Ear pain/Pressure help

[OlderThanDirt]

I haven’t seen them angled. As long as the bumpers on the hatch set tight against them.

You can test that with a strip of paper between the adjustable stop and the bumpers on the hatch. Close the hatch on the paper. If you can pull it out easily it’s too loose. Extend the stop until it takes good resistance to remove it.

The difference it makes can be significant.

 

[tris]

I haven’t seen them angled. As long as the bumpers on the hatch set tight against them.

You can test that with a strip of paper between the adjustable stop and the bumpers on the hatch. Close the hatch on the paper. If you can pull it out easily it’s too loose. Extend the stop until it takes good resistance to remove it.

The difference it makes can be significant.

Yeah but the paper can be held in place even when the top stopper touching the bottom angled with just a small surface. But it's a different story when the top stopper is fully flush on the bottom one. While we test the touching of the stoppers with a piece of paper, it doesn't tell the full story how aligned they are and if they're both flush and touch surface area is as large as possible. I believe the weight of the hatch would definitely require that, while a piece of paper not so much...

 

[ilovecoffee]

What's the take on these adjustable bottom stoppers?
They have about 30 degrees range that changes their angle as well and might be very important to how the top stoppers sit flush and hold the hatch.
Does anyone tried to test the effect of adjusting them and any ideas how it can be verified that they are set at the correct positing?

View attachment 998383

They are just a cap for part of the body structure (it's a rod under there).

But their angle shouldn't be adjusted as it aligns contact with the other stopper

 

[tris]

They are just a cap for part of the body structure (it's a rod under there).

But their angle shouldn't be adjusted as it aligns contact with the other stopper

They are not adjustable on your MY?
On my MY (and on a few others that I know of) they are adjustable - e.g. turnable about 30 degrees

 

[ilovecoffee]

They are not adjustable on your MY?
On my MY (and on a few others that I know of) they are adjustable - e.g. turnable about 30 degrees

They are. But what I mean are they are just caps for the below. They are on an angle meant to align parallel to the stopper above. If you turn them, the surface area of contact will likely be lessened, which in theory, should be worse.

 

[MY-Y]

If you want to know how they align, just put soapy water on the rubber stop and observe the water circle when you open. (Soap is needed to stop the water from beading on the hydrophobic rubber stopper.)

 

[tris]

They are. But what I mean are they are just caps for the below. They are on an angle meant to align parallel to the stopper above. If you turn them, the surface area of contact will likely be lessened, which in theory, should be worse.

View attachment 998639

But when you say turn them from what position do you mean? What do you consider the set position for them? When I got the car one was turned "down" and the other "up".

 

[tris]

If you want to know how they align, just put soapy water on the rubber stop and observe the water circle when you open. (Soap is needed to stop the water from beading on the hydrophobic rubber stopper.)

I think because the top stoppers are a bit soft then they can still touch the bottom stoppers fully but on an angle which is less optimal to prevent hatch movement. I guess the best would be just to find a road section that produces booming and drive over it with different setting of these stoppers over and over and just listen...

 

[ThePickyOne]

Hey guys just wanted to chime in with my sound deadening adventure with my 21 MYLR.

I wanted to start with the biggest difference maker. The tubing in the rear hatch seal. Everyone should start with this mod. It 100% made the most impact to audible sound in the cabin. Unfortunately I did this mod last so I can’t tell definitively what my other mods did to help.

This mod wasn’t too hard either. $7 at Lowe’s for the 3/16ID / 5/16OD Vinyl tubing, a bit of soapy water and 10 minutes later I was done. Had to do it in 3 pieces like everyone else.

Other than the hatch mod, I’ve done the following.
1. 3 layer Sound deadening material around the rear wheels and body work
2. 3 layer Sound deadening material around the front wheel well and on the liner.
3. Additional seals around the doors
4. Additional seal around the sun roof.

While the wheel well work might not look amazing, it was done as close I could do to a perfect seal. Per the Butyl rubber/CCF/MLV layering.

Base: Siless 120 mil butyl
CCF: Siless liner
MLV: Noise Grabber MLV 1lb/sf

I’ll add more lessons learned and more details about the wheel wells when I get a chance. But for now here are some photos!

 

[superbobbay]

Well the boominess is back. Not nearly as bad but it’s back to giving me a mild headache. I do notice it is worse at speeds around 30-40mph vs 60+. I can only guess that the hood is the culprit and or hatchback and the rubber stops are loose? The car just feels oddly air tight / sealed when sitting in it vs other cars. Like vacuum sealed. Maybe they went overboard in sealing it. Anyway let’s see what happens at my service appointment along with my 4 other open tickets, ugh. Never have I had this sensation in a car before… even flying 100k miles a year I don't get this feeling in a plane… bizarre!

