Tyre / Road noise

[bry777]

What is the opinion on the pretty bad road tyre noise in the cabin of a M3 CP. Mine only has 170 miles on it and I am hoping it improves with miles like my other cars have, but they weren't near as bad. Strange because I don't mind the ride in comfort setting, quite happy with that, it's just the excessive road noise. I took a test ride in a M3 CP and I am sure it a fair bit quieter than mine as I never noticed it as a problem, it did have 3k on it.

I am thinking 19" wheels with Goodyear Assy 3 tyres to improve things, also as I am not overly keen on the 666's which I would have ditched given the chance.

[lethbridge]

Mine was new in August and now has over 2k miles - I haven't noticed any difference in those miles - I find it acceptable given the nature of the car - but I have the MPE so I can soon drown out the road noise!

[bry777]

Originally Posted by lethbridge

Mine was new in August and now has over 2k miles - I haven't noticed any difference in those miles - I find it acceptable given the nature of the car - but I have the MPE so I can soon drown out the road noise!

I am struggling with the mass of acronyms with these cars, MPE?

I don't think the nature of the car should make it noisy, hard ride maybe but I find that ok, it's just the awful tyre noise. But like I said i didn't pick up on that in the other 3k test drive version. Assume same tyres, were same wheels.

[lethbridge]

M Performance Exhaust...

[Proftinkerpot]

Originally Posted by bry777

I am struggling with the mass of acronyms with these cars, MPE?

I don't think the nature of the car should make it noisy, hard ride maybe but I find that ok, it's just the awful tyre noise. But like I said i didn't pick up on that in the other 3k test drive version. Assume same tyres, were same wheels.

MPE - M Performance Exhaust - gives you pops, burbles and grins!!
What tyres are you running - Michelin's presumably? My M5 has Pilot Super Sports but I plan to change to a pilot Sport 4 when they are due.

[ravibasuta]

Its crap 19s 20s dont matter.
I had an m5 before this, and that was way quieter.

1st thing I noticed in an m3 was the tire noise and lack of exhaust noise. So i worked on the latter

[Tengocity]

Mostly I don't find it too much of an issue, except for the southern sections of the M25 which seem to be concrete. It sounds like a high pitched whine, and at first you think your car is broken!

[bry777]

It has the Pilot Super Sports. The next thing im doing is getting rid of that lousy pretend speaker V8 sound which on top of the tyre noise is just too much for me. Its an in line 6 and I for one prefer the sound of an in line 6 coming from the in line 6. The standard exhaust sound apart from the very embarrassing start up racket for 10 seconds is bearable, very wary of starting it early in the morning.

It's an age thing but when I started driving all cars were noisy and rough. When cars got more refined (the first smooth quiet car I remember was the Sierra! ) it was such a major improvement and relief. Now it seems people are hell bent on roughness and racket.

I am hoping it follows the course of my ST3 Focus. It has Pilot Sport 3 and were noisy at first, it has done over 3K now and tyre noise has reduced to very acceptable, firmer ride than the M3 but not excessive tyre noise. The false engine sound is even worse, albeit only when you put your foot down, normal driving its very quiet. Seems nobody has fathomed out how to kill that one in the UK.

[bry777]

Checked the noise rating of the tyres. Michelin Super Sport are 73db, that is loud these days. The drive from EU and governments is to get tyre noise down and most manufacturers are doing this. The Goodyear Assy 3's are 69db, less on smaller sizes. Every 3db is double the noise so the Michelein are double and more again the Goodyears, Dunlops are similar aroud 68/9. The Conti 6's on M3's are even worse at 75db. Double plus double again the noise of assy3! Come on Michelin and Conti, get your act together.

It's not profile thats the problem as I have very low on a Octy VRS, they are Goodyear Assy3 and very smooth and quiet

I can understand that on a track the Michelin might have a slight edge. 99% of us don't drive on tracks and never will, we drive on lousy rough UK roads following a never ending trail of traffic most of the time.

