Wind Buffering / Buffeting via Windows or Sunroof

[Stoney!]

My mate just picked up his 103TDi the other day and I went for a ride in it, very impressed. One thing that worried me though (in the lead up to getting my mk 6 with sunroof) was that when I opened the sunroof (slide not tilt) there was a wind buffering type sound like you would hear with the rear windows down, but it was absolutely deafening around 30 - 40k's (I think) opened to a certain extent.

Does anyone else have this problem, I'm wondering if I should cancel the sunroof before it is made, or if this is a problem that my friend should be taking back to the dealer....

Thanks,

[FJ Steve]

try opening the rear or front windows a couple of cm/mm

makes all the difference.

[STV4SYT]

How far back was it open, i know in my mk 5 if i turn the opener to the first notch it is fine if i open it fully i get a lot of buffeting.

In any case the tilt is the bit that will get used most anyway, i tilt mine rain hail or shine as i like the added air circulation..

[Umai Naa!!]

My old Commodore used to do the same thing, so I never bothered opening it.

I've driven a MK4 around town (up to 90klm/hr) with the sunroof wide-open, and it was quiet as.

If I get hold of a MK6 with a sunroof during the week, I'll take it for a spin with it open, and let you know.

[cktsi]

it's normal

I think it's just physics at play. Like you say, when the rear windows are open, the air circulation creates a pressure that creates those sound waves... don't mean to sound so nerdy...

Good news is in my comfortline mk6, the first 3 or 4 notches don't create the buffeting with all the windows up. Any setting beyond 4 - open requires only the rear windows to be open a few cm. If you set it to fully retracted (including the sunblind), I have found all windows need to be open.

Thinking about it from a psychological standpoint, the whole reason for getting a sunroof is having that "wind in the hair" sensation and air swirling in the cabin. Having the sunroof open and not the windows doesn't complete the experience anyway and is a bit like driving a convertible with the roof up all the time.

Am I happy with the sunroof?

You bet



Don't think about it - just order it... or you'll be kicking yourself like I did when I got my mk5 & didn't negotiate the sunroof into the deal.

[guliver_twist]

didn't think much of sunroof till I got 1 with my golf and must say that i love it.. I think all my future cars will come with one..

[Corey_R]

Like everyone has said - the rear windows down 1cm is all it takes to remove the buffering.

I loved the sunroof on my 3dr GTI... unfortunately it don't have rear windows which meant the buffering sound was unavoidable once you were over around 80km (or over 50km without the front windows down about 1 cm)

[Craig]

This is all because the air foil at the front of the sunroof does not project up far enough to deflect air moving over the roof and being sucked into the cabin. I had a Forester and an Outback with sunroofs and never got any buffering inside the cabin when the roof was open. I think because of the tilt function they don't have a big front air deflector which is what they need. VW must make a pretty air tight cabin as you do need to open the rear windows a fraction to let the air deflect out of the cabin. I need to do this with my Passat

[Corey_R]

BMW's also have a tilt function and don't have the same buffering issue. If you notice though, their wind deflector is quite an interesting and different design.

[Lima]

Don't mean to state the obvious, but on the Mk4 and Mk5 there is a larger dot about 4/5ths around the dial. That is the "comfort position" or something like that. When driving that is supposedly the best opening position. Certainly opening it all the way back would create the buffeting.

Having said that, in both our Mk4 and Mk5 there is some buffeting. Oddly, though, the Mk4 would buffet at speeds over about 60-70km/h but not below. Our Mk5 buffets a bit at around 40-50km/h but is fine once over that speed.

When test driving S3s I gave the sunroof a good work out and it seemed fine at any speed. Hopefully that wasn't a one off!

[Corey_R]

Yeah - my comments about the buffets were in that 'comfort position'. It's worse on the 3dr because of there not being any rear windows to crack.

[Lima]

Yeah - my comments about the buffets were in that 'comfort position'. It's worse on the 3dr because of there not being any rear windows to crack.

I find ours is fine if you drop one (or both) of the front windows by an inch or so.

[cktsi]

Don't mean to state the obvious, but on the Mk4 and Mk5 there is a larger dot about 4/5ths around the dial. That is the "comfort position" or something like that. When driving that is supposedly the best opening position. Certainly opening it all the way back would create the buffeting.

Having said that, in both our Mk4 and Mk5 there is some buffeting. Oddly, though, the Mk4 would buffet at speeds over about 60-70km/h but not below. Our Mk5 buffets a bit at around 40-50km/h but is fine once over that speed.

When test driving S3s I gave the sunroof a good work out and it seemed fine at any speed. Hopefully that wasn't a one off!

I read your comment & took a look at my switch tonight. The Mark 6 doesn't have a comfort marking.

However, what you said correlates with my experience that there's no buffeting until after around the 4th notch.

The buffeting only happens at low speeds <40kph. On the freeway driving at a constant 100kph, doesn't matter where the sunroof position is - no buffeting.

[moniker]

Mk VI has the worst wind buffeting of any car I've owned

It's virtually impossible to drive at any speed above about 30km/h without SEVERE drumming in my 103TDI.
You can minimise the drumming a little by putting another window down, but this is one big failing of the Mk VI that maybe they don't even test - being driven with the driver's window down.

[Brendan_A]

Easy fix. Drive with the windows up.