Solved: Road Noise & Front Wind Noise

Through the last few months, I have been watching and reading up the various posts regarding the many ways many of you all have attempted, as well as the various kits available online, to reduce if not eliminate road noise and wind noise from the Model3. After reviewing all those posts and review of the kits, I figured that since none of you have been able to achieve that elusive goal, let alone even come close to reducing the noise, made me ask the question: What are we missing?

So as I kept driving my M3, I attempted to focus on finding those missing sources ie where is the noise emanating into the cabin from. Turns out they are the 4 corners of the cabin ie the A-Pillars and C-pillars. More specifically, the A-Pillars for wind noise and C-Pillars for road noise.

#1 - The solution for wind noise is the following - Z Weatherstrip down inside the leading edge of the front door, and foam block at the top triangle where the front fender, windshield and door meet.

Z-Weatherstrip

Foam at the junction

#2 - The solution for road noise is the following - 2" Fiber insulation behind the rear seat side panels that cover the rear wheel wells.

I hope this helps everyone who have been pursuing this goal. Thanks for all the contributions and many thanks to @XPsionic for his constant engagement and interest.

 

[ICE5891]

Have you considered a layer of MLV on top of that mat? You're halfway to a great result with this decoupling layer and MLV is cheap.

Apologies English is not my first language and many of those terms are not familiar for me. What is MLV? I have actually hard time finding the correct materials here. If I find sure I will test.

 

[aurelian]

Apologies English is not my first language and many of those terms are not familiar for me. What is MLV? I have actually hard time finding the correct materials here. If I find sure I will test.

No worries. MLV is mass loaded vinyl, a very dense material that weighs 1lb per sq ft. Its density blocks sound waves instead of absorbing them. The best practice is to have a continuous, decoupled layer, eg the entire floor of the vehicle. But the trunk area of these cars is so loud and the battery is so dense that I'm fairly confident that covering everything from the front of rear seat to the rear bumper will make a significant difference. You just installed a very nice decoupling layer and if you add MLV on top I think you will see a worthwhile improvement. The caveat is you can't really have any gaps in the application, it has to be one continuous layer from the rear seat floor area all the way to the back bumper including the wheel wells.

Amazon.com : mass loaded vinyl

 

[aurelian]

Scoob’s sound proofing before & after experiment...

Hello all. Plan on doing a complete Mass Loaded Vinyl / Butyl sound proofing of my 2018 Modes S P100D 21" Arachnids. I did some DBA Driving Videos at various speed. I'll keep you all posted if the MLV and Butyl makes a perceived difference as well as DBA levels.

teslamotorsclub.com

This thread is shows an MLV install, although they did a ton of work and forgot to put foam underneath to decouple it properly and probably left some noise reduction on the table.

 

[ICE5891]

Scoob’s sound proofing before & after experiment...

Hello all. Plan on doing a complete Mass Loaded Vinyl / Butyl sound proofing of my 2018 Modes S P100D 21" Arachnids. I did some DBA Driving Videos at various speed. I'll keep you all posted if the MLV and Butyl makes a perceived difference as well as DBA levels.

teslamotorsclub.com

This thread is shows an MLV install, although they did a ton of work and forgot to put foam underneath to decouple it properly and probably left some noise reduction on the table.

That is impressive work! Very interesting.

No worries. MLV is mass loaded vinyl, a very dense material that weighs 1lb per sq ft. Its density blocks sound waves instead of absorbing them. The best practice is to have a continuous, decoupled layer, eg the entire floor of the vehicle. But the trunk area of these cars is so loud and the battery is so dense that I'm fairly confident that covering everything from the front of rear seat to the rear bumper will make a significant difference. You just installed a very nice decoupling layer and if you add MLV on top I think you will see a worthwhile improvement. The caveat is you can't really have any gaps in the application, it has to be one continuous layer from the rear seat floor area all the way to the back bumper including the wheel wells.

Amazon.com : mass loaded vinyl

Thanks I will try find, a quick look on the German Amazon didn't bring much. There was some to be used for home sound insulation, would they be the same? How thick should be the MVL layer?

 

[aurelian]

That is impressive work! Very interesting.

Thanks I will try find, a quick look on the German Amazon didn't bring much. There was some to be used for home sound insulation, would they be the same? How thick should be the MVL layer?

