Source of sound Level In Model X - observation.

[MXLRplus]

I was enlightened yesterday. Two observations occurred.

As I was leaving, my wife started to talk to me. Normally I have to roll down the window to have a conversation. Not in a Model X. You don't even have to raise your voice. So it's a feature! Not a bug!

I was going to evaluate the suspension around my favorite bumpy-as-chit left hander. I make sure I'm well-seated and the car is empty of loose items, I brace my left foot against the 'clutch pad' and unleash my inner child. sidebar - The Model X is a B+ at standard settings. No bump steer (on this corner, other faster corners, yes bump steer) no oversteer or understeer, good exit speed, no drama. That is amazing when you consider what my "A" score requires.

I could feel every minute defect in the road with my left foot.

I can actually "hear" the road noise through the body of the car with my foot. I tested other poorly maintained roads with my left foot planted and the same result.

So there is very little sound deadening in general in the sides of the car and glass (yes there is sound attenuating glass).
And the suspension and tires are allowing too much vibration (sound is just another name for vibration) to transfer into the body. Different compound polymer bushings (softer) in the both the suspension and body mounts will most likely help a lot, but the glass thing is what it is.

 

[BigMskiman]

Good post, I'll pay more attention to feeling & hearing the road.
I've three times in 3yrs, got a nail or screw in a tire, and before the TPMS is even reporting a change, at low speeds in our neighborhood, I can hear this tick-tick-ticking which is the screw impacting the pavement. Great to have early warnings like this, and repairable usually.

 

[Uncle Paul]

That is why racers fit a "dead pedal" directly to the cars frame. It transmitts lots of valuable road surface information directly to the driver. Can feel if there are pebbles on the road, going over painted lines, tires slipping etc.

 

[ElectricSteve]

The other day, I felt how the right front tire ran over a spider with only 7 legs. That‘s how good the suspension on the X is.

 

[blitzpa]

In a sports car "direct road feedback" is a feature not a bug

I think tires can have a lot to do with it too. Be glad you drive a California car in California and don't deal with heavy snow, ice, and potholes from plows.

If you want another noise-related surprise, try rolling down your frameless window going 70mph+..

 

[MXLRplus]

In a sports car "direct road feedback" is a feature not a bug

I think tires can have a lot to do with it too. Be glad you drive a California car in California and don't deal with heavy snow, ice, and potholes from plows.

If you want another noise-related surprise, try rolling down your frameless window going 70mph+..

I haven't done it in a Tesla, but are you referring to Helmholtz resonance (buffeting)? whomp-whomp-whomp-whomp ...
These have always been the bane of aero car designs.

Trivia - There are perhaps a million Californians who live in snow areas. California is mostly mountains (peaks at 14,500 feet), then desert, then forests, and finally coastal plains. When I look around, there are mountains 360° around me many with snow on them still. Perhaps the photographed area in TV and movies is a dry lake in the high deserts called El Mirage. When you see cracked flat ground everywhere, and mountains in the backdrop in a TV show, movie, car photo, or commercial, it was shot here.

 

[blitzpa]

I haven't done it in a Tesla, but are you referring to Helmholtz resonance (buffeting)? whomp-whomp-whomp-whomp ...
These have always been the bane of aero car designs.

It's not only that but also the frameless design causes the glass to flap around violently as a result. It sounded like my glass was going to shatter. Seems way worse than my other cars. I agree if someone wants a silent car this is not the one. And the X might be the quietest in the lineup.

 

[MXLRplus]

It's not only that but also the frameless design causes the glass to flap around violently as a result. It sounded like my glass was going to shatter. Seems way worse than my other cars. I agree if someone wants a silent car this is not the one. And the X might be the quietest in the lineup.

Yes if sound was my primary req, the Audi eTron would be an easy winner. When I checked off all the boxes that I need, the Tesla won. My Model X is replacing a pickup.

But ...

HEY ELON? Fire the guy who coded the audio sound level system! It's crazy. '5' can be very loud or very quiet. It's hard to tell how it's programmed. It's not speed based. It's not interior db based, it's like a random number generator.

 

[aesculus]

It's not only that but also the frameless design causes the glass to flap around violently as a result. It sounded like my glass was going to shatter. Seems way worse than my other cars.

I made the mistake of lowering my driver window once at 70 mph with a cross wind. Had to take it to Tesla the next day to get it recalibrated as all the techniques did not work. Took them 30 minutes and pulling panels etc.

And yes I thought it was going to break for sure.

 

[BigMskiman]

Before window & mechanism replacement 3months ago, my driver would not close @>60mph, after fully lowering it. Big knocking noise. After exiting fwy, I found it would raise outside the intended channel and still not close fully. It's OK now, but I avoid front window opening at speed.