Ear pain/Pressure help

[vet757]

What seems to be the explanation for the noise improvement with sound/moving blankets?
So far the consensus was that the noise/booming was the result of the hatch moving and creating air movement but I'm bot sure how sound blankets can address that.

I dont think is exclusively the hatch, I think the hatch contributes to "bomminess/buffeting" and more likely the main cause, but is also likely lower train components contribute to the overall noise. Perhaps the blankets absorb some of the sound coming from beneath. In my personal test drive I adjusted the hatch stops and both me and my immediately noticed an improvement.

I personally wont be including the blankets at first, but I will implement everything @ilovecoffee mentioned in his video.

 

[ilovecoffee]

I dont think is exclusively the hatch, I think the hatch contributes to "bomminess/buffeting" and more likely the main cause, but is also likely lower train components contribute to the overall noise. Perhaps the blankets absorb some of the sound coming from beneath. In my personal test drive I adjusted the hatch stops and both me and my immediately noticed an improvement.

I personally wont be including the blankets at first, but I will implement everything @ilovecoffee mentioned in his video.

I didn't use moving blankets but used fleece blankets atop of my parcel shelf to help with noise reflection from the glass roof... But it looked stupid so I removed it. And I don't think it did much.

I stuffed the same blanket in the side storage bin areas and I can't say I noticed any difference but I've kept it there anyway in case of some winter emergency. So I'm surprised from the strong testimonial here in regards to noise blankets. I have also heard from another on a German forum that the side storage bin liners helped with noise reduction. How, I'm not sure, I don't see how it would from a technical POV.

I do have a few lightweight "things" in my sub trunk...and I've soundproofed it as well including mass-loaded vinyl and butyl, but that had no improvement. Adding significant weight in this area just eases the rear suspension rebound which gives the impression of less harsh bumps, and thus alleviates some NVH, but I don't view that as a reasonable solution either.

 

[tangible1]

What seems to be the explanation for the noise improvement with sound/moving blankets?
So far the consensus was that the noise/booming was the result of the hatch moving and creating air movement but I'm bot sure how sound blankets can address that.

it can only be theorized, but the subtrunk and side pockets are resonance chambers.
the hatchback area itself is a large one.
remember too that above the passenger side rear wheel and in front of the pocket is where the sound system subwoofer is located.
that location was picked for a reason.

I had been thinking a parcel shelf might also help with the rumble chamber in the rear.
So I also experimented with hanging a blanket over the rear seatbacks and covering the back platform.
I found the blankets in the subtrunk and side pockets did about the same as that for me. So I skipped the shelf idea.

First, before anything else, make sure your hatchback fits snugly.
At minimum, do the paper-pull test at all interface points.

 

[Engi_Nerd]

I stuffed small Harbor freight moving blankets in the left and right trunk pockets and a larger one in the sub trunk and noticed a startling reduction in noise.

 

[bigboi]

We picked up the car 2 weeks ago. Now we have just under 1100 miles on the car. The first few days I felt this pressure in my head/ears right after getting in the car. I tried a couple of things people have said here to see if I can pinpoint what is causing this sensation and the stereo seemed to exacerbate the feeling. I still felt the pressure with the stereo muted but immediately when I crank up the volume even at the lowest setting I can feel an increased pressure. I am wondering does the car have noise cancellation built in? It's quite similar to the noise cancelling feature in headphones. But now after 1100 miles and 2 weeks of driving I no longer feel any of that sensation. I think someone said the car needs to "break in" lol. Not sure how true this is or my body just normalized the sensation. Anyhow, I'm glad I'm not disturbed by it anymore

 

[tm3lrawd]

So as I mentioned in a previous post, I am trying to eliminate the low frequency noise in my 2 week old MY. I also had a misaligned tailgate. The Tesla service center said the noise was normal drive train noise, which I find unlikely because the intensity varies with different road surfaces. I escalated my complaint to the General Manager, and she said, "we do believe the noise concern you are experiencing is due to the difference in wheel size from your Model 3 (18” all season) vs. Model Y (19” sport wheels)." Interesting hypothesis, but the experience of ear pressure would not really fit this cause. Anyway, she offered a visit with a Mobile Technician to address the tailgate alignment and the low frequency noise. Will report back after this visit.

