Started adding sound dampening mat material and already reducing interior decibels

[CAL465]

Hi, I've started to add sound dampening to the back trunk and the back seat. I'm happy with the result so far. It has reduced the dbs in the back for sure. I'd like to do the doors too. I've looked over the service manual and videos online. Putting the trim back should be fine. My fear is not being able to put the door module back properly and damaging the airbags or window operation. Have some of you done this and is it easy enough?

I know that the batteries should prevent noise but when tapping the surface it sounds hollow. It sounds solid now. The db before was 75 - 80 on roads and 80 - 85 on the freeway. My new readings are 54 - 58 on roads and 58 to 65 on the freeway at 65 MPH. I used a db app on my iPhone. I should have looked for a more professional one but I thought this would be sufficient enough. It has also improved the speaker sounds in the back.

Here are my before and after of the back seat. I did not take pics of the trunk but it's about the same.

Sponsored

 

[lestat_de_leon]

I wonder how much weight you have added (thus reducing effeciency)?

 

[CAL465]

I wonder how much weight you have added (thus reducing effeciency)?

No much. They weigh 0.68 lbs/1 sqft. It's just my wife and I driving and we hardly load up the car with weight. Usually it's grocery bags and water. We did it mainly to reduce the motor and outside noise.

 

[Blue highway]

if you are down 20dB with the backseat and the trunk done, I'd call it good. I suspect you will rapidly hit the point of diminishing returns.

 

[HuntingPudel]

Paging @markboris ??

 

[azerik]

I added 35 lbs of deadener. It's still womping from road things. Once you quiet all the things that make noise you start the maddening hunt for "WTH is that noise now" Change my mind lol!

 

[CAL465]

So far I’ve added 13 lbs. I figure 2 sheets per door would add another 5.44 lbs.

@markboris do you think 28 lbs would be too much?

A case of 24 bottle waters weigh about 29 lbs. Our trunk is always empty except for the tire and charger equipment. I don’t use the charge. I guess I can take that out to reduce the weight?

 

[HuntingPudel]

I added 35 lbs of deadener. It's still womping from road things. Once you quiet all the things that make noise you start the maddening hunt for "WTH is that noise now" Change my mind lol!

God, I’m glad I am used to my Blazer, which has zero deadening in it. The T/A I am sure can overcome 350 pounds of deadener, so putting more in that car is useless. ??

 

[azerik]

I wonder how much weight you have added (thus reducing effeciency)?

You're not going to lose range over this. You'd have to put 200'ish lbs in the car. And then it's like hauling an adult all the time.

In my Lightning I had to use 3 layers to fully kill the back wall of the cab. The exhaust had just the right tone to tune the back wall of the truck into a subwoofer.

 

[markboris]

So far I’ve added 13 lbs. I figure 2 sheets per door would add another 5.44 lbs.

@markboris do you think 28 lbs would be too much?

A case of 24 bottle waters weigh about 29 lbs. Our trunk is always empty except for the tire and charger equipment. I don’t use the charge. I guess I can take that out to reduce the weight?

Hi Jorge, sorry I just picked up friends from out of town that are here all week so won't be here except for later evenings and early mornings.

I deadened the entire car (first thing I do to any car/truck I get). All four doors, under rear seat, entire cargo area and behind the rear quarter panel trims. This car took much less as I did not do the floor because the battery is below and no road noise comes up through it and didn't do their roof obviously because mine is glass. I used at least the entire 36 sq ft box of Dynamat which is 15 lbs and probably a bit more. I also cover all of it with Dynaliner which weighs very little. I don't even think 30 lbs is a lot so go at it. The main reason I do this is for a better sounding stereo. It completely changes the way it sounds. The door speakers have much tighter mid-bass (their enclosure is not longer and echo chamber) and the JL sub in the back is much tighter since it is not sitting in a tin can anymore. Of course you also get the advantage of having a quieter car but the Mach-E is already a fairly quiet car to begin with.

There are other threads on here that pertain to sound deadening and I have posted several times about it. Here is one I recently did with some photos of my other vehicles. I never did take any of my GT. I am done taking the same photos over and over. ?. #5

 

[HuntingPudel]

You're not going to lose range over this. You'd have to put 200'ish lbs in the car. And then it's like hauling an adult all the time.

In my Lightning I had to use 3 layers to fully kill the back wall of the cab. The exhaust had just the right tone to tune the back wall of the truck into a subwoofer.

Not worried about range. It's the same reason I got a metal roof and my T/A doesn't have A/C. Corners faster and wears the tires less with less weight. ??

Besides, my ears are so bad (well, really just the right one since that's the side my sister sat on when we were children at the dinner table) that I can't hear the road noise anyhow. ??

 

[CAL465]

Hi Jorge, sorry I just picked up friends from out of town that are here all week so won't be here except for later evenings and early mornings.

I deadened the entire car (first thing I do to any car/truck I get). All four doors, under rear seat, entire cargo area and behind the rear quarter panel trims. This car took much less as I did not do the floor because the battery is below and no road noise comes up through it and didn't do their roof obviously because mine is glass. I used at least the entire 36 sq ft box of Dynamat which is 15 lbs and probably a bit more. I also cover all of it with Dynaliner which weighs very little. I don't even think 30 lbs is a lot so go at it. The main reason I do this is for a better sounding stereo. It completely changes the way it sounds. The door speakers have much tighter mid-bass (their enclosure is not longer and echo chamber) and the JL sub in the back is much tighter since it is not sitting in a tin can anymore. Of course you also get the advantage of having a quieter car but the Mach-E is already a fairly quiet car to begin with.

There are other threads on here that pertain to sound deadening and I have posted several times about it. Here is one I recently did with some photos of my other vehicles. I never did take any of my GT. I am done taking the same photos over and over. ?. #5

Thanks buddy! I’m happy with what I’ve done so far and plan to do the doors too. I’m just worried about tampering with the door module. I’ll let you know how it goes.

thanks again!

 

[voxel]

Hi, I've started to add sound dampening to the back trunk and the back seat. I'm happy with the result so far. It has reduced the dbs in the back for sure. I'd like to do the doors too. I've looked over the service manual and videos online. Putting the trim back should be fine. My fear is not being able to put the door module back properly and damaging the airbags or window operation. Have some of you done this and is it easy enough?

I know that the batteries should prevent noise but when tapping the surface it sounds hollow. It sounds solid now. The db before was 75 - 80 on roads and 80 - 85 on the freeway. My new readings are 54 - 58 on roads and 58 to 65 on the freeway at 65 MPH. I used a db app on my iPhone. I should have looked for a more professional one but I thought this would be sufficient enough. It has also improved the speaker sounds in the back.

Here are my before and after of the back seat. I did not take pics of the trunk but it's about the same.

Wow this is amazing. Your dB levels match mine as I find the Mach-E one of the louder EVs I’ve owned with highway levels closer to 80 whereas my BMW i4 is upper 60s.

So you’ve only added dampening to the back area and it has dropped dB levels that much? I always assumed there was noise leakage from the underside as I hear the air/road in my Mach-E floor but do not in my i4.

 

[Xadion]

Are there places that could do this for me or will they end up messing junk up like car stereo people.

I am always a bit cautious of taking door panels etc off as I don't want any rattle

 

[CAL465]

There could be. The trunk and under the back seat were easy to do. The size of the mats fit in a way I hardly had to cut or shape them.

I’d like to do the doors too. I’ll post pictures and instructions how I did it if I get the courage to do them.

Sponsored