They are pretty much the same, 1/8" thick and ~1 lb per sqft. You will have to cut it to shape since it only folds in one direction, and overlap the different pieces to have one continuous layer. You could even do a flat layer in the trunk without molding it to the lower compartment, and then lift it when you need to use that space. I'll be doing my Model Y trunk as soon as my hatch booming issue is resolved.

 

[Terpman90]

Been following this thread, and it's all interesting stuff. Thanks to all who have been posting and updating.

Not sure if anyone else's experience is similar, but the majority of what I consider to be noise is primarily what sounds like wind leaking through/from the windows. Is there anything that can directly be done that eliminates that? I could almost live with the 'noise' from the tires if I could mostly (fully?) eliminate the window noise. Thoughts? Suggestions? Apologies if I missed the solution earlier in the thread.

 

[enemji]

For the ultimate solution I guess filling every pillar, vertical and horizontal completely with sound absorbing foam would be very beneficial

 

[XPsionic]

Been following this thread, and it's all interesting stuff. Thanks to all who have been posting and updating.

Not sure if anyone else's experience is similar, but the majority of what I consider to be noise is primarily what sounds like wind leaking through/from the windows. Is there anything that can directly be done that eliminates that? I could almost live with the 'noise' from the tires if I could mostly (fully?) eliminate the window noise. Thoughts? Suggestions? Apologies if I missed the solution earlier in the thread.

There's a thread somewhere about window frame rail adjustment, where you take the door panel off and adjust the tilt of the window glass so it makes even contact all around the rubber gasket. If I were you I'd take the car to Tesla so they'd try to fix that, and only manually adjust the window if they can't do a proper job or if you're out of warranty.

 

[ICE5891]

They are pretty much the same, 1/8" thick and ~1 lb per sqft. You will have to cut it to shape since it only folds in one direction, and overlap the different pieces to have one continuous layer. You could even do a flat layer in the trunk without molding it to the lower compartment, and then lift it when you need to use that space. I'll be doing my Model Y trunk as soon as my hatch booming issue is resolved.

I am having a hard time to find this here, at least with this name. I found this one from this brand STP. Do you think it is similar?

STP Noise Block 35x100cm äänieristematto | Karkkainen.com verkkokauppa

Raskasmatto. Runkoäänieriste eritoten joustintuen seinämiin, varapyöräkoteloon, pyöränkoteloon, sekä muihin ahtaisiin<br />tiloihin. Ei vety eikä halkeile pakkasellakaan, kestää liuottimia. Vaimentaa runkoääniä ja resonointia. Vastaa<br />eristyskyvyltään reilusti paksumpaa...

www.karkkainen.com

https://standartplast.com/upload/iblock/5d0/stp-noiseblock.pdf

1 lb per sqft = 4.88 kg/m2

 

[enemji]

After all this, my final recommendation is as follows for the 18" wheels. I have not driven the 19" wheels, and I suspect that any tires in that category will be "quiet and luxurious".

1. If you want a quiet(er) ride, more comfortable ride, move to 18" wheels

2. Use the Hankook Kinergy GT H436. I have tried the Michelin MXM4, Hankook Ion Evo AS too and the Kinergy GT is the luxurious ride. The other two are more sportier and subsequently more talkative tires. Out of the Michelin MXM4 and Ion Evo AS, I prefer the Ion Evo AS.

3. Another tire option that I have not tried out but would love to see if somebody can if they are ready to change to a new set would be the Lexus OE tire - Michelin Primacy Tour AS (MFG Part# 06522 - MICHELIN® PRIMACY™ TOUR A/S 235/45R18 94V LEX BSW). I have those on my Mercedes, and they are absolutely luxurious. Make sure you don't choose the ones with 44PSI Max Load. Of course if you don't like it, you can always get a free return under the Michelin Promise Plan which includes 60-Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Michelin Warranty Information | Michelin

4. Of course these little bit add-ons that we do definitely helps but nothing helps better than better shoes.

5. Stick to 42PSI. They are the best balance of PSI, especially with the Kinergy GT as well as Ion Evo AS tires.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Primacy+Tour+A%2FS&frontTire=345VR8PTASV2&i1_Qty=4&autoMake=Tesla&autoModel=Model%203%20AWD&autoYear=2022&autoModClar=235/45-18%20SL%20(Standard%20Load)&vehicleSearch=true

The MICHELIN Primacy® Tour A/S has the quietest tread design among leading competitors based on internal objective interior noise tests measuring dBa from 500 to 2000 Hz on asphalt (weathered and smooth) and smooth concrete comparing the MICHELIN® Primacy™ Tour A/S versus the Bridgestone® Turanza™ Serenity Plus, Continental® PureContact™, Pirelli® Cinturato P7™ ALL-SEASON Plus, and Goodyear® Assurance® ComforTred®.

