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wind/road noise

29K views 20 replies 16 participants last post by  RLinePassat18  
#1 ·
Test drove a 2017 Passat SE this past weekend. I noticed a lot of wind and road (mostly road) noise coming from the back end. Has anyone found additional insulation (dynamat) to help alleviate this problem? If so, what areas did you cover - wheel wells, trunk, etc ?

Thanks
 
#3 ·
hard to ascertain exactly where it was coming from. I could hear it clearly from the drivers seat during the test drive and knew it was coming from the back. I'm going to another dealer to take another test drive. If it's wind noise, not much I can do I guess. Road noise - I'm wondering if it's the tires and insulation will do the trick.
 
#8 ·
Test drove the vehicle again and i have narrowed it down to road noise. However, the model i drove at this dealer was quieter. This model had the Continental tires. I ended up purchasing it today - 2017 SE w/tech package white with black interior. My drive home was 43 miles(mostly highway) so i had even more time to listen for wind/road noise. It's not whisper quiet but quiet enough for me.
 
#9 ·
I just got a 2017 1.8t SEL on Wednesday. I'm coming out of a 2015 TDI SEL. The TDI had Bridgestones and the 1.8t had Continentals. So far I think that the road and wind noise is the same. I hope that the Continental tires hold up as well as the Bridgestones did. I had 40,600 miles on my TDI and the tires looked almost new.
 
#11 ·
Wheel diameter make a big difference. I have a '17 R Line and I notice every road imperfection as a loud "thump" that emanates through the entire cabin. As I switched to the winter setup with "small" 17" wheel, the road imperfections have been reduced to a faint thump and there's no noticeable road noise. It's now a quieter car than our Highlander. Hope that helps!
 
#13 ·
I've noticed road noise in my 2016 R-Line. I know it's not the wheels themselves, because when it is windier outside, it goes up in volume. It seems to come from just behind the driver side door. I've wondered if there is some kind of air leak somewhere that's allowing that sound to reverberate, but it irks me a little bit. All of the insulation appears to be perfect. Nothing out of place or anything.

I don't know if having less than the 19" wheels would make a difference, because the sound is more "windy" than the sound of tires on the road.
 
#17 ·
So there is a thread on quieting things down in the Passat on Vortex (sorry don't mean to cross post). General consensus, rear trunk and wheel well area is a source for road noise and minor squeak. Front A pillars wind noise, and roof loud on heavy rains. Most bang for the buck is some insulation in trunk and rear wheel wells. optional on A pillars and roof. Doors help but not before the rear is done. I have a 2017 SEL Premium, and I find for around the Seattle area with rough paved roads (I-90 East bound) and local highways with stock Conti's it can get pretty loud. 3M spray on dampening coating in the wheel wells also helps. I'm planning to do trunk and roof then doors on my car.

You can go all out, like some folks did, but the biggest bang for the buck are those areas. If you want to sacrifice a little grip look for the touring tires with low resistance compound. I did that on my mini-van and it made a HUGE difference, but due to softer sidewalls typical of these tires, and the compounds used, it made the van feel less controlled albeit I actually gained wet grip (more to do with tread pattern and siping) with minimal loss of summer grip.
 
#18 ·
I started really noticing the road noise after 45k on my 2014 SE 1.8 With 18 inch Continental Tires. Two tire shops told me that it was because two of my tires were worn unevenly on the inside due to lack of tire rotation every 5k. I bought a new pair of Toyo's from LesSchab and threw in a 4 way alignment and the noise has not went away. I took it back and had them check wheel bearings but they say i'm ok there. My wife seems to think i'm hearing things. I know my car. It is really too loud from under the hood especially above 60 mph. I can feel the road as well at high speed. I was thinking it was something wrong with the engine but its still loud when I drop it into neutral on the freeway. Anybody experience this?
 
#19 ·
Last week I got rid of the noisy OEM 235x45x18 Hankook tires and replaced them with General RT43 235x55x18 tires. General and Conti is the same manufacturer. Difference is Generals have a longer tread life warantee. Seem to be somewhat quieter but the biggest difference is going to 55 from 45, a 1" higher sidewall. giving me more road cushioning. The smaller the sidewall is the more the tire transmits road noise. Back in the times when the norm was a "70" sidewall there were not that many road noise complaints. It also made the speedo read almost bang on. ALL VW speedos are out reading about 5% fast.

An automotive magazine gave the General RT43 a very good rating, BEST BANG for the buck, rated just below Michelin and higher than Continentals for all season tires.