wish they put the phone under the different materials instead of stuffing the tiny speaker port onto them.
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Model 3 Road Noise
- Thread starter enemji
- Start date
It would have been best if they made boxes and put the phone inside them
PACEMD
Active Member
A lot of impressive efforts here. For me, I find putting the foam directly in my external auditory canals to be the most effective. I'm not an otolaryngologist but there seems to be an added benefit applied to driving instructions from my wife. I also find the right music at the correct blend is otherwise helpful.
So here is a sample of what I have been experiencing. See the db has not shifted much but the annoying mid to high frequencies are muted for a more smoother/rounded noise.
Hope this helps.
Assuming the driving conditions were the same, it looks like a pretty big improvement with the foam. Where in the cabin did you measure this and at what speed?
I held my iphone next to my ear. I wouldn’t want to measure anywhere else. I could care less if the noise was a 100db at the console level!
Not entirely sure how to read that graph, is it showing like a 10db drop in the mid high frequencies?
Today I was stopped on the side of HWY75 where vehicles are going 70-75mph. I measured the db while I was stopped and it showed 55db. I then rolled down the window and it jumped to 80db. That is some pretty good soundproofing there. But then as I start driving, the internal cabin noise jumps to 70db. Hmmm. A lot of noise transfer seems to be happening from the tires to the suspension to the body.
Ernest H
Member
yup! The best bet would be the spring isolator. It needs to be updated to be better at isolation.
Spring isolators help the coil spring to support the weight of the vehicle, isolate rolling noise, and provide even loading of the spring.
The bad side would be the “feel” would be lost and every road surface would feel the same.
Ernest H
Member
i guess so, and which isn't something everyone at home can replace just the spring isolator unfortunately. probably best to play around with different deadening / proofing materials but concentrate on floor / frunk / trunk / wheel arch from the inside.
Side question - i know you've taken off the front wheel and then the wheel arch exposing the body, and apply deadening materials to it. Have you managed to locate a good place to apply material from the inside of the front wheel arch? ie. after removing the frunk tub? did that make any dB difference?
I wish it was me who did that. That was someone else. I just used that picture to identify and highlight the weak spot of where the noise is sneaking in.
Anyways, what I did do is play road noise on my sound system at home and took different materials to find out which one works the best.
Surprisingly the winner is not a material that was even advertised for soundproofing. The regular acoustic foams (pyramids) are stupidly ineffective to absorb/block/deflect that road noise.
I will make another post with the pictures on what was that material and did I put that material as the pictures are on my phone.
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As far as the testing of soundproofing materials go, as I mentioned earlier I played road noise in my sound system at home and held up different materials in front of the speakers to determine whicj one did the best job. Interestingly the winner was Ceramic Wool Insulation
Lynn Manufacturing Kaowool Ceramic Fiber Insulation, 1" Thick x 16" x 48", 2400F Fireproof Insulation Blanket, 3026E
Lynn Manufacturing Kaowool Ceramic Fiber Insulation, 1" Thick x 16" x 48", 2400F Fireproof Insulation Blanket, 3026E
And (can I even start a sentence with “and”) this what I did this morning. Easy and very effective to reduce the annoying road noises from the rear wheels into the passenger cabin. Don’t expect it to be as quiet as an e-tron. It simply cuts out the irritating and annoying harshness out of the sound and drops about 2.5db.
Ernest H
Member
@enemji , ha haaa, fire blanket material? oh wow, never thought looking into that direction. Ah yes, the two pop-outs from the rear seats, it escaped my mine when I did the speakers activation upgrade months ago. now have to revisit that and pop the bottom bench seat off as well.
On your point about putting materials in front of your sound system - that's genius! My most time consuming tasks have been popping panels, applying materials, put panels back, clean up and drive and test results with my ears / phone; then repeat with other materials, etc. Didn't think to break down the task by testing materials against sounds; and then the better materials on destination. Awesome, will do that going forward.
On your point about putting materials in front of your sound system - that's genius! My most time consuming tasks have been popping panels, applying materials, put panels back, clean up and drive and test results with my ears / phone; then repeat with other materials, etc. Didn't think to break down the task by testing materials against sounds; and then the better materials on destination. Awesome, will do that going forward.
Ernest H
Member
okay, had couple of hours spare earlier to be in my shed. 
NOTE - I did over do the C-pillar edges and had to trim some materials off before the panel can be re-fitted flushed (the pictures shown is before I did that final trim..). Not sure if this is different to yours @enemji but my 2022 MIC RWD does some PU foam on the inside of the boot / trunk linings, both sides and bottoms. I remembered when I did the lower boot / trunk compartment LED extension they were on the bottom of the trunk lining but not the bottom tub.
Quick drive around the block seems to have ease the lower frequency road noise but probably did nothing to the suspension impact noise. Then again, that could do with more around the top of strut and the spring isolator.
(Right rear wheel arch)
(Left rear wheel arch)
(The two wheel arch panels)
NOTE - I did over do the C-pillar edges and had to trim some materials off before the panel can be re-fitted flushed (the pictures shown is before I did that final trim..). Not sure if this is different to yours @enemji but my 2022 MIC RWD does some PU foam on the inside of the boot / trunk linings, both sides and bottoms. I remembered when I did the lower boot / trunk compartment LED extension they were on the bottom of the trunk lining but not the bottom tub.
Quick drive around the block seems to have ease the lower frequency road noise but probably did nothing to the suspension impact noise. Then again, that could do with more around the top of strut and the spring isolator.
(Right rear wheel arch)
(Left rear wheel arch)
(The two wheel arch panels)