Still doesn't explain why the demo car was ok. Hoping things might improve slightly

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by bry777

It has the Pilot Super Sports. The next thing im doing is getting rid of that lousy pretend speaker V8 sound which on top of the tyre noise is just too much for me. Its an in line 6 and I for one prefer the sound of an in line 6 coming from the in line 6. The standard exhaust sound apart from the very embarrassing start up racket for 10 seconds is bearable, very wary of starting it early in the morning.

It's an age thing but when I started driving all cars were noisy and rough. When cars got more refined (the first smooth quiet car I remember was the Sierra! ) it was such a major improvement and relief. Now it seems people are hell bent on roughness and racket.

I am hoping it follows the course of my ST3 Focus. It has Pilot Sport 3 and were noisy at first, it has done over 3K now and tyre noise has reduced to very acceptable, firmer ride than the M3 but not excessive tyre noise. The false engine sound is even worse, albeit only when you put your foot down, normal driving its very quiet. Seems nobody has fathomed out how to kill that one in the UK.

Active sound is easy to code off. I'd done it within a couple of hours of picking mine up.

[bry777]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

Active sound is easy to code off. I'd done it within a couple of hours of picking mine up.

I have seen the you-tube doing it by unplugging it at the amp in boot and have heard of the decode but a bit worried about that method, is it straight forward and a single command? i.e. you don't have to re load the whole code program?

I have got the BMW Drive Analyser which comes with the BMW OBD bluetooth device. Would that work with the software?

Why does the spell checker on this site not know how to spell

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by bry777

I have seen the you-tube doing it by unplugging it at the amp in boot and have heard of the decode but a bit worried about that method, is it straight forward and a single command? i.e. you don't have to re load the whole code program?

I have got the BMW Drive Analyser which comes with the BMW OBD bluetooth device. Would that work with the software?

Why does the spell checker on this site not know how to spell

I'm no coding expert and never bothered when you needed a laptop, software, and cables. But you can do it with the BimmerCode app and a vgate dongle. Takes about 2 mins, and you can play around with a few other things too.

Best search on the main F30 uk board for more details.

[bry777]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

I'm no coding expert and never bothered when you needed a laptop, software, and cables. But you can do it with the BimmerCode app and a vgate dongle. Takes about 2 mins, and you can play around with a few other things too.

Best search on the main F30 uk board for more details.

Cheers

[JustChris]

OP when you say other cars, have your previous cars been M cars?

I guess you know this but any M will be much mucin nosier in the cabin, far less insulation material and suspension bushing changes, rear sun frame more directly mounted etc.

For me, when I collected 2 weeks ago I was pleasantly surprised and reminded just how great a cruiser it was on motorway trips.

[lethbridge]

Sounds like you've bought the wrong car for what you want? Wouldn't a C63 have been a better choice as they are much less edgy? Get BimmerCode to get rid of ASD - first thing I did - easy. For the rest though it is the way the car is designed. MPSS or MPS4S are pretty much essential for putting the power down which is pretty fundamental. You picked the CP rather than base M3 which has pops and bangs dialled into the engine tune and wider tyres :

[bry777]

Happy with what iv'e bought. I had a good road test being wary of the situation. It's not the ride or refinement i'm bothered about it's purely the noisy tyres. The refinement of the car apart from this is good and the drive is brilliant. Steering a bit heavy even on comfort but not an issue. Only other gripe at present is that the car won't save the comfort setting always defaulting back to Sport. The noise rating of the tyres tells it all, I am confident different tyres will make a huge difference.

Apart from that I think I now know why the experience in the demo car was better. It was a sunny warm day, low 20's a month or so ago. I picked the car up and have had it since in temperatures between 8-12 deg. Yesterday it was stormy but warm - 21 deg. The car was very different, noticeably smoother and quieter, alas just like demo drive. Obviously these Michelin tyres harden up considerably at lower temperatures compared to others that I prefer increasing tyre noise. Plus the fuel rating of the Michelins is about as bad as it gets.

