Anyone do this to increase heat effectiveness? I saw a video on YouTube where someone tried it with speaker foam.
I was planning to try to use Nyland's DIY (speaker foam + the sun screen), but I have an April-2016 Model S and the Tesla store states that the pano sun screens only fit pre-2015 date cars
After spending 6 weeks in winter last year I don't think that there is a need for any extra insulation. YMMV
You could try a Heatshield. They are roll-up sunshades with suction cups that stick to the pano roof. $40. In addition to a foil-like reflective layer on both sides, they have a thin layer of insulation in the middle.
I agree with @kort677; not sure why you would want to do something to the pano roof based on my experiences. I guess there would be some minor savings, but, there is a lot of glass on the windshield, doors and hatch that are still exposed and don't have the reflective coatings that the pano glass has.
Heat rises, that's why trapping heat at the roof helps. in the winter the sun is low, so letting sun in side windows is good, but tinted top pano lets in hardly any solar heat, may as well block it, no harm And the pano is inches from the head, which is where you lose a lot of body heat.. all good reason for insulating the roof in the winter. Speaker grill foam is not a good choice, there's hardly any thermal mass or R value, very airy.. and it's not reflective. I used foil bubble wrap insulation cut to fit. You can buy big rolls of the stuff at home depot. Last year mine kinda sagged in the middle so I will add a couple suction cups, good idea, thanks! Makes a difference! I had a rear piece installed and overnight frost formed on that glass but over the front seats where no insulation was in place yet - frost free - telling me heat was leaving there moreso than being insulated..
considering all the efforts being made to negate the panoroof, would you suggest not getting a panoroof?
Love the Pano!! helps make the car feel airy and spacious.. for most of the year. I insulate for only the coldest few months, then unsulate it again in Spring. I think there's extra headroom with the Pano too, which I need at 6'4" tall. Insulating is only for the coldest of climates for comfort when you need to save as much battery as possible for long hauls.. we have few Supercharges around here and not on my favourite winter route to mountains.... If you're surrounded by SCs ... less need to be an eco freak on battery spent on heating
Well, I did the insulation and I drove with it this morning. There is definitely a difference. Note that it was only about 32 degrees, so not incredibly cold. I was getting convection cold currents off the top glass and this seems to have stopped that. Also, not surprisingly, the car is a little quieter on the highway and the radio sounds better. Here are some pictures. For those that want to do this, it is very easy. Here is the link to the Amazon item: Amazon.com: Acoustic Foam 2.5" Egg Crate Panel Studio Soundproofing Foam Wall Panel 48" X 24" X 2.5" (2 Pack): Musical Instruments One sheet is all you need for each roof. They will need to be cut, and a heavy duty scissor does the trick. I made both of mine teh same size, even though there is a slight difference in shape between the two pieces of the roof. Oversize it an inch or two on all sides and stuff it in there. If it is too big it sags. Cut it right and it fits like a glove without sagging. You have to pull on it to get it down. I will update when we get a real cold day in the teens or low 20s. It usually does not get colder than that in my neck of the woods.
I agree with this, but only in the daytime. Right now we are lucky to get 8 hours of daylight and I am commuting in the dark both ways, so the roof does not make a difference for the view. Keeping warm is more important now till early March.
What are you guys doing to decrease wind noise? I can't tell if mine is from the pano roof or somewhere else.
you need to localize where the noise is coming from and then once localized check that the window gaskets are properly set, the insulation more than likely would not stop any wind noises
It's difficult to pinpoint. Tried using an IR thermometer. Definitely found a few hot spots around the triangle window, especially towards the front. Not sure what's normal unfortunately.
I had some wind noise from the small triangle window when I first received the car, but the SC fixed it up and haven't had any since. Note that sometimes tire noise sounds like wind noise. The real way to find wind noise is to get some microphones designed for finding automotive noises. You place them in various locations and then refine the placement until you find the spot(s) where the noise is coming from.
I am sure every bit helps but I never had heating issues in my Model S over two Canadian winters. Not in the same way I've had cold air on my bald head from sunroofs in previous cars. Apart of being uptight about energy used to heat the car on long drives, why make your car look junky with a foam kludge? If you're determined to proceed, here is a photo that could inspire you to improve air conditioning performance in summer too.