I feel the exact same way. Just sitting in the car gives me a weird pressurization feeling. I only have 100 miles and already feel like selling the car. I've adjusted the rubber stops which doesn't help. I can't see how adding 5/16 tubing will help since I feel it just sitting in the car in my garage. What did you end up doing?

 

[Art84]

I feel the exact same way. Just sitting in the car gives me a weird pressurization feeling. I only have 100 miles and already feel like selling the car. I've adjusted the rubber stops which doesn't help. I can't see how adding 5/16 tubing will help since I feel it just sitting in the car in my garage. What did you end up doing?

There are two types of issues.
One of what you describe is related to pressure, second one is related to a "buffeting" and "low frequency booming". The tubing will not help if you have a pressure type of issue. Read this thread, it's already discussed a lot about all those things.

 

[MY-Y]

There are two types of issues.
One of what you describe is related to pressure, second one is related to a "buffeting" and "low frequency booming". The tubing will not help if you have a pressure type of issue. Read this thread, it's already discussed a lot about all those things.

I've experienced that weird subsonic unhappy feeling when not moving when my vents were blowing across my screen in just the wrong way. Maybe this is your issue. Just adjust the vents to see. For me, there is a narrow range of fan speed and vent direction that causes this.

 

[superbobbay]

I've experienced that weird subsonic unhappy feeling when not moving when my vents were blowing across my screen in just the wrong way. Maybe this is your issue. Just adjust the vents to see. For me, there is a narrow range of fan speed and vent direction that causes this.

Ok thanks, I'll try that. I put my seat at the highest height. Maybe that has something to do with it also. I'll try lowering it.

I do feel the ear pain gets exacerbated with high speed fwy driving.

I did the envelope test to the point where the paper will rip, but when putting down some chalk, the rubber stops barely got marked.

So I extended all 4 rubber knobs until I got full chalk coverage. It looks totally ridiculously overextended though. When the trunk opens, I feel a more audible pop now. My ear still hurts right now, so I'll have to rest for a few days before seeing if this helps any.

 

[ilovecoffee]

Ok thanks, I'll try that. I put my seat at the highest height. Maybe that has something to do with it also. I'll try lowering it.

I do feel the ear pain gets exacerbated with high speed fwy driving.

I did the envelope test to the point where the paper will rip, but when putting down some chalk, the rubber stops barely got marked.

So I extended all 4 rubber knobs until I got full chalk coverage. It looks totally ridiculously overextended though. When the trunk opens, I feel a more audible pop now. My ear still hurts right now, so I'll have to rest for a few days before seeing if this helps any.

Those ones without the plastic nuts look too overextended to me. Start with them all turned in as far as possible, then adjust the tail light ones outwards at the same time with the same amount until it grips paper. Then follow up with the other ones extending them until they grip a paper (bearing in mind those ones don't need to grip as tightly). Then go back and double check the tail light ones still are firmly gripping paper. Goal is minimal extension with proper contact. But you'll have to do that all over again if you put in vinyl tubing.

I know the knee jerk reaction to what I'm about to say is NO, but part of the sensation of the ear pressure when the car is not moving, I bet can be partly psychosomatic. At least that's how it was for me which is why I say that. As if my ears were ready in anticipation for the noise it was going to endure.

But yes also the HVAC can be annoying. Try changing your fan speed to see if that also helps.

 

[superbobbay]

Those ones without the plastic nuts look too overextended to me. Start with them all turned in as far as possible, then adjust the tail light ones outwards at the same time with the same amount until it grips paper. Then follow up with the other ones extending them until they grip a paper (bearing in mind those ones don't need to grip as tightly). Then go back and double check the tail light ones still are firmly gripping paper. Goal is minimal extension with proper contact. But you'll have to do that all over again if you put in vinyl tubing.

I know the knee jerk reaction to what I'm about to say is NO, but part of the sensation of the ear pressure when the car is not moving, I bet can be partly psychosomatic. At least that's how it was for me which is why I say that. As if my ears were ready in anticipation for the noise it was going to endure.

But yes also the HVAC can be annoying. Try changing your fan speed to see if that also helps.

Yeah I think they are overextended too, but that's the only way the chalk test passes, i.e. I get full white marking coverage when contact is made.
It's weird because I can get the paper test to pass, meaning it grips tightly, but then no chalk markings! So how is it exactly gripping the paper. Hmm...I got to test it more. I'll do your suggestion to do the outer ones first, then the inner ones. Thanks for the reply!

