2023 Model S Road Noise?

[EVRider-FL]

I think the idea is to use bright flashlight and look down this open slot. You can lift up the plastic trim a bit. I haven’t tried yet but seems like you can see behind wheel well.

View attachment 942471

Thanks. Looking through the frunk hinge on the passenger side I can get a glimpse of the foam insulation, but not enough to know if it's attached properly. The hinge on the driver's side doesn't provide any view of the foam on that side.

@scot, I don't know if you read my OP and subsequent replies, but I think I've provided as much detail as I can. The noise is coming from the tires, like road noise from any other car I've driven, including my wife's Model 3 -- it's nothing more than that. My only issue is that I'm hearing more of it than I expected from a new Model S, given how quiet my previous S's were and how quiet other people have reported the new S to be. Maybe the noise is caused by poorly-installed foam insulation as others have suggested, but I can't see the insulation well enough to know that. I did mention that possibility to service when I had them test drive the car with me, but they didn't seem to think it was enough of an issue to start taking things apart, especially since the other S I test drove (which had the same tires as mine) wasn't any quieter. Taking things apart myself to get a better look at the foam is beyond my capabilities.

 

[Yblue]

Yes. I know most tires for Tesla have foam insert

 

[SoCal Buzz]

The hinge on the driver's side doesn't provide any view of the foam on that side.

I was able to see the foam sound insulation from behind the hinge with frunk open, on both left and right sides. I could even poke it a bit and see that it’s loose on the passenger side. But per your comment, I don’t know how they are supposed to be attached. Mine seem to run vertically and rest between back of wheel well and the interior of door.

Not the best pic:

 

[TSLA Pilot]

I assume you mean you have to remove the frunk liner. How do you do that? The instructions posted by @TSLA Pilot didn’t mention that, and I’m not really a DIY guy. I also watched the video that was posted earlier that showed the foam pieces, but everything was already taken apart.

Geesh, I listed clear, numbered, steps suitable for a third-grader….

1. Open the frunk (app works well for this).

2. Shine a bright flashlight down into the front fenders, and check the aft wall for the pads.

It’s NOT rocket science people.

 

[TSLA Pilot]

I was able to see the foam sound insulation from behind the hinge with frunk open, on both left and right sides. I could even poke it a bit and see that it’s loose on the passenger side. But per your comment, I don’t know how they are supposed to be attached. Mine seem to run vertically and rest between back of wheel well and the interior of door.

Not the best pic:

View attachment 942539

Ah, no.

It looks like it’s resting on the repeater wiring, and NOT installed against the aft wall of fender?

File a warranty claim to have them finish building your car….

 

[SoCal Buzz]

Ah, no.

It looks like it’s resting on the repeater wiring, and NOT installed against the aft wall of fender?

File a warranty claim to have them finish building your car….

Thanks. Here is a better shot on passenger side. It seems to be loosely resting in vertical position. How is it supposed to look on aft fender? I wonder if it really matters.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

Ah, no.

It looks like it’s resting on the repeater wiring, and NOT installed against the aft wall of fender?

File a warranty claim to have them finish building your car….

I bet my SC would use the excuse that they are all like that from the factory (which is true!), and then call it "normal," and refuse to fix it.

 

[evfeh]

The foam insulation is inside the tire itself.

Michelin now has Pilot Sport 4s in 245/35-21 with acoustic foam

Just picked these up today. Build date was 0919. Saw them at Tirerack with limited supply. But my local Discount Tire got them direct from Michelin for me even though they were not in their catalog yet. Just need to wait a little for warmer weather here and I'll get them on the car.

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[TSLA Pilot]

The foam insulation is inside the tire itself.

Michelin now has Pilot Sport 4s in 245/35-21 with acoustic foam

Just picked these up today. Build date was 0919. Saw them at Tirerack with limited supply. But my local Discount Tire got them direct from Michelin for me even though they were not in their catalog yet. Just need to wait a little for warmer weather here and I'll get them on the car.

teslamotorsclub.com

Ah, not what we're talking about here.

YES, there is ALSO foam in the OEM tires.

