Sound Deadening Model 3

[mike123abc]

Well today I tried putting sound dampening material on the frunk tub:



While I had it out I put a tiny amount on the out wheel well area. I had previously put it inside the wheel well as mentioned above:


I also did under the mat in the frunk:


I then went on a drive. I managed to hit 4 of the above mentioned testing areas on I35. But, the sound meter did not show any real difference that I could see. I should hit the super rough worst road tomorrow and will see if it makes a difference. I suspect that the previously mentioned wheel well dampening cut most of noise out before it got to the tub.

It is a lot easier to line the tub than the wheel wells. The project was about an hour (vs 4 for the wheel wells), and only required a 10mm socket to get the tub out.

I also have some thinsulate coming that I plan on applying in all 4 wheel wells. The next step after that may be the floorboards in the passenger compartment.

 

[AZWhiteM3]

Well today I tried putting sound dampening material on the frunk tub:

View attachment 446361 View attachment 446362 View attachment 446369

While I had it out I put a tiny amount on the out wheel well area. I had previously put it inside the wheel well as mentioned above:
View attachment 446372 View attachment 446373 View attachment 446376 View attachment 446377

I also did under the mat in the frunk:
View attachment 446382 View attachment 446383

I then went on a drive. I managed to hit 4 of the above mentioned testing areas on I35. But, the sound meter did not show any real difference that I could see. I should hit the super rough worst road tomorrow and will see if it makes a difference. I suspect that the previously mentioned wheel well dampening cut most of noise out before it got to the tub.

It is a lot easier to line the tub than the wheel wells. The project was about an hour (vs 4 for the wheel wells), and only required a 10mm socket to get the tub out.

I also have some thinsulate coming that I plan on applying in all 4 wheel wells. The next step after that may be the floorboards in the passenger compartment.

Good info, thanks, appreciate the updates. Working on my plan/courage to start on the trunk area sound deadening project.

 

[mike123abc]

Well I attacked the problem some more today, I decided to do the front areas.
Before Passenger side:



Note that Tesla threw in a strip in advance. I suppose they figured that was the biggest bang for the buck.

After passenger side:



I then tilted the seat forward and went to work in the back seat. Interestingly Tesla did the back half of the floorboard:

Before:



After:



Then I went off on a tangent and spent an hour taking out the cabin air filter and spraying the inside coils with Klima air conditioning cleaner. I have had a small issue with AC smell over the summer, it came and went, so I decided while it was all taken apart I would clean the AC out. Well needless to say it is a big pain to get the cabin air filters out and clean back in there, but I suppose it will be worth it. It takes an hour since it is a bit of work to get the filters out, then you have to foam up the inside, let it soak about 20 minutes then run the fan for 20 minutes. You do not want to be near the car when this is going on - definitely some fumes!

Then I went to the driver's side and hit a glitch. I could not get one of the bolts lose on the driver's seat. So, I did what I could without moving the seat. Essentially I just pealed back the carpet to the seat and put the material in there. I was not able to do under/behind the driver's seat. But, when I did the passenger side I went over a ways in the back.



So, I got it mostly done. Now I have to decide if it is worth going to a buddy of mine that has a body shop to see if he can get the bolt loose or not.

If you do not take the hour diversion to do the cabin AC cleaning and your bolt comes right out, the project probably would take about 3.5 hours.

I tested it on 4 of my 5 roads (just missing the noisiest). From the numbers above it seems to be about a .5 db on the quite roads to a 1 db on the second noisiest road. Not a big difference, but perceptually it seems better than the sound meter seems to indicate. Perhaps because it lowers the frequency of the noise. Another reason that it probably did not make a big difference is because of all the previous work done before had already dramatically lowered the noise floor. My sound meter is not calibrated (it wanted an 80db 1khz tone to calibrate, but I do not have a way to generate that). So, all the numbers are relative, and should not be taken as absolute. I actually think it reads about 5 db high just from testing in quite rooms.

The only real project left (aside from the small area under the driver's seat if I get that bolt out) is to put thinsulate around in the wheel wells. I have the thinsulate and the spray stick glue, it is just a matter of getting around to it someday. I also ordered one of those wind noise gaskets to see if it makes a difference. It was $20, so I figured it could not hurt to try it, it may be the next thing I do since it is super easy to install vs taking all the wheels off and doing the thinsulate. On the quietest asphalt now all you really hear is wind noise now, but it has never been obnoxious in my car - drowned out by the road noise.

 

[Nrazar]

Well I attacked the problem some more today, I decided to do the front areas.
Before Passenger side:

View attachment 449631 View attachment 449632 View attachment 449633

Note that Tesla threw in a strip in advance. I suppose they figured that was the biggest bang for the buck.

