Ear pain/Pressure help

[ilovecoffee]

Maybe silly question, regarding the vinyl tubing, is 5/16' inside or outside diameter?

Outer diameter

 

[justtestla]

I just picked up my car from the service center. They said they installed these new things on the hatch to stiffen it and also let some more air out. They said that Tesla engineering had recently made these because some people have this issue. I can't remember if they really were not there before. View attachment 630677 View attachment 630678

I have a 2024 Model Y and the same noise issue. I have brought my Model Y in several times. They adjusted the hatch spacing and made it close with more force. When I asked about the spacers, they indicated that this is only used on older Model Y's but they checked a couple in the parking lot so I don't think that is 100% true. Long story short, when I close my side passenger or driver's side doors you can see the hatch jump up. Clearly that needed to be adjusted. They agreed. When compared to other Model Y's, others don't have this issue.

 

[justtestla]

You guys are right! A major source of the booming is the hatch itself! I was able to take the hatch cover off after watching this video:

Model Y kick sensor install

Once I took the cover and banged on the metal with my hand it was clear to me this could definitely be a potential source of the booming. So, I added the sound proofing materials that gundarx posted and wow! The volume of the booming sound is quite a bit lower! I'm very happy with the result! I can enjoy driving the car now without that loud booming sound bothering me on rough roads.

gundarx thank you so much for sharing the sound proofing materials!View attachment 643847View attachment 643848View attachment 643852

With the sound-deadening material installed in the hatch area, do you have any issues with it not opening through the automatic button?

 

[justtestla]

Hey guys,

Updating this thread with some further experimentation. I think I have solved this issue once and for all, way better results than rigid hatch stops alone (although I still am using them). It has completely eliminated most harsh bump "booms". For the record, I also do have sound deadening material on my rear wheel wells. But I still noticed a big difference. Your hatch stops will need re-adjusting after doing this. Honestly, this is the best result I've noticed post-install. The only downside risk to trying is that you will have 2 slightly enlarged air holes in your rubber seal, meh, no biggie.

It's a 3/8" (or 9.53mm) vinyl tube (minimum about 15' length needed) It's fairly rigid and hard to compress with your fingers.

You remember the famous envelope YouTube video right? Well, if all that noise and pressure is coming from the seal moving, why not reduce movement of the seal? So that's what I did.

(Illustration only) I cut the tube so that it had a triangular end, and covered it with electrical tape so as to not puncture the rubber seal from the inside as I fished it through. I just sprayed it with 303 Aerospace as I slid it in (to make it slippery, spray wax would work too).

3 separate sections were necessary, I wanted it as one piece, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get either that red or blue line to continue along the bottom.

Way more rigid now


It does add a bit to the gap, but it isn't bad. Not super tight but still waterproof (I car wash tested it)

I have tried many of the things you suggested. The service center tried adjusting the gaps. After 2 visits I brought it back and showed them that the hatch jumps when I close the driver or passenger side doors. They adjusted the hatch again and it was a lot better. Do you know if your car or others you have seen this issue with will see the hatch jump up when closing a door?

I managed to get them to replace the seal as well but it is no more rigid. I was able to keep the old one so I think I can try the vinyl rubber hose trick that you came up with.

I printed all of the rubber stoppers as well and noticed less movement with those on it but at the end of the day I think the issue is two fold.
1. The hatch is moving which can cause more air to get through and cause booming / turbulence noise.
2. The seal is simply too loose. I can pull a piece of paper out with hardly any effort. I think your approach with the tube will fix that.

Did the rubber pieces on the side of the lights do anything for you? Would you be willing to share the 3d file for that part? It is the one shown at 13:50 of your video

. I know that you said those parts didn't do a lot but I'd love to test it.

 

[ElectricAnt54]

P.S. I got excited that service gave me another MY as a loaner as I was looking to compare the experience. Boy was I wrong.... loaner had 10x worse booming noise while driving. Are they all like this?

Yes they all have it. I’ve rented 3 2022 model Y’s & test drove one at Tesla. However some people are more sensitive & others not. Myself & kids hear booming but my wife doesn’t . My pal has a jeep wagon. He hears the booming sound in his car & it is a topic in his car’s forums. Audi e-tron is said to be like a bank vault in terms of noise. I’m going to rent one some day in near future.

 

[justtestla]

I have tried many of the things you suggested. The service center tried adjusting the gaps. After 2 visits I brought it back and showed them that the hatch jumps when I close the driver or passenger side doors. They adjusted the hatch again and it was a lot better. Do you know if your car or others you have seen this issue with will see the hatch jump up when closing a door?

