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.

 

[Janner]

You mean like this? Vehicle insulation for Tesla Model S, 3, X and Y | Shop4Tesla

I spent £2700 on this kit for my Model 3 and it made no difference whatsoever. A really terrible experience with no improvement at the end.

 

[jsun_g]

Thanks for all this information! I have a 2023 M3P with Pirelli P-Zeros. Road noise isn't bad until close to highway speed. Wind noise really is not an issue.
I ordered the 4 mil closed cell-foam and ceramic insulation and will be implementing the front quarterpanel and sides of rear seat.
Seeing the gap of bare space behind the sub and on the opposite side of the trunk has me wanting to put ceramic insulation chunks similar to Mercedes and other luxury car makers.

 

[enemji]

Thanks for all this information! I have a 2023 M3P with Pirelli P-Zeros. Road noise isn't bad until close to highway speed. Wind noise really is not an issue.
I ordered the 4 mil closed cell-foam and ceramic insulation and will be implementing the front quarterpanel and sides of rear seat.
Seeing the gap of bare space behind the sub and on the opposite side of the trunk has me wanting to put ceramic insulation chunks similar to Mercedes and other luxury car makers.

Better tires would make the most difference. Even on the 18” the Hankook Kinergy GT are way smoother and quieter albeit a little less sharp steering response compared to the Michelin MXM4. In fact at 70+ mph the Kinergy GT is a very good touring tire. There is road noise but No annoying road noise.

 

[enemji]

Here is a db readout using the dB meter app on my iPhone.

Speed 70mph
Road: 15 year old used concrete road (GWBush Turnpike)
Tires: 18” Hankook Kinergy GT with 12000 miles
As you can see the major dB contributing frequencies are in the low to mid-bass range and actually form a very good acoustic blanket. The annoying higher frequencies mid-range and higher are on the low side.

 

[jsun_g]

I installed the front fender foam at first and noticed some improvement/reduction in noise subjectively (I don't have time to perform a controlled measurement after every change). I next installed the rear seat bolster foam and also noticed that reduced road noise from the back (now the road noise sounded to be coming from the floor beneath me & the doors).

The flip side to the rear bolster foam (and I packed it in there pretty tightly in the tunnels above the wheel wells) is the bass from the sub did not blend well with the cabin speakers. Bass was really subdued with only the lowest notes getting through. This created a sonic gap in the midbass and made the front stage sound strained. To be sure, I did an A/B comparison in my garage with and without the rear seatbacks folded. Rear seatbacks up, the bass was muted and bass guitar bass lines sounded muddy and not cohesive. Rear seatbacks down, the midbass was too emphasized - drawing attention to the rear of the car.
Seems Tesla is using those transmission tunnels on top of the rear wheel wells as a means to transfer bass into the cabin (there is no screen in the rear deck - it's solid metal throughout).
In the end, I removed the stuffing from the tunnels but kept it on the front side of the wheel wells.

I'd had a similar experience with my previous car (Mazda 6) where I built a full stereo system including sub but the bass had trouble getting into the cabin, so I cut out a custom "ski hole" behind the back seat armrest. I won't be doing such a thing to my Model 3, but will seek some way to keep road noise down without impacting the musicality.

PGBT bridge over 75 is one of the worst road noise torture-tests. Lot of vibration thru my Mazda, less so with the M3P.

 

[enemji]

Seems Tesla is using those transmission tunnels on top of the rear wheel wells as a means to transfer bass into the cabin (there is no screen in the rear deck - it's solid metal throughout).
In the end, I removed the stuffing from the tunnels but kept it on the front side of the wheel wells.

Yup. I agree.

 

[Thomas Adams]

Hi I’ve been tackling wind noise seeping in from the driver door. I’ve purchased the Z shape seal. However, in Solution #1, I’m only seeing part of the door closer to the front wheel. Has anyone tried it on the places in my images? As this is where my wind noise is originating from.

Sorry I’m a noob when it comes to what parts of a vehicle are accurately called. @enemji

MX 2023.

 

[enemji]

Hi I’ve been tackling wind noise seeping in from the driver door. I’ve purchased the Z shape seal. However, in Solution #1, I’m only seeing part of the door closer to the front wheel. Has anyone tried it on the places in my images? As this is where my wind noise is originating from.

Sorry I’m a noob when it comes to what parts of a vehicle are accurately called. @enemji

MX 2023. View attachment 973458

You may benefit by applying a D shape rubber seal on that area so that it fills and is compressed when the door is closed.
You would need to determine the size depending upon the gap you are filling.

