The Random / "Stupid" Questions Thread

[Mk6Autobahn]

Has anyone done any soundproofing in their car? I'm trying to find a way to get rid of a lot of the plastic rattles on my car so I can hear the actual broken parts making noise. I was thinking of pulling them off and putting some kind of foam behind them to prevent the rattling. Anyone done something like this?

I had my hatch apart for some trim fixing. While off I used some high quality soundproofing stuff my dad had leftover. It applied alright and I only used a little bit (isolated to small parts of the hatch) but it wasn’t terribly hard. Just really time consuming. I used two different types of soundproofing, one was a thin foam thing for high frequency if I remember correctly and then a thicker foam piece for lower frequency. I can double check in an hour

Edit: it’s from a brand called Noico.
I apologize if the pics are garbage, I’m on mobile.
Thicker stuff:

Thin stuff:

Only other thing required is a tennis ball to roll it or something similar. Usually you apply the thin stuff first then the thicker foam. It’s supposed to be one of the top brands for this kind of stuff and when you apply in large amounts it works really well. Keep in mind the weight adds up though, this stuff isn’t light. My dad did his entire trunk interior and trunk lid on his Acura, sounds solid as a rock now.

 

[smanierre]

That looks exactly like what i'll want. I'll probably need the thinner stuff mainly to take up the space the plastic has to move which is causing the rattling. Definitely gonna get some thicker stuff also and probably line the trunk with it while I have everything out of there soon. Thanks

 

[Joe_Mama]

I would just fix whatever is loose that is rattling rather than stuff heavy sound deadening material into the hatch.

 

[Mk6Autobahn]

That looks exactly like what i'll want. I'll probably need the thinner stuff mainly to take up the space the plastic has to move which is causing the rattling. Definitely gonna get some thicker stuff also and probably line the trunk with it while I have everything out of there soon. Thanks

Just triple check the fitment before you apply and go slow, that black adhesive they have is aggressive and you probably will never get it off the car once it grabs on. My dad also looked into the expanding foam stuff but tons of people mentioned moisture being trapped and creating mold/rust so I’d advise against it.

I would just fix whatever is loose that is rattling rather than stuff heavy sound deadening material into the hatch.

I mean, it sounds like it might be the solution to what he’s specifically looking for: to fill a void. An entire box weighs maybe 20lbs, small bits should have a negligible weight impact. Plus it can be really thin. For foam, it is heavy though.

 

[Joe_Mama]

Just an odd choice to tackle interior plastic rattles.

 

[brat_burner]

My car doesn't really have any rattles in the interior, just the creak in the driver seat that I haven't messed with. I probably wouldn't fix them anyway unless they were really bad. At there dealer we had a noise kit with various lubes depending on what the material was. Also, a lot of felt tape. Maybe a chunk of foam every now and then.

 

[Mk6Autobahn]

Sound deadening is definitely not the cheapest approach to this. In fact, it’s probably the most expensive way, but I’ve had situations where something such as Noico worked perfectly, especially for larger areas. It all depends, to be honest.

 

[Joe_Mama]

If you have the material for free at hand like you did then I kinda understand it but otherwise seems like overkill to me. Like what if you go in there ready to apply foam or whatever and it turns out you just have a broken tab?

To me, sound deadening material in a car is placed there to insulate the driver from outside cabin noises such as engine, tire or exhaust. If your problem is interior rattles I will always suggest actually tracking down the source of the rattle rather than trying to mask it

 

[Mk6Autobahn]

If you have the material for free at hand like you did then I kinda understand it but otherwise seems like overkill to me. Like what if you go in there ready to apply foam or whatever and it turns out you just have a broken tab?

To me, sound deadening material in a car is placed there to insulate the driver from outside cabin noises such as engine, tire or exhaust. If your problem is interior rattles I will always suggest actually tracking down the source of the rattle rather than trying to mask it

I agree completely. Also worth noting; sound (upgraded subs) and extreme heat cycles (Southern summers) can also give you rattles/vibrations in trim you’ve never touched that is perfect. Sound deadening works great for that. It really depends, we don’t know the condition or history of the car

 

[GolNat]

I was going to use that Noico stuff in my hatch area. Its a popular mod for Honda Fits and I think the GTI could use some insulation back there. Makes stereo sound better, exhaust and just overall reduced road noise. Yeah if you have a rattle fix the rattle but if you want to improve overall road noise and increase music quality it’s a solid choice.

 

[uglybastard]

but if its insulated how are you going to hear the BWAAAAAAAAA

 

[brat_burner]

but if its insulated how are you going to hear the BWAAAAAAAAA

Add another soundaktor

 

[uglybastard]

Add another soundaktor

I'll donate mine.

 

[smanierre]

I want to put sound deadening in the hatch just to try and mask a bit of the exhaust noise. As for the plastic rattles, I just need something to fill to void so if there is a cheaper/lighter option i'll just go with that. I had a sub in there the past 2 years and it gets pretty hot in the summer here. Also all solid mounts and a smfw really puts a lot of vibrations into the cabin which I think is the cause of most of it.

 

[gijoewoz]

Has anyone done any soundproofing in their car? I'm trying to find a way to get rid of a lot of the plastic rattles on my car so I can hear the actual broken parts making noise. I was thinking of pulling them off and putting some kind of foam behind them to prevent the rattling. Anyone done something like this?

I've disassembled pretty much every piece of the interior, I can help you with sound deadening. I have a bunch of photos, but I don't typically document my work, so they may not be useful.

Also, I build SQ car stereos, so I know most of the science behind sound deadening, and acoustics. I can keep you from wasting your time on things that won't help, and point you toward what will help.

I would suggest starting a new thread that way I can dump my knowledge there to make it easier for people searching the internet to find what they need.

I started this recently, just to give you an idea of the level I've taken the car down to.
https://www.golfmk6.com/forums/index.php?threads/sunglass-holder-rattle-fix.374927/