99 max GLE...How can I reduce outside noise

Take off your kick panels and see if the factory insulation is still in there. Sometimes people removing aftermarket audio equipment rip it out as they are selling/trading it in anyway. Your car should be pretty quiet if everything is original.

I'll check that in the morning, but it seems like most of the outside noise is entering through the back of the vehicle.

David

loaded...overall

db scratched out in the sand

Close the trunk when you drive.

(sorry, couldn't resist)

Great Tip! :)

Seriously though, the am now certain that most of the noise is coming through the trunk / back seat area. I think I'm going to try lining the inside of the trunk and the rear parcel shelf with that Dynamat stuff (noise deadener material) and apply some rubberized undercoating inside the wheel wells and maybe under the trunk as well. I post the results in case anyone else has the same issue.

David

Does the car have the original 15" rims? If so, maybe the tires are worn out. Bigger rims and fatter, old tires tend to transmitt more road noise to the cabin.

CD

loaded...overall

Yes, the rims are original and the tires are brand new...GoodYear Triple Treads...the latest from GoodYear. They seems to be slightly less noisy than the cheap tires it had when I bought the car, but still too noisy for my taste.

David

I do have the trunk mat in there, but the current noise level is as if there wasn't one. I am now in the process of lining the trunk with Dynamat (between the carpet and the metal). It's super expensive stuff though, so I really hope I get the results to justify the cost.

Thanks, David

Well, I'm done now and the noise deadener did help. I installed in inside the trunk, under the rear parcel shelf, and under the rear seat and seat back. I started the job with Dynamat, but it got way too expensive, so half way through I switched to self-adhesive duct insulation wrap. It's kind of a foam rubber (about 1/8" thick) with adhesive on one side and foil cover on the other. The stuff I bought came in 4" wide rolls, 15' long. It may not be quite as effective as the Dynamat but it seems to do the job and is way, way cheaper. I'm still getting a fair bit of tire noise, but all the other noises are pretty well gone...I guess the tire noise is actually more noticable now since it isn't being masked by all the other road noises.

David