ill be honest i have no idea, i merely wanted to comment on how humorous i thought it would be if you ended the question with just "sometimes when i get up to speed i hear this howling noise." best of luck!

 

And, to clarify, it seems to stop at about 140 mph.

I thought it would be more fun to research that, in lieu of playing with tape at lower speeds.....

(140 mph = 5750 rpm, if you're curious)

Man, I love the autobahn....

 

As I had mentioned, the "howling" seems to generally start around 90 mph for me -- rarely below that, but sometimes higher.

And, as I mentioned, it will go away at higher speeds. Here's the short version of "breaking the howling barrier" and here's the long version. Both are on YouTube.

Yes, this is on the autobahn, and no, don't try this at home.

 

Dude, that sound would drive me insane-er.

Haven't done any painter's tape experiments yet?

I haven't made anything resembling that sound on my car, even at low triple digits... (in controlled conditions, of course...)

 

Hmmm..... Holly Springs, NC.

You shouldn't know about that noise....

 

I have the EXACT same sound! Hearing yours makes me think I'm in my MINI... Messing with the re-circulated air doesn't help, nor the windshield wipers! Still does it, with or with AC, with or with windshield wipers on... Mine has done it for the last year and it drives me crazy! The faster you go, the louder it gets. So where exactly do I put the painters tape? Sorry, I'm a gal that doesn't know what a cowl is...

 

And by the way, mine sometimes starts it at around high 60's and in the 70's per hour....

 

.

Correct. Shouldn't.

Idea behind the painter's tape is just to experiment - the cowl vents are the vents between the bonnet and the windshield, below the windshield wipers - cover those with tape and see if it matters. If not, then run a line of tape around your windshield, covering any gap between the glass and the seal or A-pillar (the black things on the sides of the windshield. Then try again. If that works, start testing by removing one section of tape at a time until the noise comes back - now you've learned something about it's origin...

 

Well, yeah. But that requires actual effort....

 

I know your kind... rather have something to vetch about than actually solve the problem...

After all, there's be no reason for yet ANOTHER set of Autobahn videos if it DIDN'T howl...

 

I had noticed the howling noise over 70 mph a few weeks after having my windshield replaced. However, since there were no leaks in driving rainstorms, I tended to think the windshield was on correctly. Recently, I noticed that the A-pillar trim on the passenger side didn't seem to fit as snugly as the one the driver side. I took some black elecrical tape and covered the seam between the a-pillar trim and the front windshild, and that killed the howl. I'll be brining mine back to the dealer to have that put on properly.

 

Mine is having this problem too. The place I brought my car to to have the windshield replaced (which happens to be the place the dealer uses) says that its the beltline trim on the bottom of the windshield.

They actually suggested to me to just push down on the trim every time before I go driving! haha!
they are getting a nice phone call tomorrow...

 

That's the same sound my car makes!!! If anyone finds out what it is, please let me know. I tried to describe the sound to the Mini tech, and then he said "why don't you show me", so we went out and as soon as we hit around 80 on the freeway it comes on nice and loud and he's like "Holy crap that loud!". Yet he couldn't find anything wrong

 

If your traveling at those speeds it might be wise to upgrade your hood scoops to the Orciari Cowl Scoops, These will eliminate the sound since they will be vented in the front and pull the air into your engine bay.
They will also give you more HP, Technically!
They also look nice too!

Check them out if you haven't:

http://new.minimania.com/web/Item/NM...%20S%2002%2D06

 

Just watched the short clip. I get that noise from my right side wiper if I'm moving quick and have a stiff head- or cross-wind. That would be 80mph land speed, 25-40mph wind = 105-125mph airspeed. It drove me nuts, I thought my cabin fan was choking up a bearing. Then I noticed the wiper vibrating against the windshield. It was like blowing between two blades of grass so you get that awful shrieking noise.

The left wiper has a little winglet that presumably holds it to the glass, but the right side does not. An enterprising aeronautical engineer would probably make a winglet for the right side. I just turn the radio up because I'm an electrical engineer. It's all about SNR.

 

Well, I work at an aircraft company, maybe I can get an acoustics analysis on it!

Seriously though, there are so many factors as to were a howl like that could come from; the mirrors, the steep rake of the windshield, loose weatherstripping forming micro-eddies, etc.

I would vote on the cowl vents at least contributing. Has anyone tried covering them up from the inside(so no tape edges could be blown up and start vibrating)?

I wouldnt mind it though, its just the MINI's joy-scream, like people do when they ride roller coasters!

 

haha.
Not so much when you get to hear it for 2 hours straight...

 

Or when the wife insists on going slower, just to avoid the noise....

 

One thing I noted is that my cowl vents are not tight fitting. I guess the best way to describe is that I can easily slide them from side to side about 2mm. This is what made me think it was them.

 

I get a noise like that in my car, but only when it is first started after sitting for awhile. After the car has been running for about a minute, the sound seems to go away

 

Is there a definitive answer on the noise? We also get that awful sound on the autobahn almost everytime near 100MPH. Sometimes it doesn't happen until around 110 or higher and sometimes lower. All I know is that it is annoying.

 

I typically get it at speeds above 75 mph. If I switch the HVAC control to recirculating or increase the fan speed, the noise goes away. For my car, it's air being forced in through the ventilation system fast enough to create acoustic turbulence (<-- I think I just made up a new term... ).

 

I had an odd noise that was more of a low whistle. I just picked up the car from service today and they put some foam tape on a flap in the heater box. They said that it was whistling because the car has a different pressure in the cabin at speed. (something to that effect anyhow)

 

So, my howling is gone.

A few weeks ago, me and the boys went out for track day at the Nurburgring, and the strain on the car was enough to crack the windshield. I suspect that it was already chipped in some way, and that the track just aggravated that.

New windshield installed, and poof, no more howling. I suspect that I chipped it a long time ago, and that the imperfection -- dent, divot, chip, nick, what have you -- is what was causing the noise.

So....

Got howling? Go look at your windshield with great care and attention, and look for even the smallest of blemishes.

 

I'll bet it wasn't a pit, divot, etc.... I'll bet the original windshield wasn't sealed correctly around one side... and the replacement is...