 

[enemji]

Seems Tesla is using those transmission tunnels on top of the rear wheel wells as a means to transfer bass into the cabin (there is no screen in the rear deck - it's solid metal throughout).

In reality, bass is supposed to non-directional. You should be able to hear it evenly from anywhere in the cabin without being able to identify where it is originating from.

Once I had the trunk area layered with the Siless 4mm liner, the bass is as it should have been - even, not booming and just fills the cabin space with no indication of it coming from the trunk.

 

[jsun_g]

There's a difference between putting on a layer of sound absorbing material and physically blocking bass from entering the cabin. The lowest bass still could come thru after I stuffed those tunnels with ceramic fiber, because the longer wavelengths can travel through barriers with less attenuation.
It could also be that the door speakers can't (or are crossed over too high) produce low enough frequencies to pair with the sub when it's severely isolated from the cabin. I wouldn't put much faith in door speakers for bass reproduction anyway, doors make terrible enclosures.

 

[Bizzwhizz]

You may benefit by applying a D shape rubber seal on that area so that it fills and is compressed when the door is closed.
You would need to determine the size depending upon the gap you are filling.

View attachment 973551

Anyone know how or where to get on with a sealed end to go at the top so it looks nice? Can see one in your picture but none on Amazon I can find

 

[MarkoP]

Door Seal Kit for 2016-2023 Tesla Model 3 soundproof rubber weather draft Seal | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Door Seal Kit for 2016-2023 Tesla Model 3 soundproof rubber weather draft Seal at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

These ready made kits have rounded ends.

 

[ebradway]

First, I want to thank you @enemji for sharing this with us. I have been replicating your modifications on my 18 M3LR and it has made a huge improvement!

I was wondering what led you to choose ceramic insulation over fiberglass insulation? I read somewhere that fiberglass may be better for sound insulation. Is ceramic better because of the high thermal resistance for a car in the summer, or because it’s next to the high voltage lines on the driver side?

 

[enemji]

First, I want to thank you @enemji for sharing this with us. I have been replicating your modifications on my 18 M3LR and it has made a huge improvement!

I was wondering what led you to choose ceramic insulation over fiberglass insulation? I read somewhere that fiberglass may be better for sound insulation. Is ceramic better because of the high thermal resistance for a car in the summer, or because it’s next to the high voltage lines on the driver side?

Thanks.

3 reasons why I went with Ceramic.

1. Fiberglass is itchy. I don’t like to handle it myself.
2. Ceramic rolls were available on amazon next day shipping.
3. They passed my study of blocking road noise coming out of my home theater speakers with more than flying colors, compared to other traditional products sold everywhere for auto noise suppression.

 

[cyberspacer72]

Amazon

Thank you! Would you mind listing the actual items you bought - I mean links to Amazon ?

 

[kimwin]

Tesla should have done this work for all cars they sold.
It's great that the OP persists to root cause the issues and comes out with good solution.
Thanks so much.

 

[enemji]

Thank you! Would you mind listing the actual items you bought - I mean links to Amazon ?

Lynn Manufacturing Kaowool Ceramic Fiber Insulation, 1" Thick x 16" x 48", 2400F Fireproof Insulation Blanket, 3026E https://a.co/d/6oVmyiT

Siless Liner 157 (4 mm) mil 36 sqft Car Sound Deadening Closed Cell Foam & Heat Insulation mat - PE Foam Sound Deadener Material & Heat Barrier https://a.co/d/gQPMKbA

Z Shape Universal Rubber Seal Protector Guard Strip, Keenso Car Door Rubber Seals Trim Seal Door Edge Guards Weatherstrip for Car Window Door Engine Cover, 4M Length https://a.co/d/8ceN97i

 

[enemji]

Tesla should have done this work for all cars they sold.
It's great that the OP persists to root cause the issues and comes out with good solution.
Thanks so much.

Elon should hire me as special consultant

 

[hari-bhari]

all this talk about insulation when road noise is conducted from the tires to the suspension and into the body of the car. quieter tires make a huge difference.

i had bridgestone quiettrack which was a big improvement over stock

then i went pirelli p7 as3 and its lexus quiet now. tires will get noisier with age but these are still loads quieter than stock. i havent spent any time insulating the cabin as I don't believe it'll make much of a difference.

 

[enemji]

quieter tires make a huge difference.

They make the BIGGEST difference.

What were the stock tires on your car?

I have 2 M3LR. One had Michelin MXM4 and the other Hankook Kinergy GT. The latter are way more quieter.

My goal was to attenuate the annoying peaks of road noise and wind noise on windy days and I believe I was able to achieve that.