After passenger side:

View attachment 449634

I then tilted the seat forward and went to work in the back seat. Interestingly Tesla did the back half of the floorboard:

Before:

View attachment 449639

After:

View attachment 449640 View attachment 449642

Then I went off on a tangent and spent an hour taking out the cabin air filter and spraying the inside coils with Klima air conditioning cleaner. I have had a small issue with AC smell over the summer, it came and went, so I decided while it was all taken apart I would clean the AC out. Well needless to say it is a big pain to get the cabin air filters out and clean back in there, but I suppose it will be worth it. It takes an hour since it is a bit of work to get the filters out, then you have to foam up the inside, let it soak about 20 minutes then run the fan for 20 minutes. You do not want to be near the car when this is going on - definitely some fumes!

Then I went to the driver's side and hit a glitch. I could not get one of the bolts lose on the driver's seat. So, I did what I could without moving the seat. Essentially I just pealed back the carpet to the seat and put the material in there. I was not able to do under/behind the driver's seat. But, when I did the passenger side I went over a ways in the back.

View attachment 449644 View attachment 449645

So, I got it mostly done. Now I have to decide if it is worth going to a buddy of mine that has a body shop to see if he can get the bolt loose or not.

If you do not take the hour diversion to do the cabin AC cleaning and your bolt comes right out, the project probably would take about 3.5 hours.

I tested it on 4 of my 5 roads (just missing the noisiest). From the numbers above it seems to be about a .5 db on the quite roads to a 1 db on the second noisiest road. Not a big difference, but perceptually it seems better than the sound meter seems to indicate. Perhaps because it lowers the frequency of the noise. Another reason that it probably did not make a big difference is because of all the previous work done before had already dramatically lowered the noise floor. My sound meter is not calibrated (it wanted an 80db 1khz tone to calibrate, but I do not have a way to generate that). So, all the numbers are relative, and should not be taken as absolute. I actually think it reads about 5 db high just from testing in quite rooms.

The only real project left (aside from the small area under the driver's seat if I get that bolt out) is to put thinsulate around in the wheel wells. I have the thinsulate and the spray stick glue, it is just a matter of getting around to it someday. I also ordered one of those wind noise gaskets to see if it makes a difference. It was $20, so I figured it could not hurt to try it, it may be the next thing I do since it is super easy to install vs taking all the wheels off and doing the thinsulate. On the quietest asphalt now all you really hear is wind noise now, but it has never been obnoxious in my car - drowned out by the road noise.

Appreciate you documenting this process. Made me choose to switch to an S because of the work required to get to this point.

 

[mike123abc]

Appreciate you documenting this process. Made me choose to switch to an S because of the work required to get to this point.

Perhaps one day Tesla will get around to putting in a luxury option for the Model 3. One of the big problems of the model 3 is that they want to hit a $35k price point, so they skimp on a lot in the car to get there, but do not add it back in when they sell an AWD P version.

 

[ericsmithcpa]

This has been a helpful thread to read through... I just bought a bulk kit of Dynamat Xtreme (36 sq feet, doesn't look like it's going to go very far LOL). The order of priority is probably trunk, floor, front wheel wells, maybe firewall if I can get to it.

How difficult is it to get the front carpet out? Did anyone find a youtube on this (I didn't)? I'd like to do whatever I can without removing the front seats, initially. My guess is the noisiest area is towards the front end of the car anyway.

 

[ericsmithcpa]

Also, I put in the RPM gasket around the front roof glass this AM. I didn't measure, but it doesn't seem to have made a huge difference... at least it made some difference (worth the $25 bucks). Either it made the roof quieter, or it made the doors/window seals louder. My guess is there's not much that will ever be able to be done about the frameless windows, and the car will continue to be as loud as the loudest area that can't be quieted. Oh well... it's not a luxury car, I keep telling myself that even though it's upwards of $70K.

I also bought a trunk mat off ebay (For Tesla Model 3 Car Rear Trunk Soundproof Cotton Mat SoundProof Protective Pad | eBay), it hasn't arrived yet but hopefully it'll help. I'll try to put some Dynamat down before putting the trunk mat down.

I'm also considering getting one of these and putting some Dynamat on it (Tesla Model 3 "Trunk Shield" "Black" | eBay). I don't know how helpful it might be, but it also adds some protection from rear-window smash and grabs out of the trunk. If anyone has one of these, please let me know your thoughts.

 

[ericsmithcpa]

And this is the youtube on the "trunk shield." It actually looks pretty good. Would have to be removed if anyone needed a pass-through, but doesn't look difficult to put in, or remove.

 

[KenC]

The shield is interesting, white probably make sense so the potential thieves can see what a shield means. The video sounded like a little cushioning might be necessary to prevent rattling.

 

[phaheem]

I also bought a trunk mat off ebay (For Tesla Model 3 Car Rear Trunk Soundproof Cotton Mat SoundProof Protective Pad | eBay), it hasn't arrived yet but hopefully it'll help. I'll try to put some Dynamat down before putting the trunk mat down.

I'm also considering getting one of these and putting some Dynamat on it (Tesla Model 3 "Trunk Shield" "Black" | eBay). I don't know how helpful it might be, but it also adds some protection from rear-window smash and grabs out of the trunk. If anyone has one of these, please let me know your thoughts.

