A3 Sportback - Fahrgeräusche eliminieren | Posts 16+

dieselmartin wrote:

In ALL the cars I have driven so far, the material

INSIDE was LOUDER than normal flooring.


I'm not sure if I'm referring to the same thing as you are when I say "asphalt." If that were the case, then my advice would obviously be completely useless.

In the Netherlands, there's a type of asphalt called ZOAB (which roughly translates to "very open asphalt"), a porous asphalt that allows water to drain quickly. This results in a "drier" road surface during rain. As far as I know, this type of asphalt is also used in Germany. The description of "whisper asphalt" that you find on Google seems to refer to it. It should also be located on the A8 near Leonberg, as Martin's description suggests that it's a noisier area.

Then there's the asphalt I was talking about. My Passat, A3, G3, Volvo 850, and V70 are incredibly quiet on that road in terms of road noise. The road has only been around for about 2 years, and it was a completely new experience for me. Of course, you can still hear things like broken wheel bearings, which also makes the road interesting. However, the noise level is between 80 and 100 km/h, which might be relevant (since it's only extremely quiet at low speeds, and then the situation changes).

If you can't find it in Germany, just forget about it. The problem with winter tires is that they are usually not particularly quiet either.

Sure.

where in the Netherlands is this stuff located, then I'll send my spies out .

What's the point of having relatives who work for companies in the Netherlands and drive 80,000 km per year?

m;

N304 is the federal highway from Apeldoorn to Ede, shortly after Otterloo, at the level of "De Hartenberg".

@Jochen_145:
Thanks again for your help! Those fender covers aren't that expensive, so I'll start experimenting with them. Do you think body adhesive would work to hold them in place? I don't want to get wrapped around the wheels with 200 pieces of felt...

Regards,
Peter

Hello Peter,

I would try to additionally secure the mats mechanically.
Perhaps similar to how Ford did it: with large, flat coil springs.
That would give me more peace of mind than simply hoping that the adhesive used is truly waterproof.

However, if you have an adhesive that actually works, it will probably be sufficient.

If you switch to narrower tires now, this will also reduce road noise. The tires are narrower and softer, which results in less road noise.

Best regards, Jochen.

dieselmartin wrote:

Regarding the topic of "Whisper Asphalt". My experience with this person is that they whisper outwardly (to the neighbors), but they yell inwardly (at me).

I can fully confirm that.
In Austria, on the A10 Tauern Autobahn, "whisper asphalt" was used.
The noise from the engine is much quieter on the outside, but it's almost unbearable inside.
I always look forward to roads that are paved with regular asphalt.

LG
Maxx.

The "internal effect" of whisper-quiet asphalt may also depend on the vehicle. I've been driving an Audi 100e for years. The "Flüsterasphalt" (a type of road surface) reduces high-frequency noise inside the car. However, if the car isn't properly soundproofed, this effect becomes more noticeable, and the "Flüsterasphalt" might even seem louder in that case.

Retrofitting soundproofing is indeed difficult. To mitigate air noise, if the A3 has a deficiency in this area, better sealing of the door gaps and waterproof felt lining in the doors could help. Otherwise, applying bitumen to all large metal surfaces is unlikely to cause any harm. Unfortunately, it's hard to fit any additional felt or foam under the pre-molded carpets. Softer rubber mounts are certainly not available anywhere; you can only buy hard ones for (pseudo)sporting purposes. "Thicker glass is unrealistic; who would even have something like that, and how would it even fit? Trading it for an A6, or even a Lexus, would probably be cheaper."
Tires are a hot topic, or simply drive slower...

Quick update:

"As of today, I've installed winter tires (Conti TS810 205/55 R 16) – and the car is much quieter than it was with the 17-inch standard Dunlops (SportMAXX)! And that's despite the Dunlops being rated as "very quiet tires" in every test (although they had a wobble from the beginning, so that might have played a role)." Perhaps the OEM versions are different after all.

I will definitely "felt" my wheel well liners in early spring, because I don't want to throw away that impressive ripening equipment right away.

My tire dealer also mentioned that you could potentially rotate the summer tires every few thousand kilometers, which might improve their wear. However, I'm skeptical about that, especially since they already have 8700 kilometers on them (not to mention the cost of having them remounted, since they are directional tires). Let's see.

Greetings.
Peter.

Hi, regarding the felt mats on the inner fenders, I remember that my Fabia TDI Elegance, which I drove until April 2006 and was manufactured in 2001, had these felt mats (?) installed as standard equipment in the inner fenders at the rear. I saw it back then as a measure by Skoda to prevent water and dirt from splashing. There simply wasn't much space between the tires and the inner fenders. It might also have been an acoustic measure. Skoda certainly sells this adhesive, or knows the manufacturer! By the way, even after 150,000 km, the material was still firmly attached and had a fibrous surface. Good luck, haithamina.