Date:         Tue, 21 May 2002 13:58:23 +1000
Reply-To:     Stephen Overmyer <s.overmyer@UWS.EDU.AU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stephen Overmyer <s.overmyer@UWS.EDU.AU>
Subject:      Re: Wind Noise
In-Reply-To:  <200205210159.g4L1xU603697@cooper.uws.edu.au>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

At 21:48 20/05/02 -0400, you wrote:

>I'm about to begin a campaign to reduce the noise level in my van. First
>I want to reduce wind noise,

Perhaps not eating so much Mexican food? ;)

>and then will go for sound deadening materials applied where necessary.
>
>I have a lot of wind noise around the upper parts of my doors, as well
>as around my sliding door on my 88 GL. It sounds as if the seals are not
>seated in spots against the body frame when shut.

Assuming it is the door seals (and not the window channels as already
suggested) and assuming your seals pass the obvious inspection by eye
for tears,rips,missing bits etc...
It could be that your door seals have compressed over time as they have
inevitably hardened up with age* and are not sealing as well as VW
originally intended.

(* most of us experience the opposite problem...;)

Perhaps re-positioning your striker plates on the door frames or the
hinges in a little bit to pull the doors in tighter when closed may
alleviate this problem.I've not had to do this to my T3 yet but it's
worked for me on Bays & Beetles before.

I have also had success slightly bending in the top of the door frame
when needed to improve the seal (when no amount of hinge or striker
adjustment would help) but that practice has been limited so far to
older VWs,usually when I've replaced one door with another.
Prolly an unpalatable suggestion to try on your GL ;)...try adjusting
the strikers first...

Cheers,
Steve O
Blue Mountains NSW Australia
'92 Transporter WBX Kombi
'76 Transporter Double Cab
'68 Beetle
'00 Transporter 5Cyl Double Cab (work truck)