[rjjy]

Howdy. I have a 2012 F30 328i 4-door Sport. As with all things BMW the cabin is prettt comfy and quiet. However I’d like to improve the quietness even further. Specifically the wind and road noise at highway speeds. From searching I believe this comes down to mostly the doors - trim seals and possibly sound deadening material in the door panel.

My question is is that correct - the best place to start is doors? It *seems* like general road noise comes through the floor, but that feels like a Herculean task to remove everything and sound deaden the floors.

Any tips or specific products to buy would help my research.

[Billfitz]

Get this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's better, yet less expensive, than most products of this type. Line everything you can. In the doors you don't need to put it on the outside sheet metal, adding it under the door liners will do. Line the floor with it completely, which requires pulling the carpet. It is a major job, but that's the only way you'll get a significant noise reduction.

[rjjy]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

Get this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's better, yet less expensive, than most products of this type. Line everything you can. In the doors you don't need to put it on the outside sheet metal, adding it under the door liners will do. Line the floor with it completely, which requires pulling the carpet. It is a major job, but that's the only way you'll get a significant noise reduction.

I actually have that exact product. Ha. Used it for another project.

1) How painfully is pulling up the carpet? Honestly that sounds horrific.
2) I *think* wind noise is my biggest issue. Is there an aftermarket door sealing product to make it super sealed?

[Billfitz]

Pulling the carpet is a big enough PITA that I wouldn't bother with it personally, but for maximum road noise reduction that's the way to get it. If you go all out you'd pull the head liner to coat the roof with mastic as well. I don't know if there are add-on solutions for wind noise, but one thing to check is if the doors close fully. If you can press them tighter you might be able to adjust the lock/striker for a tighter fit. Road and wind noise are different, road/tire noise is low frequency, wind noise is high frequency. The former is lessened by adding mass to the sheet metal, the later by eliminating leaks.

[floydarogers]

Although you may think that the doors are the place to start, IMO that's not it. They're already triple sealed (at least at the leading edge and top); you're not going to substantially improve that seal.

Now, the mirror generates quite a bit of wind noise; could look at getting different caps, or smaller M3/M4 mirrors.

The greatest noise generator is tires - drop down from the big-block summer tires to a heavily siped all-season.

There is one easy win: hood insulation. Not sure about F3x, but one big "cheap-sizing" that BMW did was to eliminate the hood insulation in the E9x era. My wife's F30 is a 328d, and the diesels all have hood insulation, and some other additional stuff. Look for where the 328d has different part #s and replace the insulation with that; probably help.

[rjjy]

Apparently some F30's have 4 missing "sound isolation" pieces in their doors. I checked and mine is missing them. They are strips of rubber that go on the leading edge of the door, between the door and the body, to keep wind from even getting in. http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1265312

I'm going to add all 4 of those and see how much that helps. They are cheap and easy apparently. It's quite confusing, so I could use some validating, but it looks like the same part for front and back?

Front, Part #2 here (on M3): http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...36#51487301069
Rear, Part #12 here: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...70#51487301069

Right parts? Where do we buy?

[Billfitz]

My hood is insulated, and it's very effective. The first time I ran the engine with the hood open I almost freaked at the noise coming from the turbo, it sounded like a badly tuned lawnmower. As soon as I closed the hood I could barely hear it, and inside the car couldn't hear it at all.

[rjjy]

Originally Posted by floydarogers

Look for where the 328d has different part #s and replace the insulation with that; probably help.

Originally Posted by Billfitz

My hood is insulated, and it's very effective.

But according to this, 328i and 328d have the same hood insulation. I did happen to notice the 335dX adds parts #23 and #24, both are sound insulation for the a/c & heating units.

328i: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...69#51487221993
328d: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...69#51487221993
335dX: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...69#51487221993

What am I missing? Seems 328i already has the same hood insulation.

[floydarogers]

Originally Posted by rjjy

But according to this, 328i and 328d have the same hood insulation. ...
What am I missing? Seems 328i already has the same hood insulation.