I managed to get them to replace the seal as well but it is no more rigid. I was able to keep the old one so I think I can try the vinyl rubber hose trick that you came up with.

I printed all of the rubber stoppers as well and noticed less movement with those on it but at the end of the day I think the issue is two fold.
1. The hatch is moving which can cause more air to get through and cause booming / turbulence noise.
2. The seal is simply too loose. I can pull a piece of paper out with hardly any effort. I think your approach with the tube will fix that.

Did the rubber pieces on the side of the lights do anything for you? Would you be willing to share the 3d file for that part? It is the one shown at 13:50 of your video

. I know that you said those parts didn't do a lot but I'd love to test it.

I installed the vinyl tubing in a spare gasket. It seems to have removed most of the booming noise/ear pain. The car is still loud and makes more noise whenever I go over any and I mean any imperfections in the road. My next step is to install a Koni Comfort suspension to reduce road vibrations which cause additional noise in the vehicle. I plan to make a video to post about this issue and my experience trying to solve it. Coming Soon.

 

[Hingjon]

Very very interesting. Yesterday I went to a Tesla service appointment in The Netherlands
They've swapped the front with the rear tires and the difference in 'resonating vibration' and booming on that part is big! Seems like they really need to step up their game road balancing the tires. But feels good now that part of the booming /vibrating/resonance noise is gone.

I'm still trying eliminate the complete booms on crappy pavement and speed above 110km/hr

Good to also know is that they (finally) acknowledged the fact that it is some kind of pressure issue! which we call bufetting ofcourse. They've ordered the following parts to replace:

Liftgate Margin Seal - Left Hand (1729713-OO-B)
Liftgate Margin Seal - Right Hand (1729714-OO-B)
Liftgate Wedge Damper - Left Hand (1655164-OO-B)
Liftgate Wedge Damper - Right Hand (1655165-OO-B

 

[Hingjon]

To give some additional context. I've purchased this Model Y in August and experienced issues pretty soon afterwards. Went to Service two times already but maybe.. maybe the third time's the charm as they acknowledge the fact that they heard the problem and that it was some kind of pressure problem with the trunk.

 

[ro004]

New MY owner here. I was immediately having buyers remorse after a few weeks of ownership as I was experiencing the same booming/bass sound and rough ride as many forum users here. What did I do? I scoured the Internet and found ilovecoffee's YouTube video detailing the exact same discomforting low frequency sounds that he had. I can report that doing the 5/16" vinyl tubing mod and readjusting the hatch stops using the envelope test have substantially lessened the booming/bass sound and has now made my brand new car tolerable. I also played around with the PSI and found that I could not go past 38 PSI as anything above would make me and my family fatigued over bumps. The roads aren't even that bad in the area I live, but we could feel every single bump if it was at 42 PSI. Add the booming/bass sounds to it and you have a $50K car that feels like a $5K car. I came to the conclusion that Tesla is a company that developed awesome EV technology but is in its infant stages of having the knowhow to build cars. The 23 Fremont build quality is still bad no matter what anyone else says.

Question is, I have the butyl sheets to put on the rear wheel wells, but I'm reluctant to take the trunk panels apart being that the car is so brand new. Did other folks do it and was it worth the effort and danger of loose rattling panels after? After the vinyl tubing mod it vastly improved the booming noise but would like to make it even more quiet if I could.

 

[justtestla]

New MY owner here. I was immediately having buyers remorse after a few weeks of ownership as I was experiencing the same booming/bass sound and rough ride as many forum users here. What did I do? I scoured the Internet and found ilovecoffee's YouTube video detailing the exact same discomforting low frequency sounds that he had. I can report that doing the 5/16" vinyl tubing mod and readjusting the hatch stops using the envelope test have substantially lessened the booming/bass sound and has now made my brand new car tolerable. I also played around with the PSI and found that I could not go past 38 PSI as anything above would make me and my family fatigued over bumps. The roads aren't even that bad in the area I live, but we could feel every single bump if it was at 42 PSI. Add the booming/bass sounds to it and you have a $50K car that feels like a $5K car. I came to the conclusion that Tesla is a company that developed awesome EV technology but is in its infant stages of having the knowhow to build cars. The 23 Fremont build quality is still bad no matter what anyone else says.

Question is, I have the butyl sheets to put on the rear wheel wells, but I'm reluctant to take the trunk panels apart being that the car is so brand new. Did other folks do it and was it worth the effort and danger of loose rattling panels after? After the vinyl tubing mod it vastly improved the booming noise but would like to make it even more quiet if I could.

