Thanks for the suggestion but I'm not sure that would help seeing as the wheels must be nigh on identical to one another?

Does any one know if the DCC (dynamic chassis control) can be retrofitted?  I am going to try different tyres first, but wonder if I should change the shock absorbers to something a little softer on back - any suggestions?

 

I doubt it. Retrofits arent easy these days. Lots of component protection fitted by VW to stop this.

I'd try 17" tyres with quietest db you can find.

Beyond that soundproof under the boot floor and over the rear arches.

Got a second spare tyre 205/55/16 and going to fit this and the OE spare (same profile) onto the rear axle this weekend - hoping it will mitigate the cabin shudder noise... Will report my findings.

I tried the spare tyres on the rear and whilst they made the ride a little more compliant, they didn't much alleviate the cabin boom/pressure feeling in my ears so I doubt a full set would fix the problem either and these were 16" wheels.  I have a fair amount of silent coat sound deadening materials in the boot and spare wheel well, this made no perceptible difference and that I believe is because its about the chassis vibrating and compressing the air. I also checked for suspension transport chocks in the front suspension struts under the dust boots but nothing there dammit (was hopeful).  I've kinda run out of ideas.  Any other suggestions at this stage?

No ideas but I have the same noises. More apparent in 2 cylinder mode.

Can I ask, what size and make of tyres do you have - what's the profile?

Mine are 17" Pirellis.

I have a SE-L 1.4 ACT DSG hatch with no noise on 18" wheels

Jeehi, what brand of tyres do you have on your S3?

Nothing to add.. But after a 1000 miles plus trip from UK to france > Belgium > Holland and a bit of mileage in Germany my noisy conti tyres are due to the road surfaces in the UK.. The car was so much quieter over there at speed. The tarmac is so much smoother I found from Belgium onwards.

Took delivery of a 2.0 TSI L&K today and think I have the same problem. After just 30 miles my ears are hurting.

 

Test drove a 2.0 diesel which seemed fine but after watching Autogefuhl videos where the petrol was praised for its quietness I chose that.

 

Tried the differing suspension settings but to no avail. Maybe it's the tyres. Before the Superb owned a 14 year old Camry which had a few rattles, but

on a smooth road was far quieter then the Superb.

 

Love rest of the car but the noise is so annoying.

It's possible it's the vents in the back corners of the boot either not opening or not closing properly. If you're sitting in the car and someone closes a door or especially the boot suddenly and the vents are sealed you'll feel a strong pressure pulse in your ears. If they're working as normal you will also hear them closing a split second after a door/boot has been closed (Noticeable in my Octy II and Superb II anyway).

 

If they're stuck open all the time then the aerodynamics of the car at speed is likely to create the same effect as having a window slightly open, which sounds a lot like what you're experiencing. That's what I'd go checking at this point anyway as it seems to fit the symptoms pretty well. Hopefully something is stuck in one of the vents and it's an easy fix.

Took delivery of a 2.0 TSI L&K today and think I have the same problem. After just 30 miles my ears are hurting.

 

Test drove a 2.0 diesel which seemed fine but after watching Autogefuhl videos where the petrol was praised for its quietness I chose that.

 

Tried the differing suspension settings but to no avail. Maybe it's the tyres. Before the Superb owned a 14 year old Camry which had a few rattles, but

on a smooth road was far quieter then the Superb.

 

Love rest of the car but the noise is so annoying.

 

That's weird Columbo ... I don't have it unless I only have one window down of course.... Is your car running on P7's ?

Maybe its a medical issue with people's ears, they get tinnitus also.

Maybe it's worth getting their ears syringed?

It's possible it's the vents in the back corners of the boot either not opening or not closing properly.

 

I am curious where these are actually located.

 

I have a MkII for now and ask, are they in the same place as on the current model ?

 

I'd like to check mine ( if I have them ). Are they visible ? In the sides or on the floor ? Where ?

It's possible it's the vents in the back corners of the boot either not opening or not closing properly. If you're sitting in the car and someone closes a door or especially the boot suddenly and the vents are sealed you'll feel a strong pressure pulse in your ears. If they're working as normal you will also hear them closing a split second after a door/boot has been closed (Noticeable in my Octy II and Superb II anyway).

 

If they're stuck open all the time then the aerodynamics of the car at speed is likely to create the same effect as having a window slightly open, which sounds a lot like what you're experiencing. That's what I'd go checking at this point anyway as it seems to fit the symptoms pretty well. Hopefully something is stuck in one of the vents and it's an easy fix.

 

Thanks psycholist. Had a look in boot but can't find any vents. When you say 'back corner' is this the bumper end of the boot?

That's weird Columbo ... I don't have it unless I only have one window down of course.... Is your car running on P7's ?

 

Yes. 235/45 18" P7's. The 18" wheels don't help but I think it's something else other than that.

On the Octy II the bumper has to come off to get to them (I found this while fitting a towbar to it). They're not as easy to get to from inside the boot. If the Octy II is any guide taking the bumper off is easy enough, but it takes time as you nearly have to strip the whole back of the car to bare bodywork - the boot lining and even the lights have to come off to get at some of the bumper bolts. I plan to go at the vents in my Superb II soon as I suspect they might be allowing water into the boot in very heavy rain, and it looks like the story with access is the same there. I expect not much has changed with the Superb III - they just made everything a little bit nicer .

