Sound Deadening and Radar/laser install project

[OlyS6]

Continuing on the sound deadening project, I removed most of the interior of the cabin in order to lay CLD tiles followed by closed cell foam and mass loaded vinyl throughout the floors of the cabin:



SInce all the wiring harnesses were exposed, I thought it would be a good time to tackle the install of Escort's latest system, the Max CI 360. It has front and rear radar receivers, as well as front and rear laser diffusers. In addition, Mid-City Engineering makes a box that allows for the radar display to read out in the DIS, and for the controls available within the steering wheel buttons for complete OEM integration.

The bumpers needed to come off for the radar receivers, and I needed to cut out a flap in the lower 'lip' of the front crash bar to allow it to sit flush:



Luckily, the rear radar receiver easily attaches to the framework just above the crash bar with c-clamps that come with the detector:



Also super cool is that the newest iteration of Escort's laser shifters are pretty small, and fit snugly within the mesh of the RS6 grille:



A view of the front of the car with everything put together:



A view of the rear with the laser diffusers fitting nicely just under the trunk lid, their cables routed just under the tail lights:



The Mid-City Engineering box arrives later today- I'll report back when I have a chance to install it and drive around with the system live for awhile.

[S4Per]

[OlyS6]

My son was able to 3D print a control panel for me that fits within the ashtray, and mounts the controls and display for the Escort system as well as the volume control knob for my subwoofer: Next will be to get a piece of black acrylic laser cut to fit in as a faceplate for it.

[scott99c2]

Love that, nicely done!

[OlyS6]

Thanks- still need to do some more functionality testing, but so far so good


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[JWebb_C7_Comp]

Out-frigging-standing!

How was interior removal and install? Did you do the doors too? I finally got around to "finishing" my trunk. Even on wet pavement, I generally notice FRONT as opposed to rear tire noise. Perviously, it was like the rear window was cracked open.. So, in that regard, it was worth the effort for me. Curious how you feel about the job now that you did the floor too.

[Ze_Nardo6]

Hats off Andre! You are a mad man!

[s4nicetry]

Wow, very cool set up!

[S4Per]

My son was able to 3D print a control panel for me that fits within the ashtray, and mounts the controls and display for the Escort system as well as the volume control knob for my subwoofer: Next will be to get a piece of black acrylic laser cut to fit in as a faceplate for it.

Looking good and glad he was able to use my template!

[JWebb_C7_Comp]

I don't see much Audi love like that here in the Midwest....

[OlyS6]

Out-frigging-standing!

How was interior removal and install? Did you do the doors too? I finally got around to "finishing" my trunk. Even on wet pavement, I generally notice FRONT as opposed to rear tire noise. Perviously, it was like the rear window was cracked open.. So, in that regard, it was worth the effort for me. Curious how you feel about the job now that you did the floor too.

Interior removal and install was very doable, just tedious. It let me route some other cables to the center console, and my subwoofer volume control from the DSP out to the ashtray, and made the radar/laser install a bit easier, so I guess worth it in the end. Definitely less road noise, but not as decreased as I anticipated. That said, I haven’t done the doors yet, but hope to get those worked on this weekend. I’m super happy with the way the trunk and rear deck turned out, as it sounds like a smaller car, and the sub signal is clean and clear.


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[OlyS6]

Looking good and glad he was able to use my template!

Per, thanks for all your help. Your build thread both inspired me and helped to guide me through the process!


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[JWebb_C7_Comp]

Interior removal and install was very doable, just tedious. It let me route some other cables to the center console, and my subwoofer volume control from the DSP out to the ashtray, and made the radar/laser install a bit easier, so I guess worth it in the end. Definitely less road noise, but not as decreased as I anticipated. That said, I haven’t done the doors yet, but hope to get those worked on this weekend. I’m super happy with the way the trunk and rear deck turned out, as it sounds like a smaller car, and the sub signal is clean and clear.


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Thanks Andre; glad to hear you’re happy with the work. I just ordered all my electronics and I’m waiting for installation rings/mounting gear as well. My audio upgrade looks simple now that I’ve torn apart the car for sound deadening, and I’m looking forward to the before and after.

For funnies, I may hook up I the Bose to a real amp to see what happens!!


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[nefkntym]

Outstanding...awesome work Andre!!!

[OlyS6]

Thanks guys- happy to share details for the control panel or the radar/laser install for anyone interested.

[S4Per]

Per, thanks for all your help. Your build thread both inspired me and helped to guide me through the process!