I had the booming issue, fixed it with the rubber tubing. The noise is slightly improved with the butyl sheets in the wheel wells. I've read a lot more about soundproofing a car. In short, I would do 3 layers if possible. 1 to three layers of butyl rubber first. I used Killmat since it didn't smell. #2 I would then add closed-cell foam. This acts like a separation layer. #3 I would add mass-loaded vinyl. It is heavy and blocks noise. Try to install this without making cuts in the material as much as possible. There is an option from a few companies such as Second Skin Luxury Liner™ Sheet - Mass Loaded Vinyl that combines #2 and #3.

At the end of the day, I believe that many people might be doing automotive soundproofing a bit imperfectly 3+ layers of butyl rubber is probably not as effective as the three of these combined.

As of today I also installed Koni Comfort suspension dampeners. This really changed the ride of the car. I could hardly feel comfortable taking the Model Y on the autobahn over 140km/hr before. Now I am comfortable at 175 km/hr and still in control at 200 km/hr (though I wouldn't stay there long). It improved the ride of the car in terms of the bumps. Small bumps were previously felt but now they are very minimally noticed. Larger bumps are greatly reduced. The biggest thing that I noticed is that the car just handles better and is easier to drive with one hand. It is night and day different. For those of you in Germany, I did this upgrade at Reber Reifenhaus outside of Stuttgart. I'm not affiliated with them at all but the technician was friendly and it wasn't outrageously expensive. The dampeners, wishbones and cathedral bearings put me back about 1800. They claimed that the wishbone and cathedral bearings have gone out on people after as little as 12k mi so I figured while I am at it I may as well since I probably voided most of the suspension warranty.

@ro004 I feel your pain on the buyer's remorse. It should not have the issues I've felt for a vehicle priced at 50k.

I currently only installed a few layers of the butyl rubber in the wheel wells but plan to do steps 2 and 3 still. I may also add butyl rubber in the doors and hatch. Seems like it would be noticeable when you drive at speeds over 140km/hr.

Hope that helps just a little

 

[ro004]

I had the booming issue, fixed it with the rubber tubing. The noise is slightly improved with the butyl sheets in the wheel wells. I've read a lot more about soundproofing a car. In short, I would do 3 layers if possible. 1 to three layers of butyl rubber first. I used Killmat since it didn't smell. #2 I would then add closed-cell foam. This acts like a separation layer. #3 I would add mass-loaded vinyl. It is heavy and blocks noise. Try to install this without making cuts in the material as much as possible. There is an option from a few companies such as Second Skin Luxury Liner™ Sheet - Mass Loaded Vinyl that combines #2 and #3.

At the end of the day, I believe that many people might be doing automotive soundproofing a bit imperfectly 3+ layers of butyl rubber is probably not as effective as the three of these combined.

As of today I also installed Koni Comfort suspension dampeners. This really changed the ride of the car. I could hardly feel comfortable taking the Model Y on the autobahn over 140km/hr before. Now I am comfortable at 175 km/hr and still in control at 200 km/hr (though I wouldn't stay there long). It improved the ride of the car in terms of the bumps. Small bumps were previously felt but now they are very minimally noticed. Larger bumps are greatly reduced. The biggest thing that I noticed is that the car just handles better and is easier to drive with one hand. It is night and day different. For those of you in Germany, I did this upgrade at Reber Reifenhaus outside of Stuttgart. I'm not affiliated with them at all but the technician was friendly and it wasn't outrageously expensive. The dampeners, wishbones and cathedral bearings put me back about 1800. They claimed that the wishbone and cathedral bearings have gone out on people after as little as 12k mi so I figured while I am at it I may as well since I probably voided most of the suspension warranty.

@ro004 I feel your pain on the buyer's remorse. It should not have the issues I've felt for a vehicle priced at 50k.

I currently only installed a few layers of the butyl rubber in the wheel wells but plan to do steps 2 and 3 still. I may also add butyl rubber in the doors and hatch. Seems like it would be noticeable when you drive at speeds over 140km/hr.

Hope that helps just a little

Thanks so much! I will look into the 3 layers before I start taking the trunk panels off. Did you have any issues with rattling and what not after putting them back on? Or was it a straightforward process?

 

[Bp25]

Thanks so much! I will look into the 3 layers before I start taking the trunk panels off. Did you have any issues with rattling and what not after putting them back on? Or was it a straightforward process?

Taking trunk panels off in not a big deal, I did it several times on multiple MYs. You just have to keep an eye on those small white clips on side panels as they tend to fall off and hide in the most difficult nook possible.
But I never had rattles after putting them back.

 

[justtestla]

Thanks so much! I will look into the 3 layers before I start taking the trunk panels off. Did you have any issues with rattling and what not after putting them back on? Or was it a straightforward process?

