Low frequency 'boom' in cabin

[andyvee]

I have had my vrs estate for a week, it's a fantastic car but something is very, very wrong.

I have had trouble and pain with my ears affecting my balance ever since I received the car, when driving it, it feels like I have my fingers in my ears as the pressure just builds and builds, you can sense it. When you open the drivers side window I can feel the pressure in my right ear dropping! The air just isn't escaping from the cabin, I do not get the 'booms' people are talking about but has anyone else suffered this cabin pressure?

Log it as a fault with your dealer and with Skoda UK. The more that do, the more likely they are to fix it quickly.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

[Leonblue]

Pressure, noise, vibration, fuel flaps that pop open, puddle lights that stay on, door seals that seal the water in, notchy gear changes, poor handling, wiring issues, incorrect brochures, poorly fitted trim, paint defects and dealers that can't (or don't want to) diagnose faults. I'm lead to believe that Skodas reputation has improved since the days of the Estelle.

 

One or two issues then?

Edited 21 June, 2014 by Leonblue

[Daveinuk]

Pressure, noise, vibration, fuel flaps that pop open, puddle lights that stay on, door seals that seal the water in, notchy gear changes, poor handling, wiring issues, incorrect brochures, poorly fitted trim, paint defects and dealers that can't (or don't want to) diagnose faults. I'm lead to believe that Skodas reputation has improved since the days of the Estelle.

 

One or two issues then?

Standby for the What Car "Family Car of the Year" to be quickly consigned to a "Don't buy under any circumstances" category by this time next year! Ok, this is a little tongue in cheek pessimism, but past history shows that many "cars of the year" don't take too long to fall foul of the once euphoric motoring press, boom or no boom.

[Mr Grump]

The issue is not if there is a problem, but how its dealt with .... this is the area Skoda will lose is reputation over if they are not careful.

 

Personally, this noise is so particular to surface and roadspeed, it isn't a major concern for me as the rest of the car makes up for the "quirk". Others feel different, and for sure if there was a fix, I would have it done.

 

But there does seem to be a less than helpful response from SUK to various owners complaints which will undermine their good work in the past IMO.

[Leonblue]

Obviously my car does not have all of those 'optional extras'. VW group have obvious quality issues, they are not unique. It's also obvious that 4 MQB platform cars were released around the same time. IMO these cars must have been rushed and, although essentially a good design, problems exist because they were not thoroughly tested before release.

Edited 21 June, 2014 by Leonblue

[JungleJames]

Pressure, noise, vibration, fuel flaps that pop open, puddle lights that stay on, door seals that seal the water in, notchy gear changes, poor handling, wiring issues, incorrect brochures, poorly fitted trim, paint defects and dealers that can't (or don't want to) diagnose faults. I'm lead to believe that Skodas reputation has improved since the days of the Estelle.

 

One or two issues then?

Problem is, a lot of us dont have any problems.

OK the gear change isnt as slick as when the car was brand new, but its hardly a problem.

 

Perhaps Skoda are a bit like Ford. Make some very fine cars, but the poor quality control means that some right lemons are sometimes let out.

 

The pressure noises are obviously a major problem though.

[mikenippard]

I have had my vrs estate for a week, it's a fantastic car but something is very, very wrong.

I have had trouble and pain with my ears affecting my balance ever since I received the car, when driving it, it feels like I have my fingers in my ears as the pressure just builds and builds, you can sense it. When you open the drivers side window I can feel the pressure in my right ear dropping! The air just isn't escaping from the cabin, I do not get the 'booms' people are talking about but has anyone else suffered this cabin pressure?

I have had mine for two weeks and the pressure problem and ringing ears is still there. I have tried the rear door not fully latched and the problem goes away.

It seems to be something to do with how the rear door is closed. The noise only appears after the door has been opened an closed.

It seems to be set off by uneven surfaces. It is pretty inconsistent, I havent fathomed it out yet. It is really annoying.

[snala]

A friend and I tried this tonight to see if the air vent was actually working as on the version 2 its very noticeable that they are, 1 on each side. 
Open and close the right rear door quickly but without shutting it. Can you hear the air vent letting the air out on the drivers side rear bumper? On his mark II you can hear a click like the shutters are opening and its very easy to get it to do it. On the Mark III it's not a click but you should hear something pretty obvious venting. Mine seems to work with the air getting out of the cabin although we wondered if under forced pressure, like the hatch or door closing it is venting, but just under normal driving it isn't i.e. it sticks closed or has too high spring tension.....? Has anyone had the bumper or inside boot lining off to see how it works?

Opening the rear hatch on mine does stop the suspension thunder noise too incidently.

Edited 22 June, 2014 by snala

[Leonblue]

What about shutting everything and putting the air con fan on max? I would expect that to cause a constant air flow out of the vent as the fan puts positive pressures on the cabin? If there is no flow then that would give reason to think the vent is stuck as you suggest.

