Reduce Engine Noise Without Compromising Performance

How to Reduce Engine Noise Without Compromising Performance?

How to Reduce Engine Noise Without Compromising Performance?

The main goal of every vehicle owner is the reduced engine noise while saving the vehicle performance as the essential element to achieve a less noisy and more comfortable driving. The process of achieving sound management balances the understanding of engine noise origins with specific reduction methods that maintain vehicle operational efficiency.

Understanding Engine Noise Sources

Engine noise comes from various components and systems within a vehicle. Common contributors include:

  • Mechanical Components which include pistons, valves as well as the crankshaft creates noise as they operate.

  • Exhaust System which adds further sound to its typical sound.

  • High Performance Engine, Air intake can produce noise and in the case of high performance engines this can be even worse.

  • Engine Vibrations are transferred to the vehicle body and audible noise is present in the cabin.

Strategies to Reduce Engine Noise

To effectively reduce noise without affecting performance, consider the following approaches:

  1. Install Sound Deadening Materials

Applying sound deadening materials can significantly diminish noise transmission:

  • Firewall Insulation: Installing soundproofing barriers on both sides of the firewall can block engine noise from entering the cabin. Materials like dense mass-loaded vinyl are effective for this purpose.

  • Hood Liners: Adding sound-absorbing liners under the hood can dampen engine noise before it reaches the cabin. Ensure these materials are heat-resistant to withstand engine temperatures.

  • Floor and Door Panels: Applying vibration damping mats to the floor and door panels can reduce noise from both the engine and road.

  1. Upgrade the Exhaust System

Modifying the exhaust system can help manage noise levels:

  • High Quality Mufflers: Installing mufflers designed for noise reduction can lower exhaust noise without restricting airflow, thus maintaining performance.

  • Resonators: Adding resonators can cancel out specific sound frequencies, resulting in a quieter exhaust note.

  • Proper Sizing: Ensuring the exhaust system's diameter matches the engine's requirements can prevent unnecessary noise amplification.

  1. Utilize Engine Covers and Acoustic Shields

Engine covers made from sound-absorbing materials can contain noise at its source:

  • Acoustic Engine Covers: These covers can absorb and deflect noise, preventing it from reaching the cabin. Ensure they are designed for your specific engine model to avoid overheating issues.

  • Heat Shields with Acoustic Properties: Installing heat shields that also serve as sound barriers can reduce noise transmission from the engine bay.

  1. Maintain Engine Components

Regular maintenance can prevent abnormal noises:

  • Lubrication: Proper lubrication of engine components reduces friction-related noise.

  • Component Inspection: Regularly checking for worn or loose parts can prevent noise caused by mechanical issues.

  1. Address Air Intake Noise

Modifying the air intake system can reduce noise without affecting performance:

  • Air Intake Silencers: Installing silencers can dampen the noise produced during air intake.

  • High-Flow Air Filters: Using quality air filters can reduce noise while ensuring adequate airflow.

Implementing Sound Deadening Solutions

Sound deadening solutions can be implemented for those who wish to minimize the level of engine noise. Dampening vibrations and blocking noise, the SoundSkins Global products are intended to increase the overall driving experience. These materials can be used for application to the firewall, floor and doors and can make a noticeable reduction in cabin noise without compromising vehicle performance.

Conclusion

Correctly soundproofing and servicing your vehicle brings you both quieter rides and good performance. You will experience better driving comfort when you reduce and block noise from entering the cabin. Using these methods successfully reduces engine sounds to give you a quiet drive while keeping your vehicle functioning properly.

Step 1

To install the material you need be working on the metal surface of the car, remove upholstery. If you have never done this, we suggest searching it up on YouTube. Once the upholstery is removed, make sure there is no debris, waxy oils or rust by cleaning the surface with denatured alcohol.

Step 2

Once surface is clean and ready to go, cut the sound deadening material to the right size so it fits desired area. For small surfaces, we recommend that you measure the dimensions and then cut to fit.

