Soundproofing options

[wxlidar]

Mooble,

Thanks for the comprehensive post. Any recommendations on reducing engine/transmission noise? Mainly the higher frequencies. Where to place the insulation and which type?

Thanks again.

[pgh]

I was told by my dealer that the biggest complaint about the current crop of Subarus and thinking the 2.5 or the 2.0 cvt is noise. According to Subaru the 13 OB has addressed some of the with the 2nd GEN CVT but he still gets complaints so I'm thinking maybe next gen for a quieter car. If you listen to the car running up on a lift it is really loud and makes you appreciate what Subaru has done. Most of the CVT and firewall already seems to have soundproofing on them

[Georgeh]

I agree, motor & wind noise are quite low. It's road noise that I find most objectionable in my 2013 3.6r.

In fact, I rode in the back seat for the first time yesterday, and the noise level was quite a bit higher than in the front. To the point it was hard to follow the conversation going on in the front seats. It sounded like most of the noise was coming from behind me, which is consistent with what several other people on this forum have said.

[dboz]

Lizard Skin is fast and easy and very good. You can even spray it on the exterior such as wheel wells and underbody. Good for sound and can also be had for heat insulation also.

[mooble]

Originally Posted by wxlidar

Mooble,

Thanks for the comprehensive post. Any recommendations on reducing engine/transmission noise? Mainly the higher frequencies. Where to place the insulation and which type?

Thanks again.

I haven't really looked at my Outback yet, so I don't know what is or is not possible. I've only had it a month so I'm not aiming to take it apart yet.

I would bet you could stuff quite a bit of insulation between the firewall and the back side of the dash, but Subaru seems to have done a good job of this already. Our engines are quite noisy, but you don't hear it from the cabin. Regardless, there is almost certainly room for a sheet of 1/2" cotton insulation back there. Just make sure it doesn't block the A/C unit.

As for the transmission, you would have to remove the carpets and the center console to install either cotton insulation or a mass-loaded product. I would expect a very significant drop in noise if you were to line the entire transmission tunnel with something like Dynamat Extremeliner. It's incredible at what it does because it contains a layer of lead sandwiched inside, but it is also expensive and heavy. For a while I toyed around with the idea of making my own Extremeliner, but getting your own sheets of lead is difficult.

FYI, right now you can get a whole sheet of Extremeliner on Ebay for $110 shipped. That's half the list price. Two 24" x 36" sheets of that should do the trick. I just haven't looked to see what's under the console so I don't know if it would fit. If I were doing my Prelude again, I would jump on that Extremeliner deal in a second.

Several years ago someone was selling rolls of the noise insulation they use on nuclear submarines. Unfortunately they wanted $6,000 for the lot or you'd be looking at the owner of one of the quietest cars in the country.

[denn888]

Originally Posted by mooble

I haven't really looked at my Outback yet, so I don't know what is or is not possible. I've only had it a month so I'm not aiming to take it apart yet.

I would bet you could stuff quite a bit of insulation between the firewall and the back side of the dash, but Subaru seems to have done a good job of this already. Our engines are quite noisy, but you don't hear it from the cabin. Regardless, there is almost certainly room for a sheet of 1/2" cotton insulation back there. Just make sure it doesn't block the A/C unit.

As for the transmission, you would have to remove the carpets and the center console to install either cotton insulation or a mass-loaded product. I would expect a very significant drop in noise if you were to line the entire transmission tunnel with something like Dynamat Extremeliner. It's incredible at what it does because it contains a layer of lead sandwiched inside, but it is also expensive and heavy. For a while I toyed around with the idea of making my own Extremeliner, but getting your own sheets of lead is difficult.

FYI, right now you can get a whole sheet of Extremeliner on Ebay for $110 shipped. That's half the list price. Two 24" x 36" sheets of that should do the trick. I just haven't looked to see what's under the console so I don't know if it would fit. If I were doing my Prelude again, I would jump on that Extremeliner deal in a second.

Several years ago someone was selling rolls of the noise insulation they use on nuclear submarines. Unfortunately they wanted $6,000 for the lot or you'd be looking at the owner of one of the quietest cars in the country.

Outback 2012 interior photo page

Hey Mooble, thanks for the info ! Theres pictures of an interior with panels removed, in the link above...

[bradze]

this thread and the other one thats the same that i found today make me feel a lot better. i thought i was the only one willing to go through the trouble of removing my interior panels just for a quieter ride.

[wxlidar]

I'll be keeping an eye on this thread. My CVT seems to be noisier than most so that is why I am interested in the insulation options. The local service manager said that the 2013 OB's have additional insulation on the CVT and inside to help with the noise. My first thought was to add the CVT insulating 'blanket' to my CVT but the 2013's have been updated and the blanket will not fit the older CVT's.

Originally Posted by mooble

I haven't really looked at my Outback yet, so I don't know what is or is not possible. I've only had it a month so I'm not aiming to take it apart yet.

I would bet you could stuff quite a bit of insulation between the firewall and the back side of the dash, but Subaru seems to have done a good job of this already. Our engines are quite noisy, but you don't hear it from the cabin. Regardless, there is almost certainly room for a sheet of 1/2" cotton insulation back there. Just make sure it doesn't block the A/C unit.

As for the transmission, you would have to remove the carpets and the center console to install either cotton insulation or a mass-loaded product. I would expect a very significant drop in noise if you were to line the entire transmission tunnel with something like Dynamat Extremeliner. It's incredible at what it does because it contains a layer of lead sandwiched inside, but it is also expensive and heavy. For a while I toyed around with the idea of making my own Extremeliner, but getting your own sheets of lead is difficult.

FYI, right now you can get a whole sheet of Extremeliner on Ebay for $110 shipped. That's half the list price. Two 24" x 36" sheets of that should do the trick. I just haven't looked to see what's under the console so I don't know if it would fit. If I were doing my Prelude again, I would jump on that Extremeliner deal in a second.

Several years ago someone was selling rolls of the noise insulation they use on nuclear submarines. Unfortunately they wanted $6,000 for the lot or you'd be looking at the owner of one of the quietest cars in the country.

[wxlidar]

Looking at the pictures in this post:

Headliner Removed

It appears that there is already a layer of cotton-type insulation between the center console and the transmission 'tunnel?'. There are also pictures of the headliner removed.

[tunces outback]

Originally Posted by bradze

this thread and the other one thats the same that i found today make me feel a lot better. i thought i was the only one willing to go through the trouble of removing my interior panels just for a quieter ride.

Next time your watching TV think about that dishwasher in the other room that's making all that racket. Just about drove me nuts till I put Dyna mat around it and 2 layers on the door. Now I can here you think from my house,should I let everyone know what your next project is ?