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Road noise at highway speeds coming from wheel wells

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Discoducky

P100DL, 2021 M3, 4 CT reservations and counting
Supporting Member
Dec 25, 2011
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My mountain
On our last test drive down the 405 and I-90 in Seattle my wife and I noticed quite a bit of road noise coming from the wheel wells. I don't believe this car was a production spec car, but it was a MSP so that may have added to the noise due to the different sticky tires.

So I'm wondering if current sig owners have noticed quite a bit of noise coming through the wheel wells at highway speeds? NOTE: Our highways in Seattle are very rough and rutted due to winter studded

I'm hoping that TM has been working on reducing this noise with sound dampening material for production cars.
 
Road noise inside the cockpit will mostly be a function of the road surface (smooth asphalt, concrete, chip seal, etc.), with a secondary contribution based on the tire (make, model, tread pattern). Then wet road generate more noise than dry surfaces. The only constant here is the sound transmission loss provided by the structure of the car, and I think the Model S has excellent properties toward blocking sound transmission. I base this conclusion on my experience as a P.E. and Board Cert. Noise Control Engineer. I have carefully inspected one test-drive Model S, and came away very impressed and satisfied TMC did a very good job.
 
Having sold my Lexus LS600hl (to my business partner) and purchased the S as its replacement I have a unique perspective on how quiet a true luxury car can be. I've now had almost two weeks to drive the S on the roads that I use to drive all the time in the Lexus. Hands down the Lexus is a MUCH quieter car than the S in almost every driving situation. The only time the Lexus would be slightly louder was under full throttle acceleration when the gas engine could be heard. One of the biggest reasons the Lexus was so quiet is that it had double-pane glass on all windows. This makes a huge difference but also adds weight. I also think the Panoramic roof without a solid shade lets a lot of sound enter the cabin. I do think that once we all get our rear parcel shelves that will help. The S is a quiet car. It is not, however, as quite as other cars in the $80k+ range.
 
I find the car to be ridiculously quiet at highway speeds. The only time I hear something intrusive is debris kicking around the wheel wells ... I'm very happy with the interior cabin quietness at highway speeds ...
 
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I find the car to be ridiculously quiet at highway speeds. The only time I hear something intrusive is debris kicking around the wheel wells ... I'm very happy with the interior cabin quietness at highway speeds ...
That is good to hear or not hear :wink:

Was your test drive done in the Gray demo car or the Green one?
Green
 
The S is a quiet car. It is not, however, as quite as other cars in the $80k+ range.
The couple reviews that included decibel counts showed the opposite, that the Model S was quieter than the competition. For example, from Edmunds the only place the Lexus 460 beats Tesla is at the 70mph cruise.

Tesla
Sound level @ idle (dB) 35.4
@ Full throttle (dB) 64.2
@ 70 mph cruise (dB) 61.2

Lexus 460
Sound level @ idle (dB) 39.2
@ Full throttle (dB) 65.3
@ 70 mph cruise (dB) 58.2
 
Compared to a 2004 Lexus LS 430 the S is MUCH quieter. The LS 460s (>70K?) do cost a bit more than the 430 did new (58K?)
After driving the S then getting into the Lexus - laughable! Noisy, slow, sloppy steering, bouncy..

Does the LS460 have noise cancellation in the Stereo ?? that can make a big difference in sound
 
I get some road noise coming from the rear wheel wells on rougher Seattle roads. I've sat in the back seats to localize it and it sounds like it is coming out from the C pillars/rear seat belt slot area. The rear strut towers are built into these. I'm thinking of trying some Thinsulate acoustic sound absorb-er in this area.
 
I get some road noise coming from the rear wheel wells on rougher Seattle roads. I've sat in the back seats to localize it and it sounds like it is coming out from the C pillars/rear seat belt slot area. The rear strut towers are built into these. I'm thinking of trying some Thinsulate acoustic sound absorb-er in this area.

Road noise typically comes through holes in the body, so the first thing to do is to see if there are any holes that need sealing. (For example, where wiring is going through.)
 
I bet some of what you're hearing is not, technically, road noise. as I posted on my 700+ mile drive in <24 hours, once you're cruising at highway speed for a while, you definitely start to notice noise from the motor itself. I could tell the difference when the road surface changed... the road/tire noise went up, down, or changed in pitch, but the hum from the motor was a separate constant noise. I wish there were better noise insulation around the motor compartment. Roadsters always had this problem and eventually Tesla offered optional sound deadening upgrades.
 
Agreed, at first I thought this might be the location of the cabin exhaust drafters allowing sound into the cabin. I asked one a service tech who stated he didn't believe the Model S has drafters which may contribute to the difficulty in closing the last door even with the window roll down feature. I pulled one of the wheel liners which are a soft non woven absorber material but it didn't look like there were any obvious holes just the strut tower opening extending pretty high into the C pillar.

I do hear the power train noise it is different from the road tire noise and is a somewhat pleasant low hum.
 
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