How can I lower the road noise in this car?

[Suns_PSD]

My 2005.5 Jetta is a great car but I can't use my cell phone while driving and that's a problem. In fact the car is just LOUD.

Any tips on making it quieter?

Thanks.

 

[Joe_Meehan]

Don't talk and drive. It's safer that way.

 

[40X40]

Slowing down a little seems to help quite a bit in mine.

Bill

 

[engineerorange]

90% of all road noise can be attributed to tires. My car is not loud at all, but I am running the stock Bridgestones. What kind of tires are you running?

 

[hid3]

Check your bearings and wheel alignment. These are the most noise makers.

 

[Cabbie]

Rollin on 18s!!!!!

 

[Suns_PSD]

No doubt the brand of tires (Yokahomas) contribe significantly to the noise level. And I agree the majority of the noise is from the tires.

Sorry but I couldn't go back to the terrible performance (not to mention the goofy look) of the stock rims/ tires so that is not an option.

I'm thinking about pulling off the fender liners and spraying the inside of them (opposite the tire) w/ some sort of insulating rubbery material. I wonder if this would be worth the trouble, time, and expense?

 

[oilhammer]

I can almost guarantee you your noise is all tires. So that 'cool look' you must have comes with a price. Big, low profile, wide tires will always turn square on VAG cars. Better quality tires with a smooth non-directional tread pattern and an alignment to put the camber close to zero will help some.

 

[cujet]

A while back, Goodyear made the Eagle GA tires, they were performance tires designed to be quiet, and they were. Especially in the large sizes (when compared to other large performance tires). The key factor in those tires was circumferential grooves (like an aircraft tire) with close tread block spacing. Couple that with a somewhat soft sidewall and the result was great.

My stock Mich's are noisy now that they are old. They were just OK when new. I am a performance oriented driver, so my next tires will be not chosen on the noise level.

Tirerack has some reviews that might help you figure out how your tires stand in the ratings.

Also, you could try rotating them Left to Right. This will help when the tires have a few miles on them as the tread blocks wear leading edge first.

Chris

 

[Mach1]

its your tires!!!


Put your 16"s back on...


Quit listening to the road noise...

 

[bombero]

Definitely your tires, which don't go with the car anyway.

 

[Lightflyer1]

Not to mention the missing exhaust!

 

[Tim Birney]

My 2005.5 Jetta is a great car but I can't use my cell phone while driving and that's a problem. In fact the car is just LOUD.

Any tips on making it quieter?

Thanks.

Burn some DISCs with SRV, Albert King, and Jimi.
Turn up the volume, and wonder whatever happened to the "Road Noise".


P.S. Cell Phones are NOT to be used while you are driving. Pull over, park, and then use the Cell Phone.

 

[Mach1]

Ya, quit talking on the cellphone, while you are driving..That is illegal!!!

 

[thebigtman]

Illegal? Since when? Maybe the guy has a bluetooth device.

As hid3 said, check your alignment. If it's ok, then it's the tires.

 

[weedeater]

Tires mostly. You could also look into some Dynamat.

 

[Tim Birney]

Illegal? Since when? Maybe the guy has a bluetooth device.

As hid3 said, check your alignment. If it's ok, then it's the tires.

It would be Illegal if we all got up off of our bottom ends, and pressured our Legislatures to pass laws to the effect that any and all Cell Phone usage while driving a car in traffic, or on any public road would be equivalent to Drunk, or Impaired driving.

Can anyone remember what we did before Cell Phones?
I can, and I duplicate it everyday of my life.

 

[Mach1]

New York state its illegal and alot of other states..


Put some 37'S ON THERE AND YOU WILL BE HIGHER up in the air and wont be able to hear the road noise...

 

[Darth Scott]

Slow down.

 

[Rawlins]

Weedeater you took the words right out of my fingers. I saw them completely plaster the inside of a camaro with dynamat to keep the roadnoise down and the sterio sound in. The owner said it worked pretty good. The unfortunate part is having to pull alot of your insides out, not to mention the price of the stuff.

 

[icecap]

My 2005.5 Jetta is a great car but I can't use my cell phone while driving and that's a problem. In fact the car is just LOUD.

Any tips on making it quieter?

Thanks.

Of all the comment so far on this thread no one has mentioned wind noise. On nice days I have always enjoyed driving with the windows open or at least the drivers window but find that I can't do it with the MK5 Jetta as the throbbing wind noise and noise level is horrendous. I find myself having to use the AC and keeping the windows closed instead of just enjoying some fresh air.

 

[Mach1]

I have some experiments going on right now and I have found some areas that need soundproofing, I will be using spray polyureathane to quiet/strenghten those loud areas.

Suns, you think yours is loud..You should hear/see what I have going on..

 

[cujet]

I do aircraft interior sound reduction from time to time. I am experienced in sound level survey's using calibrated equipment.

The best way is a weighted layer. Dynamat is effective. BUT what everyone forgets is that the weighted layer is most effective when sandwiched between 2 layers of sound absorbing materials of differing densities. A good home made system would be something like the felt padding used under automotive carpets, then Dynamat, then fairly high density poly batting about 1/4 inch thick.

Of course, the actual materials may be spun Kevlar/SD40 alpsa/poly.

Another effective material is the stuff used to insulate diesel generators on boats. It is a multi layer weighted material. I used some on a diswahser to make it silent.

Good luck.

Chris

 

[2footbraker]

This is sort of unrelated but if you ever want to pop your eardrums while driving open your back windows all the way and keep the fronts closed. Drive around 60km/h and the air pressure will resonate your eardrums into oblivion.

I've never noticed this on any other car except the A5 Jetta.

 

[Cabbie]

This is sort of unrelated but if you ever want to pop your eardrums while driving open your back windows all the way and keep the fronts closed. Drive around 60km/h and the air pressure will resonate your eardrums into oblivion.

I've never noticed this on any other car except the A5 Jetta.

Kind of like hitting yourself with a hammer because it feels so good when you stop.

 

[dhdenney]

This is sort of unrelated but if you ever want to pop your eardrums while driving open your back windows all the way and keep the fronts closed. Drive around 60km/h and the air pressure will resonate your eardrums into oblivion.

I've never noticed this on any other car except the A5 Jetta.

Yeah I have noticed this too. I hate it when I have a car load and someone starts messing with the back windows. They kinda figure it out pretty quick.

 

[zaq123]

This is sort of unrelated but if you ever want to pop your eardrums while driving open your back windows all the way and keep the fronts closed. Drive around 60km/h and the air pressure will resonate your eardrums into oblivion.

I've never noticed this on any other car except the A5 Jetta.

A4 golf here, the same thing Puf puf puf puf

 

[SBAtdijetta]

This is sort of unrelated but if you ever want to pop your eardrums while driving open your back windows all the way and keep the fronts closed. Drive around 60km/h and the air pressure will resonate your eardrums into oblivion.

I've never noticed this on any other car except the A5 Jetta.

Yep... The A5 has some awful wind reverberations ... You really can not put the rear windows in certain places or it is real bad . Just roll the rears up some or lower the front windows instead, it works for me. Not much AC running for me until its high 80's+

 

[Mach1]

Crew cab trucks are notorious for this as well..Cant have the rears down and be moving..

Cujet, thanks for the FWIW...

 

[volkswagendude]

This is sort of unrelated but if you ever want to pop your eardrums while driving open your back windows all the way and keep the fronts closed. Drive around 60km/h and the air pressure will resonate your eardrums into oblivion.

I've never noticed this on any other car except the A5 Jetta.

B5.5 Passat exhibits the same thing with the rear window down. The Passat CC has been reported to be even worse.