Edited 22 June, 2014 by Leonblue

[mikenippard]

A friend and I tried this tonight to see if the air vent was actually working as on the version 2 its very noticeable that they are, 1 on each side. 

Open and close the right rear door quickly but without shutting it. Can you hear the air vent letting the air out on the drivers side rear bumper? On his mark II you can hear a click like the shutters are opening and its very easy to get it to do it. On the Mark III it's not a click but you should hear something pretty obvious venting. Mine seems to work with the air getting out of the cabin although we wondered if under forced pressure, like the hatch or door closing it is venting, but just under normal driving it isn't i.e. it sticks closed or has too high spring tension.....? Has anyone had the bumper or inside boot lining off to see how it works?

Opening the rear hatch on mine does stop the suspension thunder noise too incidently.

see http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/294540-low-frequency-boom-in-cabin/page-9#entry3797960 shows the pictures of the vents

It appears the estate only has one vent, on the drivers side

I just tried closing all four side doors and could hear the flap opening for each

I could not hear the flap opening when closing the rear door.

[snala]

see http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/294540-low-frequency-boom-in-cabin/page-9#entry3797960 shows the pictures of the vents

It appears the estate only has one vent, on the drivers side

I just tried closing all four side doors and could hear the flap opening for each

I could not hear the flap opening when closing the rear door.

 

Yes the Gen III only has 1 vent on the drivers side. I can only hear the air coming out of that side. I can't hear it opening when slamming the hatch either because its too much of a noise and if you try and close it to get the noise the size of it probably lets air escape around the edge so not as easy to hear as the door method. 

As leonblue said that it might be worth a try to see if we can feel air coming out while the car is stopped but all closed up with the fan on max, see if it's coming out of the vent too? If not then hello theres the problem!

 

if so then maybe as the cars age or the more you open and shut the doors boot etc with all the windows clsoed the stickiness goes away on the problem ones hence Skoda ignoring this and others saying they have no problem etc.

But you'd think skoda would easily be able to identify this without us having to do all this. I mean could be as easy as UD40 the shutter or mechanism etc just the like the sticky door handles when new problem.

Edited 23 June, 2014 by snala

[Mr Grump]

As the sound is only occurring at particular road speed and road surfaces, might it even be due to the vent letting air/sound in rather than not letting it out ... ?

[ski1]

As the sound is only occurring at particular road speed and road surfaces, might it even be due to the vent letting air/sound in rather than not letting it out ... ?

I think that booming noise is not due to air vents or air pressure, because even if you open windows you still have this annoying booming noise and pressure in your ears. With opened windowns plenty of air can go out od the car.

[snala]

I think that booming noise is not due to air vents or air pressure, because even if you open windows you still have this annoying booming noise and pressure in your ears. With opened windowns plenty of air can go out od the car.

Yep, but why when we drive with the hatch on the latch, so slightly open, instead of the window being open why does it go away and the car sounds great like any other car?

If it happens on some cars and not others it has to be something variable between all the cars that is different. If it isn't pressure related then its the door causing it so how is the door set up varying? I've tried every variation on the rubber stoppers, and the ones on the side of the hatch and that makes no difference. I've tried padding the door surround etc but there is no way you can stop the hatch moving when shut. Even when its hard to close once you have it shut you can still push on it and get it to move so if its the hatch moving against the body on certain bumps and therefore moving the air inside then we are stuffed cause nothing will stop that short of the vent letting it out if so.

Edited 23 June, 2014 by snala

[BarnabyJones]

Do you have sport or normal suspension?

 

 

I have a 3 week old TSi SE 1.4 like yours. I too have experienced this low frequency boom. I put it down to the "cheaper" rear suspension as opposed to the one available on the VRS. Is it torsion beams as opposed to independent rear suspension (I am no mechanic!). I seemed to remember picking this up on reviews I have listened to on You Tube. Wouldn't have thought it would be the Michelin Energy tyres. I am getting winter tyres fitted on Thursday and can report back after then to see if still as bad on these tyres.

 

 

Hello

 

My name is Barnaby and I work for What Car? magazine in the UK. I currently drive an Octavia (Mk3) 2.0 TDI 150 SE hatchback, but have also driven the car with a 1.2-litre petrol engine and a 1.6 diesel. Sadly, I've noticed this low-frequency boom on all these Octavias, and the general consensus here in the What Car? office is that it's suspension noise.

 

I've also driven a vRS and a 4x4 Estate (these are the only Octavias with more sophisticated independent rear suspension than torsion beams) and they didn’t make this noise, so I'm sure the noise is the suspension working as the car drives along.

 

If any of you get a useful answer from your dealer, or if any of your cars have a mechanical problem that is subsequently fixed, please let me know. You can email me at [email protected].

 

Many thanks

 

Barnaby

[Mr Grump]

Hi Barnaby ... no it exist on all Octavia 3 models regardless of suspension type, suspension has been ruled out on other forums as some have had it replaced.