Keep us posted on your progress! I’ve been curious about both of these items

 

[mike123abc]

How difficult is it to get the front carpet out? Did anyone find a youtube on this (I didn't)? I'd like to do whatever I can without removing the front seats, initially. My guess is the noisiest area is towards the front end of the car anyway.

You can pull the front carpet back to the seat rails without removing the seats. If you unbolt the 4 rail bolts on each seat you can simply move them back and forth out of the way as you do the front/under/back without unhooking the wiring/seat belts.

 

[superbaka]

Anyone interested in NVH may want to check out the new Mazda 3. They kept the old engine and powertrain and spent all the money on design aspects.

Watch savagegeese explain what they did in the youtube video. I spent $50 on Turo to drive one for a day and its incredibly quiet. You can almost not even hear the engine revving at all. The doors even have double seals. There is still bass drone from the engine, but ALL high frequencies are gone at all speeds. Amazing how much fatigue it reduces.

The second graphic shows 42 points of sound treatment. This is what Tesla SHOULD have hired people to do, but didn't.

If Mazda puts out an EV like they claim they will..its probably going to be amazing.

 

[Dan203]

So is there anything "easy" you can do to reduce road noise in the car. I don't hear a ton of wind noise, so I don't think those various seals will help much, but the road noise is pronounced compared to my BMW. I feel like I have to talk louder and have a harder time hearing someone in the back seat when driving at highway speeds in the Model 3.

 

[jkdman123]

So is there anything "easy" you can do to reduce road noise in the car. I don't hear a ton of wind noise, so I don't think those various seals will help much, but the road noise is pronounced compared to my BMW. I feel like I have to talk louder and have a harder time hearing someone in the back seat when driving at highway speeds in the Model 3.

Short answer: no.

I’ve looked into this quite a lot. There are steps you can take like adding Dynamat and/or foam, but it’s either very work intensive or very expensive. And in the end you MIGHT get some sound dampening, but almost everyone who’s done it has not really shown dramatic noise reduction.

In my opinion, the only way to see a big diff would be to do 100% coverage under the seats, in the frunk, the entire trunk, and the wheel wells, and in the doors. Major expense, even if you DIY. Enormous expense if you have it done (and good luck finding a pro who will do the whole shebang).

 

[Dan203]

Do rubber floor mats help at all?

 

[M3 2018]

Short answer: no.

I’ve looked into this quite a lot. There are steps you can take like adding Dynamat and/or foam, but it’s either very work intensive or very expensive. And in the end you MIGHT get some sound dampening, but almost everyone who’s done it has not really shown dramatic noise reduction.

In my opinion, the only way to see a big diff would be to do 100% coverage under the seats, in the frunk, the entire trunk, and the wheel wells, and in the doors. Major expense, even if you DIY. Enormous expense if you have it done (and good luck finding a pro who will do the whole shebang).

It's a project definitely worth your time if road noise is a big deal to you and you are planning on keeping your model 3 around for a while.
This is a DIY project for those that have the time/energy/skills/flexibility. Labor hours make this cost prohibitive.

It's by far the quietest car (city or HW) I have ever had and also the fastest!
It took many hours to do it at my own pace over 5-6 days.
Just my 2 cents sharing to everyone on the forum. PM me directly if you have questions.

 

[superbaka]

Everything you need to know about making a vehicle quiet is here.

I'm going to be adding Thinsulate behind the wheel openings and dynomat to the strut towers as noted here.

Door seals found on Amazon help blocking high frequencies tremendously in the city.

 

[vickh]

Everything you need to know about making a vehicle quiet is here.

I'm going to be adding Thinsulate behind the wheel openings and dynomat to the strut towers as noted here.

Door seals found on Amazon help blocking high frequencies tremendously in the city.

any links /recommendation for Door/wind noise seals found on Amazon?

 

[superbaka]

any links /recommendation for Door/wind noise seals found on Amazon?

I went with the amazon recommended one. Definitely helps a lot. Road noise no, because thats from the wheels into the chassis.

 

[hocr]

Do rubber floor mats help at all?

Won't be noticeable but I believe there is a thread somewhere where someone documented his sound proofing project and the measurable difference wasnt much.

What kind of BMW did you have? I measured with an iPhone DB app and found my BMW m3 averaged 78 DB while my Tesla averages at 72. 19" wheels btw.

You could try a swap for 18"s.

Guess it depends what noises you are noticing. Wind, road/tire or objects being kicked into the wheel wells.

eBay has some wheel well liners, Amazon has a door seal kit.

BASENOR Tesla Model 3 Door Seal Kit Soundproof Rubber Weather Draft Seal Strip Wind Noise Reduction Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R13DYYY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_33cLDbBK5Z6VV

1 Pair Front Wheel Arch Soundproof Cotton Protective Pad For Tesla Model 3 17-19 | eBay