 

[enemji]

For the ultimate solution I guess filling every pillar, vertical and horizontal completely with sound absorbing foam would be very beneficial

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b40071604/

3M™ Flexible Foam makes for fast, easy and effective replacement of OEM flexible foams in automotive applications. A convenient 200 mL cartridge contains two-part urethane material that expands to 10 times its liquid volume, creating a closed-cell foam that won’t shrink and closely mimics OEM foam properties for insulation, sound-deadening and temperature resistance.

 

[enemji]

Great result and testing!
To my ears, after putting insulation in the rear wheel well/seat area, most of the noise seem to be concentrated near the front of the car. The next areas to look at IMO would be the interior near the firewall/front wheel well area, and the area behind the front wheel well lining.

would this help?

Wheel Soundproof Protective Pads For Tesla Model 3 (1 Pair) (2017-2023)

Custom-designed: The Wheel Soundproof Mat has been custom-fit specifically for the Tesla Model 3. Fit all Tesla Model 3. Audio Noise Insulation and Dampening W

teslaunch.net

 

[ICE5891]

would this help?

Wheel Soundproof Protective Pads For Tesla Model 3 (1 Pair) (2017-2023)

Custom-designed: The Wheel Soundproof Mat has been custom-fit specifically for the Tesla Model 3. Fit all Tesla Model 3. Audio Noise Insulation and Dampening W

teslaunch.net

I think this is a material that doesn't help much. Dirty tesla has a video with it.

 

[enemji]

I think this is a material that doesn't help much. Dirty tesla has a video with it.

but in all fairness, he did not do the rear wheel bolster fix which is the prominent source of road noise inside the cabin....

 

[enemji]

Great result and testing!
To my ears, after putting insulation in the rear wheel well/seat area, most of the noise seem to be concentrated near the front of the car. The next areas to look at IMO would be the interior near the firewall/front wheel well area, and the area behind the front wheel well lining.

Why don't you open up the front fenders plastic liner, just the couple of clips on the cabin side of the wheel well, and stuff it with noise absorbing material of your choice and clip it back? That should give you some idea if it is worthwhile or not.

 

[XPsionic]

Why don't you open up the front fenders plastic liner, just the couple of clips on the cabin side of the wheel well, and stuff it with noise absorbing material of your choice and clip it back? That should give you some idea if it is worthwhile or not.

Live in an apartment building, don't have a jack I nominate you to try it though!

 

[Perscitus]

would this help?

Negative. I've had these on (mind you, also sandwiched with the OEM plastic liner) for a few years. No perceived change. New tires made much more of a difference.

When I get around to doing the bolsters, I can report back. Materials all here collecting dust in the garage.

What did make a noticable difference up front pre this thread was a combo of things we tried sincr 2017:

a. filling the frunk with fluff (not leaving it empty), in my case the OEM car cover and/or frunk luggage bags
b. adding the frunk rear edge of hood plastic/rubber liner strips (first seen on MiC Model 3s, then released as an aftermarket accessory in a few flavors)
c. adding foam in the top triangle section of the fender edge
d. replacing the A-pillar applique triangles
with redesigned, and better/flush fitting new part #s (service fix for vintage Model 3s)
e. above all, new non-OE non-foam lined tires

 

[enemji]

Live in an apartment building, don't have a jack I nominate you to try it though!

With the Hankook Kinergy GT, I have no more need to sound deaden any further. It is a very good ride now with the rear bolster absorber in place.

 

[Rcmpnc]

‘20 MY owner chiming in. Love the simple efforts that are yielding results. I’ve complete the weather stripping of the doors today. The leading edge was my only deficient area. The doors already had a second seal I put on a few months ago ( no sure who’s kit it was)

Quick 65-80mph test, and measuring noise with my watch — 65-67db. Looks like a good start.

Look forward to filling the rear wheel wells. The closer I can get it to the quiet of the old Lexus LS I owned the better

 

[Adam3]

d. replacing the A-pillar applique triangles
with redesigned, and better/flush fitting new part #s (service fix for vintage Model 3s)

Do you have this part number? I'm having trouble finding it on epc.tesla.com. 1090501-00-J and 1090502-00-J?

Looks time consuming to swap.

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