But what we're discussing here is the stunning number of MS's with noise absorption pads that are not attached correctly at the factory, or fall out soon after delivery.

In a "more perfect Tesla," Fremont would have had an engineer hustle down to the assembly line within minutes of the first discovery of these pads falling out, fixing it for good, in 2021.

Sadly, it's mid-2023 and the Southlake Gallery has a very recent MS Plaid on the showroom floor. These same damn pads falling out on that car too. I showed it to the Gallery staff. The reply: "No one else has mentioned it or complained." Can't get much more of a blow off than that I guess?

Tesla can't get it's sh7t together because Tesla has grown stupid of late or they just don't give a damn. I don't know which it is.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

Ah, not what we're talking about here.

YES, there is ALSO foam in the OEM tires.

But what we're discussing here is the stunning number of MS's with noise absorption pads that are not attached correctly at the factory, or fall out soon after delivery.

In a "more perfect Tesla," Fremont would have had an engineer hustle down to the assembly line within minutes of the first discovery of these pads falling out, fixing it for good, in 2021.

Sadly, it's mid-2023 and the Southlake Gallery has a very recent MS Plaid on the showroom floor. These same damn pads falling out on that car too. I showed it to the Gallery staff. The reply: "No one else has mentioned it or complained." Can't get much more of a blow off than that I guess?

Tesla can't get it's sh7t together because Tesla has grown stupid of late or they just don't give a damn. I don't know which it is.

It’s wrong, but it’s way down on the list of priorities for Tesla to fix on the Model S.

Warped windshields, rear hatch misaligned that cause SC to remove the rear window glass to fix, unusual amount of gear whine, premature inner rear tire wear, etc are all way above this lose padding issue. The padding was the easiest production issue for me to fix by far.

So if they don’t care about those major issues, it is confirmed they will likely never care about this padding.

 

[Propofoln]

It’s wrong, but it’s way down on the list of priorities for Tesla to fix on the Model S.

Warped windshields, rear hatch misaligned that cause SC to remove the rear window glass to fix, unusual amount of gear whine, premature inner rear tire wear, etc are all way above this lose padding issue. The padding was the easiest production issue for me to fix by far.

So if they don’t care about those major issues, it is confirmed they will likely never care about this padding.

My new 80+ mph vibration on the highway is amazing on my brand new 2023 MSP. So amazing Tesla!

 

[TLLMRRJ]

My new 80+ mph vibration on the highway is amazing on my brand new 2023 MSP. So amazing Tesla!

Can't believe I forgot to mention the "death vibration!"

 

[RobS]

I recently took delivery of a new 2023 Model S LR. I haven’t driven it much yet, but there seems to be a lot of road noise, unlike my previous 2018 and 2016 Model S’s, which were relatively quiet. The new car is no quieter than my wife’s 2018 Model 3, and might be louder. It doesn’t matter whether Active Road Noise Reduction is enabled or disabled, it’s noisy either way. The tires are Continental ProContact RX TI on 19” wheels, which I don’t think I’ve had before.

Are others who upgraded from an older S hearing more road noise? Is there anything I can do about it?

I just came back from a test drive of the 2023 Model S. I thought I would buy a new Model S to replace my 2012 P85. I couldn't believe the street noise. My wife also has a 2018 M 3 and like you, it sounded the same. My 2012 feels silent on local streets (25 - 30 mph) and this car had a deep rumble. I'm keeping my 2012!

 

[RichardL]

My ‘22 has the 19” Continentals and it too suffers a lot of road noise on concrete surfaces. My local stretch of I8 goes from concrete to new blacktop and the difference in noise is astonishing. These tires seem very bad with rough surfaces.

 

[EVRider-FL]

I just got back from a 5200 mile road trip, and the road noise is definitely an issue. I’m bringing the car back to service to have them check the sound insulation. My wife just upgraded her Model 3 to a new MYP and that seems much quieter.

 

[EVRider-FL]

I brought in the car for service and asked them to check the foam sound insulation behind the wheels. They said they did so and found that the foam wasn’t installed correctly, but the car isn’t any quieter, and might even be worse.

The 2023 Model X they gave me as a loaner was much better at silencing road noise, but it did have more wind noise than my Model S.

