Road noise

[dcdick]

Hi all.

First post here.
Mine is a 1.4 tsi SE with Dunlop "fast response" tyres on standard Atlanta rims.
Road noise is very intrusive above 25mph or so & very, very sensitive to road surfaces. (NE England, most road surfaces crap with loads of potholes & poor quality repaired holes).
So far around 500 miles but noise is still the same as on delivery.
There is 2 parts to the noise,
1, obvious tyre noise
2, a sound like someone blowing across a bottle top

The rest of the car is very quiet which only makes the road noise more apparent.
Been back to the dealer, the tech says "not out of the normal" but does hear the noise.

The MK IV I chopped in with 60k on the clock was quieter over the same roads as well as my daughters mk5 1.4.

I test drove a diesel SE when buying this & it seemed fine noise wise.

Anybody else got this problem ?

I've agreed with the dealer to give the car a "few more miles" but am starting to get anoyed with this noise on a 17k car.

Dunlop tyres have a reputation for "issues" in the past, can it really just be the tyres ?

Cheers

****

[johnloaderuk]

Could the "bottle top" noise be the drone of the tryes at various speeds ?. Does the noise go up and down with a change of speed.
I'd try to find the smoothest road surface you can and try it there. New tyres are usually fairly quiet and become noisy with odd or uneven wear, but some make and tread patterns are just noisier.
Hopefully someone else on here may have the same tyres and can give their opinion.

They get a pretty good rating here for noise http://www.tyretest.com/pkw_sommerre...nse/index.html

This noise test also lists them as being 4th quiteset out of 16, so should be pretty quiet.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/product...162/noise.html

[p3asa]

It certainly sounds like tyre drone as opposed to the door seals not fitting snuggly.
I think tyre noise is very subjective and what is noisy for one person is quiet for others so I personally wouldn't put too much faith in to tests.

I have bridgestone's on mine and some folk slate them for noise yet I couldn't be happier with them.

The quickest way to rule out your tyres would be to swap the wheels for your daughters Mk 5. It would be a bit of hassle but you could then see if her tyre/wheel combination was quieter on your car and if hers got noisier with your tyres on them.

[dcdick]

Thanks John & P3

The car is almost silent on decent surfaces up to around 15-20mph, then the "bottle/droning" becomes apparent along with road noise dependant on road surface/ speed.

If this was a 250hp GTI the road noise would be perfectly alright as a trade off for the stiffer suspension & performance.

Don't know if it's relevant but the hatch seems very "flimsy" compared to my previous models when closing although doesn't seem to "squeak/rattle" etc....

Swapping the wheels will indeed show any differences but is a hassle & I think a job for the dealer who's job it is to address my concerns about this noise.
Noise is of course subjective & my wife thinks I'm being "picky"

Hoping somebody on here has the same tyre/car spec, would be interesting to hear their opinion

As the new tyres wear the noise 'aint going to get any better so I'm hoping that I can get something done about the "drone"

This noise spoils a very good car for me, so I think it's time to go to the dealers & drive a few demonstators to try & see if it really is the Dunlop/Alanta combination.

Thanks

****.

[HHGTTG]

Thanks John & P3

The car is almost silent on decent surfaces up to around 15-20mph, then the "bottle/droning" becomes apparent along with road noise dependant on road surface/ speed.

If this was a 250hp GTI the road noise would be perfectly alright as a trade off for the stiffer suspension & performance.

Don't know if it's relevant but the hatch seems very "flimsy" compared to my previous models when closing although doesn't seem to "squeak/rattle" etc....

Swapping the wheels will indeed show any differences but is a hassle & I think a job for the dealer who's job it is to address my concerns about this noise.
Noise is of course subjective & my wife thinks I'm being "picky"

Hoping somebody on here has the same tyre/car spec, would be interesting to hear their opinion

As the new tyres wear the noise 'aint going to get any better so I'm hoping that I can get something done about the "drone"

This noise spoils a very good car for me, so I think it's time to go to the dealers & drive a few demonstators to try & see if it really is the Dunlop/Alanta combination.

Thanks

****.

Haven't got a dodgy wheel bearing have you - just a thought. Jack up each side of the car and check the rotation of each wheel.
I had, once, a dodgy bearing on a new-ish Ford Escort and spent many weeks before I twigged what it was. I kept on thinking it was an ill fitting rear hatch, doors etc. and was going to have the garage check all this, until I rotated the rear nearside wheel - oh goodness me!

[andywell]

More than likely the excessive road noise is solely down to the tyres. Some makes and tread patterns are just more prone to noise than others. My GT TDi had Bridgestones and the road noise was really intrusive however when I changed the front tyres to Goodyear Eagles the noise was noticeably less

[dcdick]

Thanks for the replys.

I feel that it is just tyre noise. It really doesn't sound like a bearing (but I will check it out)

Looks like some fun with the dealer coming, as the tech who rode with me to check the noise didn't know what the rec tyre pressures were without looking behind the fuel flap (mumbled something about there being loads of different settings). I thought the SE TSI was the most popular Golf ?

I will try upping the pressures to 2.2b (2.0b is rec, 2.3b is full load rec) as it's only a 10% lift it should not make any difference to the handling but may help the "noise" (and it's easy to do).
Worryingly the pressures varied from 1.9 to 2.15 when I checked them a couple of days after delivery, with all tyres at different pressures

****.

[p3asa]

Sounds like they weren't checked in the PDI as the tyres are usually over / under inflated for the transportation. I can't remember which but I'm sure someone will be along to tell you .

[kamikaze06]

Hi all.

First post here.
Mine is a 1.4 tsi SE with Dunlop "fast response" tyres on standard Atlanta rims.
Road noise is very intrusive above 25mph or so & very, very sensitive to road surfaces. (NE England, most road surfaces crap with loads of potholes & poor quality repaired holes).
So far around 500 miles but noise is still the same as on delivery.
There is 2 parts to the noise,
1, obvious tyre noise
2, a sound like someone blowing across a bottle top

The rest of the car is very quiet which only makes the road noise more apparent.
Been back to the dealer, the tech says "not out of the normal" but does hear the noise.

The MK IV I chopped in with 60k on the clock was quieter over the same roads as well as my daughters mk5 1.4.

I test drove a diesel SE when buying this & it seemed fine noise wise.

Anybody else got this problem ?

I've agreed with the dealer to give the car a "few more miles" but am starting to get anoyed with this noise on a 17k car.

Dunlop tyres have a reputation for "issues" in the past, can it really just be the tyres ?

Cheers

****

Sorry that you are suffering noise from your tyres as I know that this can be a real pain.
As other people have stated, it is dependant on the tyre type.
It is quite surprising just how many different tyres the new golf is shod with. I have seen them with dunlops, chinese tyres etc, my MK6 SE TDI 140PS is fitted with Continentals.
Have noticed on very good roads that the tyre noise is literally only a whisper, and with rougher roads the tyre noise is still not that intrusive. However, I have only done 2000 miles so far and cannot say what their longevity will be.
I suppose in the end you can only keep checking the forum to see what other people state about their tyres re: noise and longevity, see what appears to be the best, and keep this info in your pocket until it is tyre change time and make that selection.
I am not trying to be flippant, but I have tinnitus, if I don't think about it I forget that it is there. The moment I think about it, I can hear the constant hiss. Like your tyres, put it out of your mind, it will make life a lot easier because you will not be focusing on them anymore. Luck

[Berisford]

If mine comes with Chinese tyres on it there will be trouble!

What make of Chinese do they use?