Cross-wind whistle (kazoo noise) TSB

Perfect timing that I see this thread, my new-to-me '15 AC makes the noise. ( Kazoo sound is a perfect description!) I figured that something was vibrating in a heavy crosswind but I couldn't nail the source. Thanks for the help.

 

So is this covered by Toyota since it's a TSB? Do I just bring it in and tell them my truck sounds like a Kazoo in crosswinds?

 

My 2015 seems to be the mirror doing this. I'm wondering if the TSB still applies in 2021...

 

Easier fix for the kazoo noise is to put your own 1/4 flexible tubing behind the weather stripping...

 

2 weeks driving in high cross winds and I couldn’t take this anymore. Either the climate is changing in my operating environment, or the door weather stripping has had it.

My guess is a bit of both, but I blame TOYOTA more for the cheap rubber materials they have used. In all my years of vehicle ownership, I have not had to replace any rubber or weather stripping after only five years. Shame on you TOYOTA, you need to do better.

But thanks to the great Tacoma TW support, I was aware this might be an issue and there maybe an easy cheap fix, and there is. And I found it here.

I applied it as OP #1 and no more Kazoo!

 

Bought a certified pre-owned 2015 from a dealer out of state in May 2020. Local dealer would not fix this under warranty. Part per side quoted at 100 bucks. Install per side quoted at 120. Suggested I call Toyota corporate for their consideration. I tired the Lowe's weather stripping. Helped alittle but took it off hoping Toyota would do me a solid based on the TSB.

 

So you added tubing (not Frost King) BEHIND the existing? I should try this. I don't think this is how I did it previously. Thanks.

 

Yeah tubing behind the existing weather stripping. Behind and sort of on top.

I will add though, that my weather stripping has been problematic since I bough the truck, even replaced it all once. Didn’t help.

Besides the kazoo noise in a hard cross wind, mine also makes a clicking sound. I have an access cab. Because the front doors close onto the access doors, the whole system feels slightly loose, maybe the doors are off by a fraction of an inch, I don’t know. So the weather stripping mounted on the cab, sort of sticks and I sticks to itself and the metal door sticks and I sticks to it making an annoying clicking sound on rough roads.

I have added tubing in that as well, basically making all the weather stripping around the window and top of the cab puffier so the door seals tightly and doesn’t allow the kazoo noise, and the rubber on metal or rubber on rubber can’t click together.

 

Installing the TSB weatherstripping is SUPER easy, just FYI. The hardest part for me was removing some of the glue/gunk the old weatherstripping left behind when tearing it off. I suggest do it on a hot day or warm up the old weatherstripping with a heat gun as you slowly peel it off.

The new weatherstripping has these little tabs built in so you literally cannot screw up the install.

 

I replaced my weather stripping with that and all the problems came back within 3 months. But yes it was easy to do

 

Interesting. I replaced mine with the TSB and its been solid for like a year now.

 

I had the same problem. In addition to the kazoo noise I had the weatherstripping 'clicking' by my ear on the upper part of the driver's door. If I remember correctly I used 303 on the seals to lube them up and I stuffed flexible tubing inside the weatherstripping mounted on the body (not the kazoo area on the door) and I haven't heard it since. The idea being that by bolstering the firmness of the weatherstripping on the body the two strips would make better contact and not produce the clicking noise.

I hope that helps you, it was driving me crazy.

 

Do you by chance have a part or item number for this tubing? Just your basic black rubberized 1/4" tubing? I remember some years ago doing this with an old Subaru with the frames windows. There was a road noise that I traced to right by the mirror and I ended up using one of those long erasers inside the weatherstripping and it was quiet again. Amazing how a simple fix is all it takes sometimes!

 

Just generic 1/4” tubing, like for drip irrigation is what I used. I also had clear ploy tubing laying around from a relatives oxygen machine and it was too soft. Didn’t help

 

For reference, I just checked and my local dealer quoted me $63 per side for the gaskets and free US ground shipping for (non oversized) purchases over $75. I plan to do the install myself based on what people here have said.

 

I'd like to fix both sides of my 2015 DCSB, but the cost seems a bit high for the payoff with the new OEM seals. I hear the kazoo a half dozen times per year for a few minutes at a time, so it's not terrible, just annoying.

 

What would I do without this forum?! I have a 2015 DCSB SR5 that has had the kazoo noise on the passenger side since I got it in December 2016 (bought it from a dealership with 17k miles following a 1 year lease from the previous owner). Sometimes I could "fix" the issue by slightly cracking the passenger side window. It might prevent it a little but it was always there. The other "fix" was just playing music loud. Anywho, I purchased this stuff on Amazon (link below)
and lined the passenger door behind the existing seal as pictures have shown, I also lined the frame like another other guy did. Driving it 4 days on freeways and no kazoo noise! Easiest $8 fix ever! I still can't believe I waited as long as I did and didn't check this forum sooner haha oh well. Love my truck again!

$9 M-D Building Products 01025 17 ft. Black Small Rubber Auto & Marine Weatherseal for All Climates

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HE7YQM?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

 

Read every post in this thread, didn't see any attempts at audio/video documentation of this sound.

My 2014 Access Cab sometimes sounds a bit hollow in a strong crosswind. Not like a kazoo, much more like blowing across an empty beer bottle. But I have a full-size round-tube lumber rack on my truck, it's more likely the rack I think.

 

If you go on YouTube and type in "Tacoma kazoo sound" you can find several videos of it. There was another thread (I don't have the link, sorry) where someone posted a lot of YT vids of the sound. Might be better off going straight to YouTube yourself tho. Your description makes me think it's your lumber rack but not 100% sure tho.

 

Right, thanks. Have to remember google exists.

My truck's cross-wind noise must just be the lumber rack, it's way way lower pitch (>2 octaves lower,) a low-frequency roaring sound that isn't hard to tolerate.

Glad mine doesn't suffer from kazoo-effect so far. (2014 Access cab, 77K miles, original windshield and seals.)

Here's some other guy's Taco doing the legit kazoo sound:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HlnxoxMEWw&t=38s