 

[superbobbay]

Following this tread since my ears are very sensitive. 2 years ago i returned brand new Audi after only 2 months and took $7k loss .
Our ears were hurting every time. It was like airplane pressure. Dealership tried everything to help us but no resolution

Which model Audi? Does this pressure buffeting effect only affect EVs?

 

[niel123]

I feel the exact same way. Just sitting in the car gives me a weird pressurization feeling. I only have 100 miles and already feel like selling the car. I've adjusted the rubber stops which doesn't help. I can't see how adding 5/16 tubing will help since I feel it just sitting in the car in my garage. What did you end up doing?

I have the exact same feeling, the weird thing is this feeling wasn't there when I first drove the car for the first 2000km's, it went to the service center for water ingress via the trunk multiple times and I played around with the rubber stops and now since 3 - 4 weeks I have this pressure feeling in my ears and ears popping while driving the car, it was first noticable after I extended the rubber nobs with the enveloppe test for the first time.

What's more weird that Tesla gave me a loaner model 3 performance during the last time they tried to fix the water ingress and I experienced the same pressure feeling, and I can confirm it's not only a feeling since my ears actually pop ...

I wonder if it's possible to measure cabin pressure and compare it with other cars?

Tommorow i'l try just screwing the rubber stops all the way back in like before my enveloppe test and see if fixes anything ...
Else I might try the rubber tubing but that does not seem to help with my pressure issue?

 

[T Singh]

Not my Y below, but a comment left on my Thingiverse 3d printed hatch stop, this person had done deadening in this location. I had put considerably more on top of that wheel well...like...considerably. My body hurts today from bending inside there to roll everything down

I did a similar change and man does it make a difference in low frequency hum on low and highway speeds. Its a huge difference.

Though I feel the butyl sheets have been wasted in above picture. Wheel well is already a solid metal and any butyl sheets would have negligible effect. Its best used on the inside of the body sheet metal. (see attached image)

For anyone looking to improve low frequency hum, i highly recommend this.

 

[superbobbay]

I have the exact same feeling, the weird thing is this feeling wasn't there when I first drove the car for the first 2000km's, it went to the service center for water ingress via the trunk multiple times and I played around with the rubber stops and now since 3 - 4 weeks I have this pressure feeling in my ears and ears popping while driving the car, it was first noticable after I extended the rubber nobs with the enveloppe test for the first time.

What's more weird that Tesla gave me a loaner model 3 performance during the last time they tried to fix the water ingress and I experienced the same pressure feeling, and I can confirm it's not only a feeling since my ears actually pop ...

I wonder if it's possible to measure cabin pressure and compare it with other cars?

Tommorow i'l try just screwing the rubber stops all the way back in like before my enveloppe test and see if fixes anything ...
Else I might try the rubber tubing but that does not seem to help with my pressure issue?

I actually feel like I made it worse with the extension of the rubber stops via the envelope test too. I was thinking about screwing them back in although that makes no sense. It's like I completely sealed everything off and now the pressure is too great inside lol.
That's interesting you felt the pressure with a Model 3.

At first I thought it was the liftgate trunk bouncing pressure around, so I did the envelope test, chalk test, made sure all 4 rubber stops are making full contact, loaded up the sub trunk with clothes, blocked off the side pockets with pillows, and put a body pillow to fully cover the back area so I can't even see out the rear view mirror.

My ears still hurt, so now I'm confident it's something coming from within the cabin itself. I have no a/c or music playing either. So weird.

 

[niel123]

I actually feel like I made it worse with the extension of the rubber stops via the envelope test too. I was thinking about screwing them back in although that makes no sense. It's like I completely sealed everything off and now the pressure is too great inside lol.
That's interesting you felt the pressure with a Model 3.

At first I thought it was the liftgate trunk bouncing pressure around, so I did the envelope test, chalk test, made sure all 4 rubber stops are making full contact, loaded up the sub trunk with clothes, blocked off the side pockets with pillows, and put a body pillow to fully cover the back area so I can't even see out the rear view mirror.

My ears still hurt, so now I'm confident it's something coming from within the cabin itself. I have no a/c or music playing either. So weird.

How would you describe your ears hurting? Is it the same feeling like when you are flying? air pressure and popping of the ears?
For me it's comparable to flying and popping of the ears and the feeling goes away quickly if I get out of the car and move on with my day.

My next steps will be the following:
1. screwing the rubber stops back in to see if that makes a difference (Even though it does not make sense indeed)
2. start taping off the windows and hatch with painters tape and see if it improves + recalibrate windows (Not sure how I can tape off the hatch yet though)
3. Try convince service center to have another look at it?
4. Try enveloppe method again but include tubing.
5. ... sell car and take a heavy loss .. not sure what would be a better alternative though ...