[JungleJames]

Hello

 

My name is Barnaby and I work for What Car? magazine in the UK. I currently drive an Octavia (Mk3) 2.0 TDI 150 SE hatchback, but have also driven the car with a 1.2-litre petrol engine and a 1.6 diesel. Sadly, I've noticed this low-frequency boom on all these Octavias, and the general consensus here in the What Car? office is that it's suspension noise.

 

I've also driven a vRS and a 4x4 Estate (these are the only Octavias with more sophisticated independent rear suspension than torsion beams) and they didn’t make this noise, so I'm sure the noise is the suspension working as the car drives along.

 

If any of you get a useful answer from your dealer, or if any of your cars have a mechanical problem that is subsequently fixed, please let me know. You can email me at [email protected].

 

Many thanks

 

Barnaby

As mentioned, type of car/ suspension/ engine etc etc makes no difference. It however isnt on all cars. Some hatches have it, some dont, some estates have it, some dont, some vRSs have it, some dont.

Thankfully i dont have it, but it is proving very annoying for those that do, as Skoda seemingly want to wash their hands of it, and it is proving difficult to track down the cause.

[ski1]

I think that all Octavia's have problem, only someone is less sensitive comparing to others to this annoying noise. I tried two hatch 2.0tdi and one estate 1.8 tsi and all have that annoying noise from the back of the car. I would be very happy that some have this problem and some not, because than it would be very easy to diagnose problem and to find solution. I think that problem is in construction of rear suspension or in shock absorbres. Did some of you changed shock absorbes and fix problem?

Edited 25 June, 2014 by ski1

[Leonblue]

I think that all Octavia's have problem, only someone is less sensitive comparing to others to this annoying noise. I tried two hatch 2.0tdi and one estate 1.8 tsi and all have that annoying noise from the back of the car. I would be very happy that some have this problem and some not, because than it would be very easy to diagnose problem and to find solution. I think that problem is in construction of rear suspension or in shock absorbres. Did some of you changed shock absorbes and fix problem?

No my shocks have not been replaced. No noise from the rear during normal driving. Others have said that using shock absorbers from a different batch code has cured the problem. 

Edited 25 June, 2014 by Leonblue

[Svedenblad]

Never noticed any strange noices from my VRS until yesterday when moving quite heavy things to my new house, fully loaded estate and I get a sound almost like driving on the warningstipes (don't know if you have the roadmarks that makes noises at the sides of the motorway lane where you live though). Its alot lower than the sound you get by driving on them but annoyed the hell out of me.

 

Unloaded the car and the noise is gone.

[ski1]

On SkodaCommunity.de they are saying that Skoda is aware of problem and that all new cars producted from week 28 will have new modified shock absorbes. That is little stupid, because if Skoda is aware of problem why they are still producing cars with faulty shocks till production week 28 (07.07.2014.)?

[Mr Grump]

Yes but several people on the German forums had the shocks changed and still had the issue .... I would be very surprised if it was shocks at fault.

[toni8b]

On SkodaCommunity.de they are saying that Skoda is aware of problem and that all new cars producted from week 28 will have new modified shock absorbes. That is little stupid, because if Skoda is aware of problem why they are still producing cars with faulty shocks till production week 28 (07.07.2014.)?

 

Even better, will they be a replacement from the dealers on already built models?

[BarnabyJones]

As mentioned, type of car/ suspension/ engine etc etc makes no difference. It however isnt on all cars. Some hatches have it, some dont, some estates have it, some dont, some vRSs have it, some dont.

Thankfully i dont have it, but it is proving very annoying for those that do, as Skoda seemingly want to wash their hands of it, and it is proving difficult to track down the cause.

 

 

Hi Barnaby ... no it exist on all Octavia 3 models regardless of suspension type, suspension has been ruled out on other forums as some have had it replaced.

 

Thank you for your replies.

 

It sounds like the noise in my Octavia – and those in other Octavias I've driven – isn't the same as the one many of you are hearing. The one in mine is a muffled background rumble, rather than the air-resonating noise that you describe. 

 

From what you say, it sounds like some cars have a specific issue that causes this noise. You're right, though, the best way to get a solution is to register it with your Skoda dealer and ensure that they feed these complaints back to Skoda HQ. If enough people do this, Skoda *should* investigate...

 

Keep the posts coming, and I'm sorry to hear that so many people are being annoyed by this mysterious sound.

 

Barnaby

[baspri]

Hi everybody,

 

I wrote at the begining of this topic about the low frequency sound in the Octavia 3 model.

I'm sure that the sound is present in every car, but not everyone is sensitive to the noise. My wife for example doesn't noticed it at all. And I think is due to the resonance of the whole car and it will be present in a certain degree even with new dumpers.

Because of this, in my opinion Skoda will never provide a solution for this issue. If only 10% of the users are affected by this sound, is not enough for Skoda to take any action.

I tried a few solutions to get rid of the sound, the final one was to sell the car because for me the sound was unbearable.

Good luck with your cars!