[4th Update...Kinda] Wind noise from panoramic roof

[sldave84]

So the question at this point seems to be is Ford looking at these and coming up with a gasket to install across the top of the windshield, or is this a production issue that could have been prevented with a little less tolerance in the windshield/roof installs.

This is my thinking as well. I am leaning towards a specific batch/production problem since others seem to have no issue and it’s hard to imagine this wouldn’t have been noticed during development/testing

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[JSW]

Build date 11/13/20. Ship date 1/22/21. Delivery date 2/18/21.
I have the wind noise issue at speeds above 60 mph.

Based on this forum I checked for the screen buzz (was present but quite low based on my ears) and roof/wind noise (was very noticeable/somewhat irritating at speeds above 60 mph).

Bought the car anyway based on feedback from others with the noise reduced/went away with tape. If it remains irritating I’ll silicone the gap - not worried at all.

 

[sldave84]

Build date 11/13/20. Ship date 1/22/21. Delivery date 2/18/21.
I have the wind noise issue at speeds above 60 mph.

Based on this forum I checked for the screen buzz (was present but quite low based on my ears) and roof/wind noise (was very noticeable/somewhat irritating at speeds above 60 mph).

Bought the car anyway based on feedback from others with the noise reduced/went away with tape. If it remains irritating I’ll silicone the gap - not worried at all.

Congrats on the new ride! Interesting that there was that big of a delay from build date to ship date on yours, although I had a GT reservation so wasn’t really paying attention to that info on the site much before I got mine. Thought initially that the fact that you just got it removed the potential for it being a bad batch/production issue, but I think the build date makes it still possible. I don’t know how to find that information on mine since I wasn’t the original person that ordered it

 

[generaltso]

I don’t know how to find that information on mine since I wasn’t the original person that ordered it

You should be able to enter your VIN in the tracker at the top of this forum to see when it was built.

 

[Mirak]

Bought the car anyway based on feedback from others with the noise reduced/went away with tape. If it remains irritating I’ll silicone the gap - not worried at all.

My first thought was that if tape fixes the problem, then a little silicone would work, too. I'd obviously prefer for Ford to do this sort of thing at manufacture, but it's at least something I'd feel comfortable doing myself rather than hassling with the dealership. I do wonder if DIY silicone would withstand automatic car washes. Please let us know your experience if you decide to make this modification.

 

[spp]

The problem too is that this issue is very subjective. What might be really noisy for one person, might be considered silent for another. I guess we would need a decibel sound meter to be sure.

Could pull a DB meter app from the app store and record readings. Ideally it would be measured from the same position in the vehicle using the same app and phone type. That's about as scientific as we are going to get on this without getting vehicles in the same place.

 

[VegStang]

There was an initial hold for OKTB (OK to buy) before shipping started, then after that there was a QC hold on cars built before the beginning of the year, build dates prior to Jan 9th I believe.

Looks like this may be a somewhat minor issue that wasn't discovered in these delays.

Congrats on the new ride! Interesting that there was that big of a delay from build date to ship date on yours, although I had a GT reservation so wasn’t really paying attention to that info on the site much before I got mine. Thought initially that the fact that you just got it removed the potential for it being a bad batch/production issue, but I think the build date makes it still possible. I don’t know how to find that information on mine since I wasn’t the original person that ordered it

 

[Gino_A]

I am hearing the wind noise on my Premium ER RWD. I first thought it might be tire-road noise but upon further review, I now think it is wind noise above the windshield. I hope a hear about a recall to fix this soon.

 

[Fat Mach]

If anyone is truly going to collect data in the form of decibels, be sure to capture wind speed and direction relative to the car's motion as well.

 

[jeffdawgfan]

IMO something is not right here. There is no way that the roof glass should stick up above the windshield. Not only is that affecting the noise level, but drag would be increased also. My biggest worry is something like a rock comes along from the road and hits that raised glass edge. Takes a chip out of it and then the chipped place becomes a crack and then your panoramic roof pulls a Tesla and flies off the car as the crack causes it to lose rigidity. Also a start of a water leak location. Something needs to be done about this. A gasket or some thing needs to be installed. Most cars have a gasket between windshield and the roof of car anyway. At least our two do. Ford if you are out there, take a closer look at this.

 

[macchiaz-o]

IMO something is not right here. There is no way that the roof glass should stick up above the windshield. Not only is that affecting the noise level, but drag would be increased also. My biggest worry is something like a rock comes along from the road and hits that raised glass edge. Takes a chip out of it and then the chipped place becomes a crack and then your panoramic roof pulls a Tesla and flies off the car as the crack causes it to lose rigidity. Also a start of a water leak location. Something needs to be done about this. A gasket or some thing needs to be installed. Most cars have a gasket between windshield and the roof of car anyway. At least our two do. Ford if you are out there, take a closer look at this.

Check your other vehicles to see how much the painted roof (or glass roof if you have 'em) are raised above the windshield.

I checked my Fiesta and it's exactly 1/8".

The windshield and the roof (or roof glass) are curved surfaces. There is a gap between the top edge of windshield and the front cliff of the roof. I imagine the leading edge of the pano glass that you're observing is meant to somewhat follow the curvature upwards from the windshield.

I'm not an aero engineer. Just making some observations. I'm sure that the aero engineers involved on the Mach-E program had an influence into how these things should fit together, and they have a far better understanding of drag most of us do.

 

[VegStang]

I’ve noticed the same thing on a variety of vehicles the last few days, some more than 1/8”. All of them were metal roofs above the windshield however. I am suspicious of the two drip molding front edges being a possible source of the wind noise more than the glass across the center. Has anyone tried the tape test just on those two areas not across the entire front?

I noticed the molding was flexible at the leading edges on the FE I looked at yesterday. I replaced the drip molding on our MB a while back, but they are a continuous piece running from the bottom of the windshield up the side to the back of the car. No leading edge for wind to get under at the front of the roof.

Check your other vehicles to see how much the painted roof (or glass roof if you have 'em) are raised above the windshield.

I checked my Fiesta and it's exactly 1/8".

The windshield and the roof (or roof glass) are curved surfaces. There is a gap between the top edge of windshield and the front cliff of the roof. I imagine the leading edge of the pano glass that you're observing is meant to somewhat follow the curvature upwards from the windshield.

I'm not an aero engineer. Just making some observations. I'm sure that the aero engineers involved on the Mach-E program had an influence into how these things should fit together, and they have a far better understanding of drag most of us do.

 

[timbop]

Mine has a 3/16" gap (Ca RT1 with glass roof):

 

[macchiaz-o]

Unfortunately there is variation. Mine has a 3/16" gap (Ca RT1 with glass roof):

Variation compared to other Mach-Es? I haven't seen anyone else post a measurement made the same way you and I measured ours. Maybe they are all 3/16"?

 

[JellyBelly]

Congrats on the new ride! Interesting that there was that big of a delay from build date to ship date on yours, although I had a GT reservation so wasn’t really paying attention to that info on the site much before I got mine. Thought initially that the fact that you just got it removed the potential for it being a bad batch/production issue, but I think the build date makes it still possible. I don’t know how to find that information on mine since I wasn’t the original person that ordered it

we dont know what they were checking for in KC...we have to assume they fixed what ever it was but we dont know...I personally dont think they were inspecting for glass roof variations - it must have been something more serious. I say that because if they paying attention to glass roofs they would have figured out more serious things like 12V battery or charging circuit or PAAK or Ford pass issues. So the delay in KC may or may not have caught these variations in glass roofs.

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