I did not have any issues with rattling afterward. I've taken them on and off about 4 times now.

 

[be10v]

I'll provide an update, now that the car is back from service (took 20 days while service also worked on other issues).

Unfortunately the booming issue is not fixed, and I'm starting to think mine has something different being wrong with it.
Tesla now says it is normal operation.

I also had a loaner and 3 different test drive 2023 MY's - all experienced the same booming noise over bumps, and some were even worse (hence Tesla says it's normal on mine).
I had one loaner M3 - absolutely no issues on that one. Tech said that he agrees that M3 is a lot quieter, but can't do anything to help.

What was attempted:
Service installed the wedges and weather stripping - no difference, except wind buffeting was fixed.
I tried 3/8 tuber + properly aligned the bump stops - no difference.
Added 3d printed solid stops - no difference.
Installed 33hz TMD in the trunk - no difference.
Adjusted the hatch alignment for even tighter fit - no difference.
Butyl sound deadening - properly reduced road noise- at least some good news, but no change on booming.


Odd part - booming noise is only noticeable for driver and front passenger (spectroid app confirmed more than 10db difference when measured up front vs back) - it still sounds like booming is coming up from the back though.
Another odd part - I needed to transport a heavy rug (70lbs or so) with rear seats folded and pushed against. Booming was 90% less. Could be the rug was absorbing the sound though. Just folding the seats makes no difference.


This one is a deal breaker - I simply cannot drive the car longer than 10mi and have zero enjoyment when I need to. $50k garbage.

 

[justtestla]

I'll provide an update, now that the car is back from service (took 20 days while service also worked on other issues).

Unfortunately the booming issue is not fixed, and I'm starting to think mine has something different being wrong with it.
Tesla now says it is normal operation.

I also had a loaner and 3 different test drive 2023 MY's - all experienced the same booming noise over bumps, and some were even worse (hence Tesla says it's normal on mine).
I had one loaner M3 - absolutely no issues on that one. Tech said that he agrees that M3 is a lot quieter, but can't do anything to help.

What was attempted:
Service installed the wedges and weather stripping - no difference, except wind buffeting was fixed.
I tried 3/8 tuber + properly aligned the bump stops - no difference.
Added 3d printed solid stops - no difference.
Installed 33hz TMD in the trunk - no difference.
Adjusted the hatch alignment for even tighter fit - no difference.
Butyl sound deadening - properly reduced road noise- at least some good news, but no change on booming.


Odd part - booming noise is only noticeable for driver and front passenger (spectroid app confirmed more than 10db difference when measured up front vs back) - it still sounds like booming is coming up from the back though.
Another odd part - I needed to transport a heavy rug (70lbs or so) with rear seats folded and pushed against. Booming was 90% less. Could be the rug was absorbing the sound though. Just folding the seats makes no difference.


This one is a deal breaker - I simply cannot drive the car longer than 10mi and have zero enjoyment when I need to. $50k garbage.

So sorry to hear that. I had similar booming noise but the hatch adjustment from Tesla and the 3/8th tube fixed mine.

Have you also checked that the doors are fully closed and that the seals are touching? I haven’t heard of this issue specifically but if you are seeing the issue in the doors that would be with checking.

Also I would suggesting recalibrating the windows, and checking if they are sealed well.

In terms of other noises, I installed a Koni suspension dampener and that made the ride tons smoother…which removes some booming noises from going over bumps.

 

[be10v]

So sorry to hear that. I had similar booming noise but the hatch adjustment from Tesla and the 3/8th tube fixed mine.

Have you also checked that the doors are fully closed and that the seals are touching? I haven’t heard of this issue specifically but if you are seeing the issue in the doors that would be with checking.

Also I would suggesting recalibrating the windows, and checking if they are sealed well.

In terms of other noises, I installed a Koni suspension dampener and that made the ride tons smoother…which removes some booming noises from going over bumps.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Car had issues with windows and driver door alignment (door was not closing and sticking out). Service could not fix it except for making it close, so I ended up adjusting those myself. I did recalibrate the windows too - there is no wind noise or any other indication that doors or windows are not closing correctly at this time. Seals seem to be fine too.

I spent a few more hours looking and found that I can consistently reproduce the booming noice if someone lightly taps on the hatch when it is closed.
Even with all the tubing, rigid stops, and adjustments, it still moves a little (perhaps 1mm or so), enough to fill the cabin with that noise/vibration. Curious if the hatch itself is lacking rigidity and flexing over bumps?

Can anyone please help post or PM me their spectroid app results if you are not hearing any boomingness?