 

[scot]

Model x is quieter than the S for a few reasons, but the rear hatch area is a large portion of it. It moves which can create a booming sound itself, and it can bounce sound into the rest of the vehicle that gets damped on the X. Hard to say what is causing your issue though as there just isnt enough info in any of the posts. This is part of the reason the people here have been repeatedly asking for more details on what noises you hear and asking your responses to be much, much more descriptive.

While yes, it could just be tire noise, it can also be vibration in the rear which is amplified by the hatch itself. Not just the larger buffeting, but just regular vibration noise and can sound like it is coming from in front.

It could also be anything else though, all the way down to suspension issues that could be pervasive and not sound like it could be suspension.

Describing exactly when you hear noise, what it sounds like, if it happens when turning vs going forward, what specific tires were on the vehicle (including the model x), if you have verified the hatch is tight against the stops, and the rest is required to accurately diagnose. You could also use an RTA to get an idea of the frequency of the noise.

In my 23 MSP it is more noisy than a 23 model x. On a smooth road it is fine, but over bumpy roads it does produce a louder general tone that seems to be from sympathetic vibration. Tire noise is also louder than the model x at all times. There is no difference driving straight vs turning. Higher noise when initially put on the road and quiets down after the tires warm up.

Filling the entire hatch area with damping materials (moving blankets) helps slightly.

General nose is somewhat objectionable, but not bad.

I do not detect any out of the ordinary noise coming from up front, some slight booming from behind.

Start with trying to describe, in one post, all of the things you have done and a summary of what the noise sounds like and where it is coming from. HIGHLY recommended to have a passenger do the same. Sometimes noises are really hard to pin down to location due to how our ears work. Multiple points of view are better.

 

[EVRider-FL]

All the details were provided in the initial post and replies. The noise is coming from the road surface, and changes when the road surface changes. All cars experience some of this, but as I said originally, my two previous Model S's were quieter under the same conditions.

 

[David29]

Model x is quieter than the S for a few reasons, but the rear hatch area is a large portion of it. It moves which can create a booming sound itself, and it can bounce sound into the rest of the vehicle that gets damped on the X. Hard to say what is causing your issue though as there just isnt enough info in any of the posts. This is part of the reason the people here have been repeatedly asking for more details on what noises you hear and asking your responses to be much, much more descriptive.

While yes, it could just be tire noise, it can also be vibration in the rear which is amplified by the hatch itself. Not just the larger buffeting, but just regular vibration noise and can sound like it is coming from in front.

It could also be anything else though, all the way down to suspension issues that could be pervasive and not sound like it could be suspension.

Describing exactly when you hear noise, what it sounds like, if it happens when turning vs going forward, what specific tires were on the vehicle (including the model x), if you have verified the hatch is tight against the stops, and the rest is required to accurately diagnose. You could also use an RTA to get an idea of the frequency of the noise.

In my 23 MSP it is more noisy than a 23 model x. On a smooth road it is fine, but over bumpy roads it does produce a louder general tone that seems to be from sympathetic vibration. Tire noise is also louder than the model x at all times. There is no difference driving straight vs turning. Higher noise when initially put on the road and quiets down after the tires warm up.

Filling the entire hatch area with damping materials (moving blankets) helps slightly.

General nose is somewhat objectionable, but not bad.

I do not detect any out of the ordinary noise coming from up front, some slight booming from behind.

Start with trying to describe, in one post, all of the things you have done and a summary of what the noise sounds like and where it is coming from. HIGHLY recommended to have a passenger do the same. Sometimes noises are really hard to pin down to location due to how our ears work. Multiple points of view are better.

I have driven two new Model X (demonstrators) recently, one with 20" tires and one with 22" tires (sorry, brand not noted), and both had what I thought was very loud road noise, worse than my 8 year-old Model S 70D. Very little wind noise, though.
Can you explain a bit more about why you think the Model X would be quieter than the S? Both have hatches, so i do not quite understand your point about that.

 

[NeuroRad]

I couldn’t believe how noisy my S was coming from a current generation f150 platinum. It was night and day. I chalk it up to being much closer to the ground with much more aggressive tires.