Model S Wind Noise Reduction Kit

[Excaliber]

My 2021 Model S Plaid I just got a month ago had some wind noise on the highway.
I found and bought this 23.00 wind noise kit from RPM Tesla.
They say the wind noise is from turbulence in the gap at the top of the windshield.

Model S Wind Noise Reduction Kit

If you are tired of wind noise at the top of your windshield in your Model S? This is the solution! Over 10,000 sold for Model 3 and Y. RPM created this item, and the rest are just imitations with limited 30 days warranties. This is made from a smooth silicone sponge rubber tubing making...

www.rpmtesla.com

It's like a big vacuum tube like rubber band that goes around the top of the windshield and the sunroof.



The windshield gap was such on my car that it kept popping out when I stretched it around so to try it out I ran a strip of black electrical tape over the front to hold it in place.

It doesn't need to go around the back of the sunroof



So I may cut it and redo it and use a bit of silicone to hold it at the front and back so I don't need the electrical tape.

I also black duct taped up the hinge areas to stop any airflow there.



It's really quiet now with like a 90% reduction in wind noise and only 23.00

 

[RichardL]

Thanks for this.

On my car the overwhelming noise is from the tires. It is hugely noticeable going from concrete surfaces to black top.

Can you estimate the level of road vs. wind on your car?

 

[beatle]

I used one of these giant rubber bands on my 2019 as well. It helped with the wind noise along the windshield header. To get it to hold, I found I had to stretch it much tighter than the video shows. I am still careful when cleaning the paint on the windshield header and the glass roof, or the band will pop out of its groove.

The car still has road noise from the tires though. Its volume depends on the surface you're driving on, the tires you're using, and how worn the tires are. Brand new touring tires will be very quiet, and worn summer tires will howl. I had some pretty aggressive 200TW tires on my Miata that were down to the wear bars, and the road noise was obnoxious on the highway even with the top down and an aftermarket exhaust. But touring tires are boring...

 

[maximizese]

But touring tires are boring...

You mean you don't like that tire squeal on low speed turns? I mean, you have to go two to three times faster on summer or sport tires to achieve that.

I've had nothing but touring tires on our Model S. The car is so heavy and torque that I just don't want to burn through tires every 10K-20K miles. The only time I wish I had a set of Michelin Super Sports on the car is when I'm driving through a windy road when you can feel the limits of the touring tire.

 

[beatle]

Good high performance all seasons like Pilot Sport AS4s are a good compromise (as the name would suggest). You can still get 30-40k out of a set and they provided all the lateral grip I wanted. Noise was also between the MXM4 and the Firehawk Indy500s. I still run the AS4 in the winter, so I should get 3-4 years out of the 'stones, and at that point I'll probably be looking at a different car anyway.

 

[CTruck_BMW]

Thanks for the info. 2023 Model S here, Q3 build, no road noise at all on highway at 75-80 MPH. In fact, it is even more quite than our BMW X5.

 

[87nycsan]

Thanks for the info. 2023 Model S here, Q3 build, no road noise at all on highway at 75-80 MPH. In fact, it is even more quite than our BMW X5.

Do you hear any noise from the driver side window area at highway speeds? Q3 2023 as well. it’s kind of like the wind hitting the side view mirror is causing the noise but can’t really pinpoint it. it’s not loud but almost rhythmic when the music is off or low.

 

[CTruck_BMW]

Do you hear any noise from the driver side window area at highway speeds? Q3 2023 as well. it’s kind of like the wind hitting the side view mirror is causing the noise but can’t really pinpoint it. it’s not loud but almost rhythmic when the music is off or low.

I certainly heard some noise but it is that wind that blows for 1 second your know? Then the majority of the ride is quite.. it is quite that actually even surprised me because most Tesla people warned me about the transition from BMW and Benz to Tesla, but that Model S did really well wind noise and road noise wise. Maybe I still need to take another long road trip on days that are windy.. maybe… but at least under normal weather, it was pretty quite during our last road trip beside occasional strong wave of wind blowing for 1 secound hitting the seals every 15-20 min randomly or so. Even that it was not the mirror but rather the window seals from the corners I guess.

 

[Excaliber]

I have the 21" Michelin Pilot 4S tires and I haven't noticed any road noise from them.

They have a band of soft foam inside where the tread is that the Tesla tech told me was for noise reduction.

 

[verdee]

I used one of these on my 2018 and thought it worked well, however when I tried to put it on my plaid I could not get the front part to stay. I tried really stretching it and pushing it down with tools, taping, glue, etc. As soon as I thought it would stay, I would start driving, hit a bump and it would come loose.

 

[Excaliber]

I used one of these on my 2018 and thought it worked well, however when I tried to put it on my plaid I could not get the front part to stay. I tried really stretching it and pushing it down with tools, taping, glue, etc. As soon as I thought it would stay, I would start driving, hit a bump and it would come loose.

So far the electrical tape is working well.
I am pleased
Since my car is black it's not even noticeable.
You could try cutting the rubber band to relieve the tension.
and use some silicone in spots or even the whole front
so it doesn't pop out.
It doesn't do anything across the back.
There's also Primer 94 Adhesive Promoter,
a clear non toxic solvent like liquid.
You could tape off the front channel, put it on even with your finger
and then the electrical tape would stick twice as strong.



It also comes in tubes for smaller jobs.

 

[Excaliber]

Well the electrical tape came loose after 2 days so I'm going to cut and silicone in this rubber band with some marine grade black silicone.
Could just fill the whole gap with silicone but I'll try just gluing it in for now.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BJ33L23N/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Excaliber]

So I filled the top windshield gap with black silicone and cut the rubber band and used it on both sides of the roof
with 3 spots of silicone.
I'll let it cure up overnight before driving it.

 

[87nycsan]

So I filled the top windshield gap with black silicone and cut the rubber band and used it on both sides of the roof
with 3 spots of silicone.
I'll let it cure up overnight before driving it.

how noticeable was the reduction in noise?

 

[CTruck_BMW]

@Excaliber Am glad you are enjoying your car... but I really can believe you did this to your MS!!!.. The silicone looks terrible in the the photo once getting dirty. I'd never put Silicone which is prone to get damaged with heat and cold waves, and even mold. It is just not worth it cosmetically, but I can tell that you have your own way of making changes to you car, so am glad you are enjoying it your way, best of luck.

 

[Excaliber]

@Excaliber Am glad you are enjoying your car... but I really can believe you did this to your MS!!!.. The silicone looks terrible in the the photo once getting dirty. I'd never put Silicone which is prone to get damaged with heat and cold waves, and even mold. It is just not worth it cosmetically, but I can tell that you have your own way of making changes to you car, so am glad you are enjoying it your way, best of luck.

The big rubber band kept popping out
I don't even notice the seam so for me it's ok.
It's made a difference reducing wind noise but not entirely.
It's Marine grade silicone and it's not the adhesive sealing in the windshield.
If it comes up I can easily replace it and maybe first sand it.
I think I'm going to clean it up and go over it again with a cut down bondo spreader
to make it flat.
I had used my finger in a glove cutoff but that gave me a better but still concave seam.

 

[Excaliber]

I checked the seam today and it looks fine.
I'm going to add more silicone and do the sides of the windshield.
This is not something that hurts the car.



Of course since I added Subs and Tweeters with level controls I don't hear any wind noise
when I crank it up to 10 or 11