 

[tangible1]

So as I mentioned in a previous post, I am trying to eliminate the low frequency noise in my 2 week old MY. I also had a misaligned tailgate. The Tesla service center said the noise was normal drive train noise, which I find unlikely because the intensity varies with different road surfaces. I escalated my complaint to the General Manager, and she said, "we do believe the noise concern you are experiencing is due to the difference in wheel size from your Model 3 (18” all season) vs. Model Y (19” sport wheels)." Interesting hypothesis, but the experience of ear pressure would not really fit this cause. Anyway, she offered a visit with a Mobile Technician to address the tailgate alignment and the low frequency noise. Will report back after this visit.

18 vs 19" wheels have nothing to do with it. The tires themselves DO. Some tires do make more noise than others.
The hatchback / tailgate fit DOES have much to do with it. It needs to fit properly and be stable. The Mobile Tech should help you with that.

Aside from all that, some of the issue is with the new Owners becoming accustomed to new noises.
Remember, you're also used to having engine noise dominating everything.
Now, you can pay attention to all the OTHER noises a car generates.....

 

[tm3lrawd]

18 vs 19" wheels have nothing to do with it. The tires themselves DO. Some tires do make more noise than others.
The hatchback / tailgate fit DOES have much to do with it. It needs to fit properly and be stable. The Mobile Tech should help you with that.

Aside from all that, some of the issue is with the new Owners becoming accustomed to new noises.
Remember, you're also used to having engine noise dominating everything.
Now, you can pay attention to all the OTHER noises a car generates.....

Continental ProCantact RX tires
Are they know for making irritating low frequency rumble sounds in the cabin?
Will swapping tires eliminate the noise?
I am used to the sound of my M3, slight engine whine and wind noise, but no irritating low frequency rumble or ear pressure.

 

[Noflash]

I bought MPP Comfort Coillovers. Scheduled install for the 13th. How much will that help?

Edit: I also just bought some moving blankets. I installed a Modern Spare recently in the sub-trunks and I think I can hear the tools rattling around. I'm going to wrap the tools and fill some of the void with the blankets.

 

[tangible1]

Continental ProCantact RX tires
Are they know for making irritating low frequency rumble sounds in the cabin?
Will swapping tires eliminate the noise?
I am used to the sound of my M3, slight engine whine and wind noise, but no irritating low frequency rumble or ear pressure.

Conti PC-rx are the std OEM tire, same as I and most others have.
Your pressure issue is most likely related to hatchback movement; let the Mobile Tech deal with that.
The big difference between M3 and MY is that big open area under the hatch, then you have 700lbs more in the MY that the suspension has to deal with.

 

[PecuniaNonOlet]

The road surface is the missing variable for people wondering why stabilizing the hatch doesn't eliminate their booming. I have two naughty roads within three miles of my house. Stabilizing my hatch by inserting vinyl tubing almost totally killed booming on one of the roads and did nothing for the other.

 

[voom500]

The road surface is the missing variable for people wondering why stabilizing the hatch doesn't eliminate their booming. I have two naughty roads within three miles of my house. Stabilizing my hatch by inserting vinyl tubing almost totally killed booming on one of the roads and did nothing for the other.

Yeah, I agree. If I pay attention very closely to the road that makes the most bass/boom/buffet its the one where it looks smooth, but you can see ripples going perpendicular to the tires. I dont know how that happened, as this was recently paved asphalt in the past 3 years. Maybe its the steam rollers in that section.

 

[tm3lrawd]

Look at the trunk gasket on new MY. It came this way from the factory. How likely is it that this contributes to the low frequency noise problem? Can it be fixed by a Mobile Tech?

 

[ElectricAnt54]

Look at the trunk gasket on new MY. It came this way from the factory. How likely is it that this contributes to the low frequency noise problem? Can it be fixed by a Mobile Tech?
View attachment 925607

Looks like a mobile tech fix. It is a trim issue. i love mobile tech service.

 

[tangible1]

Look at the trunk gasket on new MY. It came this way from the factory. How likely is it that this contributes to the low frequency noise problem? Can it be fixed by a Mobile Tech?
View attachment 925607

high likelihood of a cause to ear pressure issues.
high likelihood Mobile Tech fix - the gasket is just a stretch fit, but a replacement might take a while if the tech tears it. Don't know.