P.S. after more talks with Tesla, they essentially gave up and said it is normal. Did not even want to try and troubleshoot further. Offered me to trade in the car for another one at standard trade-in rate, ha ha...

 

[justtestla]

Thanks for the suggestions!

Car had issues with windows and driver door alignment (door was not closing and sticking out). Service could not fix it except for making it close, so I ended up adjusting those myself. I did recalibrate the windows too - there is no wind noise or any other indication that doors or windows are not closing correctly at this time. Seals seem to be fine too.

I spent a few more hours looking and found that I can consistently reproduce the booming noice if someone lightly taps on the hatch when it is closed.
Even with all the tubing, rigid stops, and adjustments, it still moves a little (perhaps 1mm or so), enough to fill the cabin with that noise/vibration. Curious if the hatch itself is lacking rigidity and flexing over bumps?

Can anyone please help post or PM me their spectroid app results if you are not hearing any boomingness?

P.S. after more talks with Tesla, they essentially gave up and said it is normal. Did not even want to try and troubleshoot further. Offered me to trade in the car for another one at standard trade-in rate, ha ha...

I would show them that the hatch jumps and get them to fix that. The rubber tube in the seal should take care of the rest. That my experience anyway.

 

[wavetraced]

I would show them that the hatch jumps and get them to fix that. The rubber tube in the seal should take care of the rest. That my experience anyway.

I have tried the PVC caps and the 5/16" vinyl tubing, adjusted them to death and they have made absolutely no difference in the low frequency booming. All I've gained is the inability for the trunk to close by itself, and perhaps a new license plate rattle.

Are there any specifics I can tell Tesla repair about what to do with the trunk lid adjustment?

 

[justtestla]

A small update for you all based on my experience:

1. I had the Koni Special Active suspension installed. This made the ride much more comfortable. I noticed a few benefits with this.
- When using regen braking, and you let your foot off the accelerator, it is more gentle with the nose dive. This is very nice for my car sick wife.
- The handling of the vehicle around round-a-bouts is much better.
- The handling of the vehicle at higher speeds (above 130km/hr) is much better
- Smaller bumps are not as noticeable. This reduces noise a fair amount in addition to the other fixes that I performed. I would not purchase this solely for noise reduction but it nearly eliminates the thud noises from small imperfections in the road.

2. Tesla service adjusted the trunk panel gaps 3 times. I noticed the trunk would literally jump up whenever I closed the side doors. This was how I got Tesla Service to take it seriously. They were generally helpful but after 2 trips told me it was fixed when it clearly was not. After showing them that the tunk jumped, they fixed it for good but the booming was still there. Their fixes helped reduce the booming by about 30%.

3. I added 8mm vinyl tubing to the rear trunk hatch. This fixed the booming the rest of the way and had the biggest impact. I haven't had the issue return since adding this to the vehicle. This was about 3 weeks ago.

It makes sense that this would fix the issue. Before making any changes I placed thick paper in the trunk around the seal by sitting inside the trunk. When closing the trunk the paper was very easy to remove. Comparing this to another model Y that did not have the issue, the seal needed more pressure against the body. By adding the vinyl tubing, it gives the seal more height and rigidity so that small movements in the hatch do not create pressure in the cabin. No air in or out from the hatch was the source of my problem.

4. I added KillMatt to the wheel wells in the rear trunk area. This made it quieter but made no difference to the booming noise. I am still considering adding mass-loaded vinyl if I can find a company that will ship it to me. In my opinion, 3 layers of KillMatt is not the correct install. I believe you need to do this and add something like the Second Skin "Luxury Liner Pro™ Sheet - MLV + Foam". This includes a separation layer of closed-cell foam plus a sound blocker of Mass Loaded Vinyl (MLV). Adding 3 layers of KillMatt won't hurt anything but this extra step should help with noise more. Please note: I'm convinced that the booming noise has nothing to do with this part of the "fix". They are two totally different things.

At this point, I have gone from major purchase regret to enjoying the car a lot.

 

[be10v]

Time for another update.

After SC refused to even try to fix the car, stating that they cannot, I reached out to Tesla HQ and currently awaiting their response.

In the meantime, I needed to transport a heavy (100 lbs) box with folded right side rear seat.... I do not know how to explain it, but it significantly changed the noise. It did not go away, no, but it was no longer as painful on the ears. Folding the seat without extra weight does nothing.
Next, I had a passenger sitting on the same right side of the rear seat with seatback in its usual up position - also a lot less noise. What? How? Is there something tensioned or loose in the seat frame? .... I'll keep exploring and will provide more updates.

If anyone who experiences this issue can try what I described above, reply back with you results .