MY IGNIS DOOR DAMPING DONE
I did it myself and following are my observation:
DIY @ HOME:
DIY Car Damping at Home is good as we can take our own time, avoid dusty environment, enjoy & do better than the work done by those hasty, unskilled boys at work shops.
It requires a lot of patience and planning. We need to remove the door pad, detach the electrical socket, clean the inner and outer metal sheet by IPA, mark and make templates, cut the sheet, paste it properly, remove / refit speakers, and to carefully handle the wiring inside.
PURCHASE PLANNING:
Market is flooded with Russian and Chinese sheets. I preferred a reliable (Bitumen / Asphalt * tar free) BUTYL POLYMER and an odorless one that can suit our Indian weather.
Narrowed down my preference to CTK or Dr Artex, went for Dr Artex Iridium Medium 2mm sheets X 10 Sheets.
It is available Locally @Rs.12K, and at Carplus @ 11.2K.
Purchased from Amazon @ Rs.8100 +150 Shipping. (MRP Rs.15990.00), received safely. I have also purchased a Rubber Roller from Amazon.
POINTS NOTED WHILE DAMPING:
Honestly two sheets are not enough per door, it requires 2.5 to 3 sheets to cover one front door completely as they are larger than the rear.
Dr Artex Manual says 80% coverage is sufficient, need not be a continuous sheet , proper insulation bits can block flow of vibrations over door metal and even to close only the door openings outer side is okay along with maximum possible inner side.
While pressing the roller, need to be careful not to press deeply over hollow/ hole areas as it can pierce the sheet. Dr Artex Iridium has a flexible external aluminum sheet. It seems CTK has little thicker one as pointed by our forum member
@CRACING HERE at Product Review.
While doing inner layer, we need to cut bit by bit sheets and complete damping is not possible due to difficulty in accessing the area and presence of impact cross bars.
Overlapping and dual layer of the same sheet to be avoided as it will nullify the effect of the sheet as per the manufacturer.
The holes meant for holding plastic clips of the door pad, and mounting speakers to be clearly marked.
I felt two-layer damping is okay as I don't want to load more. That’s inner and outer metal sheet. (EPE Foam Sheet of 5 mm thickness is enough if we really want to cover the inner side of the plastic mold)
It was really difficult to cover up the boot lid /door and I didn’t do it fully. I did just in bits to arrest the sound travelling across the metal sheet without hampering the levers inside, but covered overall with easily removable EPE sheet and 3M original Automotive Masking & Paper Tapes. I felt , over load / weight is to be avoided as it can damage the hydraulic arms.
Generally, as felt by many DIY Car Enthusiast that single layer inside the door of 2 mm and just a EPE 5 mm outer sheet is enough for cars when Subwoofers are not used.
AFTER EFFECTS:
Noise Level Comparison @ Decibel Meter
Measured the Noise dB level using ‘Sound Meter’ Android Mobile App after damping and noted this:
Noise level outside the car at home around 8pm (Vehicle movements at nearby road)
Minimum/ Average/ Maximum = 45dB/58db/71dB
Noise level inside the car at home around 8pm (Vehicle movements at nearby road)
Minimum / Average / Maximum =35dB/37Db/51dB
(
*Note, the noise produced while taking screen shot that also raises the decibel.)
Impact On Mileage
Honestly, I didn’t feel any adverse effect on my car’s mileage. I use my car mostly within the city, outskirts during weekends, mostly loaded by two or four passengers including the driver. All are of normal body weight and the car driven at 40 to 60 Km/h. We get the same mileage as before, i.e., 12 to 18 depends upon the traffic and road conditions.
TOOLS USED:
Rubber Roller
Pry Tool
Sound Meter App
SAFETY PRECAUTION:
Of course, I couldn’t escape from minor skin scratches while carrying out the procedures, despite being careful about safety.
Please take care while inserting the hands especially over the wrist part while pressing the inner layers. The sheet edges are of a thin Aluminum layer can create minor cuts in the fingers; to avoid, use the roller properly.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES FELT:
Pros:
- The SOUND ACOUSTIC of HU/OE Speakers really improved, I could feel a smooth, clear sound as damping reduced vibrations/speaker sound distortion which was existing earlier due to hollow layers and air gaps in the door metal design.
- Loved the way the door closed with SOLID ‘Thud’ SOUND, and made to feel rugged.
- Reduced EXTERNAL HEAT that makes the cabin cooler than before.
- Reduced ROAD NOISE that makes the cabin really quitter than before.
- I truly enjoy the pleasure of silence.
Cons:
- It makes the existing neat and clean OE door metal sheets little shabby in my point of view. (of course, it’s hidden, out of our sight)
- It adds 2 to 2.5 Kg to each door, overall around 10 to 12 Kgs in case we cover the boot lid also.
- Once affixed, it will be difficult to remove. (Touch wood, nothing should make the need for doing anything with the door in future)
- Bad quality sheets made out of tar material may spread bad odor or melt & get detached during hot weather. (so, go with a reliable brand.)
POINTS TO NOTE:
We can’t make our car as quieter as a BMW or Mercedes.
The car Noise or Vibration could also be due to Engine, Tire, loose parts & Ambient effect.
Damping the doors will improve to some extent the overall NVH levels.
The OE factory fitted fire proof carpet at fire walls/ Bonnet hood cladding will take care of engine noise.
The OE fire poof floor carpet, aftermarket thick 7D mats, foot mats, and noise less good quality tires will take care of the road noise due to Tires & Suspension.
The Ambient effect like Traffic horn sounds, wind sounds, louder pedestrian voice are all can’t be made to null, as practically impossible and
not advisable for our safety point of view.
I am not for complete damping that includes Firewall areas, Roof, Wheel arches, Floor etc.
And,
One More Think To Share:
One interesting thing to note - what we do is door Damping, but I have noted people using the word – ‘Dampening’… ‘Dampening’ means making wet and not about sound insulation.
READ MORE:
Dr.Artex Nano Sound Dampening Sheets - Quick Review @ CRACING
Guide: How To Pick Soul Soothing Music While Driving
Guide: All About Car Audio, Android Units, DSP & Buyer Upgrade Basics!
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