No on the Merc, never a make on my radar. Plus I don't want a thirsty V8. I only buy turbo engines these days. M3 is managing 31-32, actually got 34.5 first day! Running in I know but going as fast as everything else around me. I didn't really want the CP just because of the wheels. I actually ordered the last standard M3 in the country, but it fell through because the holding dealer had gone and fitted a load of accessories and wanted more for it. I then got offered one of the last remaining CP's with a couple of more extras than my planned standard car for exactly the same price. No brainer! I always had it my head that I would have to ditch the wheels. So iv'e got an extremely rare M3 CP on a 68 plate! Not heard any pops or bangs yet. Just a racket when i start it for 10 seconds and the toy town noise over the speakers.

[lethbridge]

Originally Posted by bry777

Happy with what iv'e bought. I had a good road test being wary of the situation. It's not the ride or refinement i'm bothered about it's purely the noisy tyres. The refinement of the car apart from this is good and the drive is brilliant. Steering a bit heavy even on comfort but not an issue. Only other gripe at present is that the car won't save the comfort setting always defaulting back to Sport. The noise rating of the tyres tells it all, I am confident different tyres will make a huge difference.

Apart from that I think I now know why the experience in the demo car was better. It was a sunny warm day, low 20's a month or so ago. I picked the car up and have had it since in temperatures between 8-12 deg. Yesterday it was stormy but warm - 21 deg. The car was very different, noticeably smoother and quieter, alas just like demo drive. Obviously these Michelin tyres harden up considerably at lower temperatures compared to others that I prefer increasing tyre noise. Plus the fuel rating of the Michelins is about as bad as it gets.

No on the Merc, never a make on my radar. Plus I don't want a thirsty V8. I only buy turbo engines these days. M3 is managing 31-32, actually got 34.5 first day! Running in I know but going as fast as everything else around me. I didn't really want the CP just because of the wheels. I actually ordered the last standard M3 in the country, but it fell through because the holding dealer had gone and fitted a load of accessories and wanted more for it. I then got offered one of the last remaining CP's with a couple of more extras than my planned standard car for exactly the same price. No brainer! I always had it my head that I would have to ditch the wheels. So iv'e got an extremely rare M3 CP on a 68 plate! Not heard any pops or bangs yet. Just a racket when i start it for 10 seconds and the toy town noise over the speakers.

You'll find pops and bangs increase as you move up from Efficiency mode... Just do plenty of research if you change tyres as I think the noise and economy are as a result of what the MPSS/MPS4S are renowned for - grip - I've not seen anyone recommending an alternative on the M3 and some don't even like the softer walls on the MPS4S - Goodyears are worse again from what I've read and you'll lose some crispness as well as grip... As has been said the suspension setup and limited insulation will mean it is never going to be completely quiet whatever tyre you fit... Have a look on M3Cutters too as it is a far more active forum though they will give you a hard time if you mention you got 34mpg

[Wills2]

Tyre roar is a thing with these cars, it won't get better the sub frame is mounted solidly to the body with no bushes and your tyres are nearly a foot wide so it gets noisy at speed on the motorway.

[bry777]

Originally Posted by lethbridge

You'll find pops and bangs increase as you move up from Efficiency mode... Just do plenty of research if you change tyres as I think the noise and economy are as a result of what the MPSS/MPS4S are renowned for - grip - I've not seen anyone recommending an alternative on the M3 and some don't even like the softer walls on the MPS4S - Goodyears are worse again from what I've read and you'll lose some crispness as well as grip... As has been said the suspension setup and limited insulation will mean it is never going to be completely quiet whatever tyre you fit... Have a look on M3Cutters too as it is a far more active forum though they will give you a hard time if you mention you got 34mpg

Yes I spent a lot of time looking at that site before I committed to the M3 over the RS4. Couldn't give two hoots what they think about 34 mpg Plus it is running in, crucial on these type of engines ! There is quite a bit about improving it with more comfortable tyres. The "experts" on there say you will get a bigger improvement from tyre choice than wheel size choice.