Apparently nothing - maybe only an E9x thing. Probably BMW added back in the sound insulation for the hood for the F3x - lots of people noted that the direct injection N20/N26 could be as loud as a diesel. BMW got a lot of negative feedback on some of their "cost savings" in the E9x era.

[eluded]

This works great for cockpit quietness for two or four wheel BMWs. [IMG]https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....rL._SX355_.jpg[/IMG]

[rjjy]

Originally Posted by rjjy

Front, Part #2 here (on M3): http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...36#51487301069
Rear, Part #12 here: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...70#51487301069

Could someone validate that 2012 328i would have the exact SAME "extra" door seal on the front AND rear doors? That seems so fishy to me.

[FaRKle!]

I found Second Skin Audio's luxury liner pro in the doors to be well worth it.

[rjjy]

Originally Posted by FaRKle!

I found Second Skin Audio's luxury liner pro in the doors to be well worth it.

Interesting! What area(s) in each door did you cover?

[FaRKle!]

Originally Posted by rjjy

Interesting! What area(s) in each door did you cover?

The first thing I actually did was put dynamat a ton of places on the doors. That really didn't do anything appreciable. I think I could've achieved pretty much the same results with just luxury liner pro.

For the luxury liner pro I used hook and loop tape on the door frame on the ridge below the window opening to mount/hold the luxury liner pro up. I essentially made the luxury liner pro pieces as large as the entire door card itself, and then cut holes in it for the door card mounts, wires, and speakers that needed to get through. I also made some relief cuts to allow the material to flex more where needed.

[IK6SPEED]

Originally Posted by rjjy

But according to this, 328i and 328d have the same hood insulation. I did happen to notice the 335dX adds parts #23 and #24, both are sound insulation for the a/c & heating units.

328i: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...69#51487221993
328d: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...69#51487221993
335dX: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...69#51487221993

What am I missing? Seems 328i already has the same hood insulation.

What you are missing is part 23 and 24 are for RHD cars only.

Originally Posted by rjjy

Could someone validate that 2012 328i would have the exact SAME "extra" door seal on the front AND rear doors? That seems so fishy to me.

They have the same interior door handle trim, so why are you shocked they reuse the same part for a seal?

Less parts better for their Inventory Management. That’s why they try to reuse as many parts as possible for different models.

As you are no doubt aware, Realoem does NOT show them as a valid part number on your 2012 front doors, only your rear doors.

[John in VA]

Originally Posted by rjjy

Front, Part #2 here (on M3): http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...36#51487301069
Rear, Part #12 here: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...70#51487301069

Right parts? Where do we buy?

I was aware of the front door parts, but this is the first I'm seeing that they could work on the back doors. Same part numbers. I've mean to get a pair - could then check fit front & rear. ~$20 each from dealers with internet discount sales, ECSTuning, etc.

[Tavicu]

Originally Posted by IK6SPEED

Realoem does NOT show them as a valid part number on your 2012 front doors, only your rear doors.

I have a 10/2013 F31 318D and the same is for me. On Realoem they are not valid for front doors.

Today when i checked the car i've seen that i have them installed on the front doors

Hope that helps someone!

[wilbur_the_goose]

Turn off Active Sound Design (ASD).

[IAmATeaf]

What does does the hood insulation look like, I’m sure my f30 doesn’t have it?

[Billfitz]

What it doesn't look like is sheet metal.

[IK6SPEED]

Originally Posted by Tavicu

I have a 10/2013 F31 318D and the same is for me. On Realoem they are not valid for front doors.

Today when i checked the car i've seen that i have them installed on the front doors

Hope that helps someone!

I used the USA build as the OP is in the USA.

There could easily be differences in models that are not for USA.

[IAmATeaf]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

What it doesn't look like is sheet metal.

Lol was hoping for a quick pic, did a quick google but didn’t see anything.