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Anytime, sir :)

[OlyS6]

Some updates: The Escort Max CI 360 seems to be working well, and defeated real-world laser hits twice on the way home from work the other day, which was fun.
The Mid-City Engineering box works well- it displays warnings in the top center of the DIS whenever they occur, so no need for a separate warning LED or similar:



An update for the sound deadening project: I finally finished up the front doors. I've been really happy with a product called soundskins, that is easily moldable and adheres to whatever surface you put it on. It has 3 layers to it, butyl rubber, aluminum, and closed cell foam. Much easier to work with than mass-loaded vinyl. Time will tell how the results come out. I went a bit overboard and put a layer not only inside the outer doorskin, but a layer inside the door inserts as well:

Soundskins adhered to the outer door skin:



Soundskins adhered to door insert panel:



Getting the door panels back on was somewhat painful, and as always, I busted a few trim clips. I haven't decided if I'll work on sound deadening the rear doors. I may simply put some soundskins behind the rear door woofers and leave it at that. I'm currently waiting on the laser-cut acrylic face for my radar display and control panel in the ashtray.

[Mscarn2014]

Holy shit that is AWESOME with the integration on the display. Unbelievable factory integration. Great job man.

[OlyS6]

Holy shit that is AWESOME with the integration on the display. Unbelievable factory integration. Great job man.

Thanks! I’m happy with the overall setup so far (although I’m in the doghouse with my Chief Financial Officer at home). Still needs some more real world reliability testing though


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[GID]

For the purposes of lowering road noise, how would you rate your efforts and the products used? My A7 has gotten unbearable after 2 consecutive weekends of highway travel of 4 hours or more.

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[OlyS6]

For the purposes of lowering road noise, how would you rate your efforts and the products used? My A7 has gotten unbearable after 2 consecutive weekends of highway travel of 4 hours or more.

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Honestly, I was hoping for a bit more noise reduction given the ridiculous amount of work it took to install everything.
My recommendation: If you're doing it yourself, do all the doors first, and use soundskins or similar, as you get the best result for your efforts right there. If you're looking to reduce exhaust drone, sound deadening in the spare tire area of your trunk is also helpful. I wouldn't do the entire cabin floor unless you are willing to dedicate a full weekend of effort (or more, depending on how well you work and if you have any assistance or not), and can be without the car operational for a few days.
The upside is that all cabling is exposed, so it made the radar/laser project much easier, as well as routing my subwoofer volume knob and re-routing my ethanol analyzer gauge to the console.
I can still hear some road noise, but it is far less noticeable than stock. I believe all the sound deadening work also makes the sound system even better, and likely contributed to me winning a regional sound quality competition a week ago (albeit in the 'novice' category, but was still fun).

Regarding products, soundskins are OUTSTANDING and easy to work with, but pretty expensive. The mass loaded vinyl and closed cell foam from sound deadener showdown work well, but the MLV is an absolute bitch to work with.

[Killship]

Subscribed.

Very interested in both projects you've got going on. I take a lot of work calls on my commute and the road noise kills me. I can't have people over the car speakers at all... Frustrating, but hopefully this may be a solution.

[OlyS6]

Subscribed.

Very interested in both projects you've got going on. I take a lot of work calls on my commute and the road noise kills me. I can't have people over the car speakers at all... Frustrating, but hopefully this may be a solution.

Although I said above I was hoping for more sound reduction, phone calls and music are not interfered with at all by the road noise. I commute 50 miles roundtrip, and also take a fair number of phone calls, and listen to high definition music pretty much continuously.

The only downside is that it's much harder to hear all the pops and crackles and the roar of the exhaust!

[Killship]

Although I said above I was hoping for more sound reduction, phone calls and music are not interfered with at all by the road noise. I commute 50 miles roundtrip, and also take a fair number of phone calls, and listen to high definition music pretty much continuously.

The only downside is that it's much harder to hear all the pops and crackles and the roar of the exhaust!

Must've typed that right when you were!

Unfortunate to hear (pun intended) that it didn't work like magic. But, its a decent tradeoff. I may just start carrying headphones in the car - I've got to multi-task, so having the phone to my ear is not an option.

I think I get a lot of wind noise too - I've noticed it seems to be coming from the side mirror area that I get quite a bit of noise.

[OlyS6]

Results update:

I downloaded an SPL meter app for the iPhone (probably not the most accurate in the world, but good enough to get an idea:

Quiet in the car =35 dB
Sitting at idle = 50 dB
Driving on the highway averages 60-70dB
Usual stereo level= 85-90 dB

As a reference, normal conversation 1m away from someone is typically 60dB.
Risk of hearing loss at prolonged intervals is 110dB

Normal conversations on the phone via Bluetooth are easily understood in both directions, regardless of driving conditions. The music sounds like a concert hall, and traffic isn't easily heard above it. It will never be 'recording studio' quiet, but seems to be working well.

[Steigs_dB]

Out of curiosity, have you noticed any change in MPG with the added weight?

[OlyS6]

I haven't really driven it enough to know, and I honestly don't track that closely. I've done some dragy runs lately, which I'm sure doesn't help fuel efficiency any. I'd estimate the car is likely 100-150 pounds heavier due to the sub box plus all the deadening material, so I doubt it's anything very consequential in terms of fuel efficiency on a 4500+ lb car. I'm sure it slows it down a bit as well, as I'm Stage 3 and the best time I've done is 11.4 sec for 1/4 mile via dragy (although always on asphalt and not pristine conditions, and using pump gas).