BMW like all manufacturers contract to suppliers and these things are compromised because of this, no doubt a low priority because many are not bothered about noise and harshness otherwise they wouldn't make false noises from the speakers and exhaust backfiring. My previous two larger cars were Audi Quattro's. First on Goodyear from new the second on Bridgstone. The first was silk smooth and quiet on the road the second was dam awful noisy as hell, and I mean considerably worse. I stopped a couple of miles up the road to check the tyres after swapping over, very disappointed when I saw Bridgestone, ruined the car and sadly never got rid of them before parting with it for this car. Exactly the same wheels and size too.

Read an article about Michelin and they explained BMW give them a driving spec and they choose the tyre from their range closest to it and tweak it!!?? No more science than that. No way can anyone claim the M3 needs a Michelin. It could be any other brand if they get a better contract.

Been out again today 8.5 deg! Back to noisy, but certainly smooths out when you get some heat into them, not easy on cold wet roads. Satisfied my issue it is mostly down to the tyres. Back end had poor grip out of junctions which was surprising considering the wet grip claims. Oh and only 28mpg on the 48 mile trip See what happens when I get my 19's

[JustChris]

Originally Posted by bry777

Happy with what iv'e bought. I had a good road test being wary of the situation. It's not the ride or refinement i'm bothered about it's purely the noisy tyres. The refinement of the car apart from this is good and the drive is brilliant. Steering a bit heavy even on comfort but not an issue. Only other gripe at present is that the car won't save the comfort setting always defaulting back to Sport. The noise rating of the tyres tells it all, I am confident different tyres will make a huge difference.

Apart from that I think I now know why the experience in the demo car was better. It was a sunny warm day, low 20's a month or so ago. I picked the car up and have had it since in temperatures between 8-12 deg. Yesterday it was stormy but warm - 21 deg. The car was very different, noticeably smoother and quieter, alas just like demo drive. Obviously these Michelin tyres harden up considerably at lower temperatures compared to others that I prefer increasing tyre noise. Plus the fuel rating of the Michelins is about as bad as it gets.

No on the Merc, never a make on my radar. Plus I don't want a thirsty V8. I only buy turbo engines these days. M3 is managing 31-32, actually got 34.5 first day! Running in I know but going as fast as everything else around me. I didn't really want the CP just because of the wheels. I actually ordered the last standard M3 in the country, but it fell through because the holding dealer had gone and fitted a load of accessories and wanted more for it. I then got offered one of the last remaining CP's with a couple of more extras than my planned standard car for exactly the same price. No brainer! I always had it my head that I would have to ditch the wheels. So iv'e got an extremely rare M3 CP on a 68 plate! Not heard any pops or bangs yet. Just a racket when i start it for 10 seconds and the toy town noise over the speakers.

Interesting, so rather than MPSS woken you recommend a quieter performance tyre then?

[bry777]

I am not recommending anything, it's a personal choice, even BMW can not tell you what tyre to use apart from state the size, load and speed. All about my slight disappointment when my car wasn't the same as the demo. But I now know that is down to the large temperature differences at the times. I also believe tyres do get quieter once run in as the MPSS3's have on my ST.

Viewed some tyre info and tests on line, tyrereviews etc The PSS is known for its poorer wet grip and low end comfort, exactly what i have found, also an old tyre that for some reason BMW keep using. The Assy3 is very highly rated and is not far behind the 4S on performance and far better on comfort. The wet grip was something which probably made my mind up for me, I was pulling away out of junctions steadily yesterday and it stepped out a couple of times rather too easily, not something I have experienced for a long time.

[domino_z]

Ps4s inflated to around 30-32psi cold will take the edge off, first thing I did was ditch the oe mpss - to me they didn't look right, looked stretched and after first hard run the sidewalls were all scuffed due to rolling over when loaded. The ps4s in oe size is a squarer sidewall and noticeably quieter/smoother. It's not huge, there's no getting around the nvh from a 30 series sidewall - not to mention all the front end bracing and rear solid mount subframe

My rs3 had pzero on front in the same 30 series sidewall, and pirelli had a foam inlay to help with nvh. Michelin have this tech too at oe level on their regular tyres, shame they don't use it on their high performance tyres