On the Octy II the bumper has to come off to get to them (I found this while fitting a towbar to it). They're not as easy to get to from inside the boot. If the Octy II is any guide taking the bumper off is easy enough, but it takes time as you nearly have to strip the whole back of the car to bare bodywork - the boot lining and even the lights have to come off to get at some of the bumper bolts. I plan to go at the vents in my Superb II soon as I suspect they might be allowing water into the boot in very heavy rain, and it looks like the story with access is the same there. I expect not much has changed with the Superb III - they just made everything a little bit nicer .

Thanks psycholist.

 

Sadly, a little beyond my capabilities. I'll ask the dealer to have a look.

Hi Columbo,

Interesting you have the same problem.  UPDATE: I persisted with my S3 hoping that the low frequency noise would subside as the car bedded in or that my ears would get used to it and calm down.  I'm sad to reveal that I still have the same problems.  My ears are ringing still and I am convinced its the car.  Changing to 17" wheels made the ride smoother but doesn't stop the car making the noises.  I'm disappointed to hear that in spite of you having the dynamic chassis control option this doesn't alleviate the symptoms.  I think that some people are simply sensitive to the noise (which I believe to be kind of infra-sonic sound about 10-15Hz maybe) below what is recognised as audible to humans.  Some of us can hear it and most others don't and it physically hurts when it's bad - usually when going over pot-holes or expansion joints in the road.

 

I heard about the vent idea by reading the Octy3 thread which follows similar lines (though most seemed to blame the hatchback on that thread).  It seems from Psycholist's description that my vents are working OK though, as I think I can hear them open and close when I open a shut the driver's door whilst standing outside the car.  Also, it doesn't seem to help if the windows are open a little (to compensate for a jammed vent).  It only helps when all the windows are wide open then the sound/pressure waves seem to go away (though clearly not practical to drive at most speeds with all windows open!).  I also noticed that on a recent family holiday to Scotland when the boot was completely stuffed to the gills (I had to force the boot shut) that seemed to reduce the earache too.

 

I am starting to believe more strongly that the noise is caused by cabin shudder due to slight twisting of the whole chassis (MQB issue?) resonating in the car at low or below audio frequencies - possibly exaggerated by the shape and large volume of the car (like a bass tube if you will) and this causes a peak (resonance) at a low frequency that most people cannot perceive at all and that my ears really don't like and hence the tinnitus...

 

Really not sure of the answer, save stuffing the boot full with cotton wool or something - also not practical in long run really.  What's the point of having a car with a giant boot if it's always full of packing materials?

 

On the verge of listing my car on autotrader.  Anyone interested?  5500 miles at the moment.

 

s4lty

s4lty Out of interest have you tried putting all 4 windows down about 3 or 4 inches. If not give it a go. If I go above a certain speed with just the drivers window open I get a low frequency buffet that is painful. My previous 2 Octavias had it as well. I just made sure I cracked the drivers side window and that equalised the pressure and stopped the booming. 

 

If nothing else it would prove or disprove the pressure theory.  

Thanks Nick, sorry but it is not the old cabin boom problem with one window - that's normal for most cars.  This noise occurs when all windows are shut and that is the main problem!  Only alleviated with all windows wide open - which is not generally practical :-(  This issue is far more subtle and complex than that old one...

Sorry :-( that's a weird one. Sorry id not read your post properly doh !

Hi Columbo,

Interesting you have the same problem.  UPDATE: I persisted with my S3 hoping that the low frequency noise would subside as the car bedded in or that my ears would get used to it and calm down.  I'm sad to reveal that I still have the same problems.  My ears are ringing still and I am convinced its the car.  Changing to 17" wheels made the ride smoother but doesn't stop the car making the noises.  I'm disappointed to hear that in spite of you having the dynamic chassis control option this doesn't alleviate the symptoms.  I think that some people are simply sensitive to the noise (which I believe to be kind of infra-sonic sound about 10-15Hz maybe) below what is recognised as audible to humans.  Some of us can hear it and most others don't and it physically hurts when it's bad - usually when going over pot-holes or expansion joints in the road.

 

I heard about the vent idea by reading the Octy3 thread which follows similar lines (though most seemed to blame the hatchback on that thread).  It seems from Psycholist's description that my vents are working OK though, as I think I can hear them open and close when I open a shut the driver's door whilst standing outside the car.  Also, it doesn't seem to help if the windows are open a little (to compensate for a jammed vent).  It only helps when all the windows are wide open then the sound/pressure waves seem to go away (though clearly not practical to drive at most speeds with all windows open!).  I also noticed that on a recent family holiday to Scotland when the boot was completely stuffed to the gills (I had to force the boot shut) that seemed to reduce the earache too.

 

I am starting to believe more strongly that the noise is caused by cabin shudder due to slight twisting of the whole chassis (MQB issue?) resonating in the car at low or below audio frequencies - possibly exaggerated by the shape and large volume of the car (like a bass tube if you will) and this causes a peak (resonance) at a low frequency that most people cannot perceive at all and that my ears really don't like and hence the tinnitus...

 

Really not sure of the answer, save stuffing the boot full with cotton wool or something - also not practical in long run really.  What's the point of having a car with a giant boot if it's always full of packing materials?

 

On the verge of listing my car on autotrader.  Anyone interested?  5500 miles at the moment.

 

s4lty

 

Hi s4lty, sorry you're still having problems. Certainly some pressure issue involved, similar to when you go up a mountain. Tyres obviously contributing to much of the noise, if only I could turn the clock back I'd never have got 18" wheels. Like you the ride is firmer than expected. One reason I bought the Superb was the Autodefuhl review which raved about the cars silence and even compared the ride to a car fitted with air suspension!

 

Suffice to say I shall treat all future reviews with a huge dose of scepticism. Shame because the rest of the car is brilliant.