EU PROPOSES NOISE-LEVEL LABELS
The European Union is considering a requirement for noise-level labels on new cars. According to WardsAuto, the EU also wants automakers to reduce vehicle noise by 6 decibels to 74 decibels over a six year period, which is an extremely stringent requirement. Needless to say, European automakers are not happy with this regulation. They wanted a 2 decibel reduction, and some say it’s not going to be possible for them to meet this regulation in that 6 year time frame.
As far as I can tell, on OEM modern cars (except models with the exhaust purposely tuned louder -- full size pickups and performance-marketed models, for example) the exhaust makes almost no noise, all the noise is from the engine compartment. I wouldn't worry about that restriction issue.
1980 Buick LeSabre 4.1L 5MT
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watkins wrote:Humans have rear-biased AWD. Cows have 4WD
So.....they want to make hybrids (and electric cars) more noisy because they're too quiet and they want to make ICE cars less noisy because they're too loud?
Seriously though, most newer ICE cars are very quiet as it is right now. Some notable exceptions include most Infiniti (and a few Nissan) vehicles and the Ram Hemi trucks with the dual exhaust system. But even those are far from objectionable. On the flip side, my Audi was so damn quiet with the stock exhaust that it sound like a freakin' hybrid. There was almost no exhaust sound at all, so I had to fix that problem myself and install a dual exhaust system with larger diameter pipes and free-flowing mufflers. Now it sounds great and looks great from behind too:
ACURA’S QUIET WHEEL
Automakers are coming up with new ways to reduce the amount of noise that seeps into the cabin with things like noise-reducing audio systems, noise-reducing glass and more acoustic material. A quiet interior gives the impression that the vehicle is more luxurious. One automaker that is keen on boosting its luxury image is Acura. On a recent trip the Autoline crew drove the all-new RLX that now boasts noise-reducing wheels. Yes the wheels, not the tires. They feature four resonators that are press fitted into a channel that runs the entire circumference of the inside wheel surface. The result is reduced noise resonance of the air column inside the wheel, which can drop noise levels by as much as 7 decibels. An Acura engineer said that a tire can be removed and re-mounted like any other wheel. We just wonder if the inside channel weakens the structure of the wheel and if it is more likely to bend when it hits something, like a pothole.
Wheel I Be.....!
'08 Jeep Liberty 6-Speed MT - "Last of the Mohicans"
AUTOMAKERS FIGHT “NOISE’ RULE
As you know, the National Highway Traffic Administration is mandating that electric cars emit a noise at low speeds so pedestrians, especially blind people, know a car is around them. But now the Detroit News reports automakers are concerned the rules will create cars that are too loud. The rules are scheduled to start next year but carmakers say it’s not possible to meet that timeframe. NHTSA estimates the new rule will cost the industry around $23 million in the first year.