Step 3

With the surface area clean and pieces cut to desired dimensions, peel off the paper and apply material to surface area starting from the top to bottom using the car door holes to help with alignment. We recommend using a hand roller to ensure that there are no air pockets and ensure the adhesiveness.

Sound Deadener Install On Jeep

SOUNDSKINS GLOBAL

Sound Deadener Install FAQ: Tips & Tricks

What tools will I need to for a sound deadening project?  
  • Rag & Denatured Alcohol: Apply the alcohol to the rag and use to clean the metal surface areas you will be applying the material to.
  • Gloves: Our product is pretty safe to install without gloves but if you have never installed a sound deadener mat, we recommend using gloves.
  • Hand roller: We highly recommend using a small roller to reach the tighter surface areas of your vehicle. You can find these on Amazon or most online retail shops. There are wooden, rubber and metal rollers, we recommend wooden or rubber, try and stay away from metal as they can tear the material.
  • Utility Knife: The utility blade is to cut the material. Make sure to cut the material on top of a pice of cardboard so that your blade stays sharper longer, if it's a big job, have some extra blades around.
How do you apply sound deadener material? 

We sell our roll on sound deadener product in 2 different formats: custom cut to fit pro kits and an easy to work with rolled up large sheet. If you can measure, cut, peel and stick you can install sound deadener! You can use your hand to apply pressure when positioning the material and then use a roller to make sure it sticks down to metal surface.

After you cut the material and are ready to stick it on, some customers find it easier to peel off a small portion of the release liner and then apply it to metal surface, and then work their way across the sheet, peeling off a small section at a time.

Make sure to always remove the air bubbles with the roller. The second most important thing when it comes to quality of sound deadener is the quality of adhesion to the surface area. You want the material to be stuck down properly to ensure it stays in place.

Where do you apply the sound deadening material?  

The great thing about our sound deadening material is that it can be applied to all types of metal surfaces. All SoundSkins sheets use extremely strong adhesive and they can even be mounted on fiberglass, plastic and even wooden surfaces, but it's not very common to apply to these surfaces since they don't vibrate as much. By covering all metal surfaces such as your doors, roof, trunk and floor you can make a significant difference to unwanted road noise.

Your top priority when applying a car sound deadener is to cover the doors, floor and trunk. If you have extra material then proceed to other metal surfaces you wish to cover for extra sound insulation.

How much surface area should I cover?  

To properly deaden the metal surfaces, we recommend to at least do 25% coverage with our SoundSkins material, this will make a difference in unwanted road noise, but to have a huge impact we recommend covering up 60% of metal surfaces. If you want to get the most used from your sheet, one effective strategy is the CHECKER BOARD APPROACH, using this technique you cut the SoundSkins sheet into small pieces and apply them to the metal surface in a checkered pattern.

It is very common for our customers to do close to 100& coverage to any metal surface because not only are they looking to reduce road noise, they also want to insulate their car from heat or they like the way the material looks on the car's bare metal surface.

How do I make sure the sound deadener sticks well?

SoundSkins products are made with a very strong adhesive and create a extremely strong bond with the metal, it's really hard to NOT make it stick. To ensure the best possible bond, we highly recommend cleaning the metal surface before applying our material and then using a hand roller to firmly attach the SoundSkins deadening mats.

Great adhesion with no air bubbles is the absolute key if you want to get the best performance. Remember that any air pocket with poor adhesion means you will not get the full benefit of the deadener.

How to install car sound deadener: Recap
  1. Remove upholstery and carpet from your vehicle. Proceed to vacuum to get rid of debris and dirt. Clean all greasy spots with denatured alcohol, other solvents or degreasers will leave behind a film that prevents a solid contact surface. Allow metal surface to try.
  2. Cut the SoundSkins sheet to desired size and cut using a sharp utility knife. Use gloves to avoid any cuts.
  3. Peel off the wax paper from the back of material and apply to surface, this can be done by small sections at a time. Use roller to create a strong bond between material and metal surface and to get rid of any air bubbles.

If you have any questions, make to reach out to use and we'll be happy to help.

SOUNDSKINS GLOBAL