 

[tm3lrawd]

high likelihood of a cause to ear pressure issues.
high likelihood Mobile Tech fix - the gasket is just a stretch fit, but a replacement might take a while if the tech tears it. Don't know.

Thanks @tangible1. Gives me some hope for a simple fix.

 

[tris]

Adding to my previous data point - (Installed 3/8 OD tubing with instant boominess reduction): With the boominess gone, I noticed road/wind noise more. I think we can consider this a support group at this point! So I got two 10 Feet packages of "D-Shape Weather Strip EPDM, 0.55" Height x 0.47" Width" weather stripping for $11.99 per 10 feet, so I spent about $24 plus tax. I stuck the weather stripping on the side edge and bottom edges of the front doors. And I only had enough for the side edges of the rear doors. I had to buy a 3rd pack of 10 Feet which will be delivered Wednesday. But I will say that not just wind noise is reduced, but general outside noise from other cars or reflections of sound off media dividers is greatly reduced! Definitely worth the less-than-50-bucks and 10 minutes of time. I recommend: Do not stretch the weather strip when installing to try to get it to "cover more distance" - stretching while sticking is just going to make it come unstuck as it contracts back to its natural shape. It quieted road/wind/outside noise so much that now I hear front motor whine. I think I'll stop with the modifications right here.... for now!

Can you please post pics where on the doors you attached it?

 

[Noflash]

I put two moving blankets in the boot today. I wrapped one around my Modern Spare tools in the sub trunk and laid one on top of the tire, just under the trunk floor. I noticed no improvement. It possibly was worse, but I did have my big ears on.

Next I'm going to try some placebos. I know they are going to help.

 

[EarMystery2023]

2023 MY Ear Pain Survivor checking in. What and unbelievable thread this is! I'm so grateful. I'd like to pay it forward and share my story, hope it helps someone else.

I got my car 10 days ago, drove it home and when I got it home I had a throbbing headache. This is pretty uncommon for me and I just chalked it up to a big day. Then I drove my car to various places over the next couple days and each time I got a headache (or ear pain if trip was short). I was baffled.

This started my research into trying to put into words my experience. It was difficult to explain and search, until I found this thread and ilovecoffee's youtube video. It was like he was speaking directly to me.

I went to the hardware store yesterday, picked up 5/16 OD tubing and some silicone lubricant. I pushed the tube all the way through in 1 pass after 30 minutes of wrestling. Then I spent another 20 mins on the 4 rubber stops. After everything was where I thought I wanted it, I went on a ride for the moment of truth.

You know when you are expecting to get hit and you flinch or tense up? That was literally me the entire drive. Just sitting there in my car waiting for the "Boom" to get me. It never came. My car is seemingly fixed and it is absolutely ridiculous this simple tube can fix such a debilitating issue. No more headaches and I can drive my car.

Thank you ilovecoffee! Words can't express how much I appreciate your video and help as I read through the thread. Thanks to all the others, your messages and experiences were helpful as well.

Two questions:

1 - ilovecoffee - Have you sent anything to Tesla? Like with all these different experiences and your fix? I feel like they should know and attempt the fix this. This car is far too expensive to have this issue, even if it only impacts some people.

2 - To anyone - The only issue I have in this end state, for now, is the trunk is a bit hard to latch. The first 10 closes, the hatch wouldn't latch by itself. I had to slam it shut. Now the auto-closing mechanism will squish the door shut, but you can tell it is working with stress. Then when you open it, the latch really pops with some sound and conveys some pressure there. So the question is: does this get better and is this expected? Should I have used a softer and less ridged tube? Is there any risk in keeping the latch under this tension for the life of the vehicle?

Thanks!

 

[andy92782]

I'm glad I found this thread. We have a 2-week old MYLR on 19s. I noticed the buffeting sensation right away. It seems most prevalent between 60-65mph but driving over rough pavement at slower speeds will trigger it, too. My Model 3 doesn't do this at all.

My local Home Depot has 5/16" OD vinyl tubing. I know what I'm doing this weekend...