting to pull away from the rubber lining...I put 2 and 2 together.

Dav-on · 08-19-2006, 08:39 PM

It really is not the Mirror. It is down below FOR SURE, near the wheel, or in the wheel, or in the wheel-well. Passenger side, front.

It happens mostly at speeds of 20-50 mph... It whistles for 3-5 seconds then stops, whistles again about 1 minute later....then nothing for 10 minutes, then again for 7 seconds. Then every minute, then nothing for 20 minutes. Super random intervals.

Almost like someone is blowing across the top of a beer botttle, making that whistle or hum noise.

ANyone else have 2 cents to throw in?

Dave
San Diego

trogdor · 08-20-2006, 08:14 AM

Hey Dav-on

I've had this same problem, the "jug band sound from the passengers side", since I got my 2000 Box late last year. It is, by far, the most annoying of the sounds my Boxster makes!

Anyway, I've read all the forums for fixes and thought for the longest time that it was the mirror somehow making the noise. I complained to the dealer until they took the mirror off and tried to seal the inside somehow. Apparently one of the service managers saw a similar problem on Audis and had a fix.

So, 1/4 mile down the road after leaving the dealer, it whistled again! ARGH! Later, I noticed the little hole under the mirror so plugged it with tape and the noise was still there.

I always used to hear the noise at a specific speed, around 20-30 so I figured it was a wind noise, like the beer bottle thing. But recently I've become in tune with that frequency of sound, I guess, and I hear it all over the speed range - from less than 10 to 40+. It's always the same sound, not different pitch like you'd think if the speed increased.

I think renntech forums had a couple posts about this problem and one guy plugged the 1/2" hole next to the gas cap and eliminated the noise. Loren, the super knowledgeable Porsche person over there, said that it had something to do with the fuel system and some canister thing that I don't understand yet but that you shouldn't plug it... I'm going to try plugging it temporarily to see if it is the source and deal with it from there.

An annoying thing is that the young tech at the dealer brought up something about the gas cap area when I first started complaining but I dont think did anything about it because of a multitude of other issues I had it in for (under warranty so its ok) and then I pushed on the mirror thing...

Hope this helps.

Dav-on · 08-21-2006, 02:49 PM

Thanks Trogdor. I will see if that works and let you know what the mechanic says - Dav-on

Keghead · 05-17-2010, 03:39 PM

I have same problem. Did you figure it out?

everythingfloats · 05-18-2010, 05:53 AM

I have been experiencing a "blowing into a glass bottle" noise coming from the passenger side of my 2001 box. For the longest time, I only heard it while I was braking, so I assumed it was related to the fact that I needed the change my brakes. Recently, the noise persisted even while I was at a complete stop. Yesterday, after gassing up, the 1/2" rubber hole to the right of the fuel lip started to suck air or something and it recreated the glass bottle noise I kept hearing from my car.

I gas my car up while the car is still running. If I gas up with the car off, it will not start up right away. I have to take 5 mins of turning over and pumping the gas to get the car to start. The car runs rough while I gas it up, but at least I won't be embarrassed sitting there, trying to start my car.

The increased frequency of the bottle noise scares me a little bit. It's no longer shy. We will post a cure if we find one

jcb986 · 05-18-2010, 10:12 AM

On the right side behind the fender well is a ACTIVATED CARBON CONTAINER 996 201 221 05. This may also be a problem. Try Pelican Parts BBS, there are a couple of Porsche Tech's who answer questions too.

moosszz · 05-21-2010, 04:26 PM

I had the same problem too, a loud whistle noise only after engine was turned off. I think its either engine intake or AC.

Quote:

Originally Posted by trogdor

Hey Dav-on

I've had this same problem, the "jug band sound from the passengers side", since I got my 2000 Box late last year. It is, by far, the most annoying of the sounds my Boxster makes!

Anyway, I've read all the forums for fixes and thought for the longest time that it was the mirror somehow making the noise. I complained to the dealer until they took the mirror off and tried to seal the inside somehow. Apparently one of the service managers saw a similar problem on Audis and had a fix.

So, 1/4 mile down the road after leaving the dealer, it whistled again! ARGH! Later, I noticed the little hole under the mirror so plugged it with tape and the noise was still there.

I always used to hear the noise at a specific speed, around 20-30 so I figured it was a wind noise, like the beer bottle thing. But recently I've become in tune with that frequency of sound, I guess, and I hear it all over the speed range - from less than 10 to 40+. It's always the same sound, not different pitch like you'd think if the speed increased.

I think renntech forums had a couple posts about this problem and one guy plugged the 1/2" hole next to the gas cap and eliminated the noise. Loren, the super knowledgeable Porsche person over there, said that it had something to do with the fuel system and some canister thing that I don't understand yet but that you shouldn't plug it... I'm going to try plugging it temporarily to see if it is the source and deal with it from there.

An annoying thing is that the young tech at the dealer brought up something about the gas cap area when I first started complaining but I dont think did anything about it because of a multitude of other issues I had it in for (under warranty so its ok) and then I pushed on the mirror thing...

Hope this helps.