[Frozen]

Hi all. I live in Miami where there is a lot of stop and go traffic and quite a bit of my driving is on small local roads with speed limits of 30 or 35 mph and constant stop signs and roundabouts. So, as you can imagine, I get to hear that horrendous spaceship between 12 and 19 mph all the time!! I don't know, maybe it's my ADHD, but I have very little tolerance for unpleasant sounds. Has anyone come up with a truly viable solution to diminish or eliminate the sound altogether?

I understand that to some of you, this may be nothing, but for me, it's truly a problem; so much so that I'm considering looking at other vehicles. So please don't opt to criticize in your comments; be helpful if you can. Any advice will be seriously appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Freddy

 

[eb2143]

Pedestrian warning sound at 71 dB is louder than necessary

We have had several posts here claiming that the pedestrian warning sound of the ID4 is loud, and I agree. So I broke out my trusty sound pressure meter and took a quick reading as my wife was backing out of the garage. We didn't reach the loudest level I have ever heard from the car (I think)...

www.vwidtalk.com

 

[JPWhite]

The only thing I can suggest is turn up the sound system.

It is annoying.

The pedestrian noise for the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is also annoyingly loud when in reverse.

 

[Electric Driver]

Hey Freddy,

I couldn't ignore this post because I was also very bothered by the pedestrian warning sounds. Like the post above, there's a whole thread about it and it all seems subjective, but I was getting more and more bothered the more I drove the car. I understand the safety aspect, but there's a way to eliminate the sound completely. While cars like Model Y works fine by unplugging the speakers, VW ID.4 will throw warnings on the dash screen. I'd personally suggest that route since it's very reversible by plugging in the speakers back if needed. There are folks who took apart the speaker and soldered resistors to make the computer think that the speaker's functioning. I took one apart but it's a lot of work to get it out of the car and pull it apart. I'm handy with hands but the front speaker was such a pain to remove. What I did was to take both speakers out from front and back, and wrapped around it with sound dampening materials that you can find on Amazon, and layered it twice. Now the noise is reduced by 80% I'd say? You can still hear it especially with the windows closed, but it's faint compared to the factory sound.

I know this post will get some hate considering some people feel strongly against modifying these speakers. But as the thread above shows, it's louder than it needs to be, and I've simply made it quieter. I'm sensitive to noises, and I think that would be sufficient for you, but you can also just try driving by unplugging only. You'll get warnings but it's okay to drive, and it'll feel like a true EV, IMO. Good luck!

 

[Eric Nay]

On the Bolt EV forums (where I came from) there were a ton of people simply pulling the fuse. It is a pretty common feeling. I found I could live with the Bolt's sound generator. I'm looking forward to getting my ProS to find out how I do.

 

[Don]

It may be possible to pull the speaker plug and then insert a small resistor (10 ohms?) into the empty socket to make the computer think the speakers are still plugged in?

I haven't tried it - The noise doesn't bother me as much as I was expecting . . . . so far. Our little Mitsubishi EV's were supposed to make a low speed noise (think it's required by law?) but none of our three cars has ever done it and one of them we bought brand new

Don

 

[Huey52]

Already addressed in linked discussion above (pair of resistors). See "fiehlsport"

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It may be possible to pull the speaker plug and then insert a small resistor (10 ohms?) into the empty socket to make the computer think the speakers are still plugged in?

I haven't tried it - The noise doesn't bother me as much as I was expecting . . . . so far. Our little Mitsubishi EV's were supposed to make a low speed noise (think it's required by law?) but none of our three cars has ever done it and one of them we bought brand new

Don

 

[Don]

Sorry I missed that - My bad!

Don

 

[jgoodnough]

Is it possible to slip a piece of foam or sound deadening material in front of the speak to mute it somewhat? I know I'm conflicted by the issue of pedestrian safety. I live in a bustling community with lots of crosswalks and requirements to stop for anyone walking within one. I have seen people nearly get hit by regular ICE cars on many occasions. With all the technology on modern cars you would think it possible to make pedestrian detectors that make sound only when appropriate. Just imagine what it's going to be like in 10 years when dozens of cars are moaning, whining, squealing, buzzing and chirping through retail and commercial districts. It's going to be like feeding time at the wild bird park. Sound pollution is already bad. I hope someone recognizes it's only going to get worse with all the electronic dissonance that's going to ensue.

 

[Nai3t]

... I know I'm conflicted by the issue of pedestrian safety. ...

It's not so much the obvious crossing locations like crosswalks and busy streets, where pedestrians are naturally on high alert.

It's those quiet residential and low traffic streets, stepping out between cars, ducking around the front of a stopped delivery van. Parking lots and driveways, where stationary cars can pop out unexpectedly. Next to cyclists, who are usually moving at 12 to 18 MPH, and who may have to swerve out of the way of an opening car door or pedestrian stepping out, and are relying their hearing for "emergency manuevering" situational awareness.

 

[edid4]

I like the sound which does seem to be getting louder with the miles, 4300 so far. I like people looking puzzled and asking what is that?

I need to change my ID here to Old Guy On The Leading Edge. 😁

 

[Eric Nay]

The analogies to cell phone ringtones are obvious. I want my pedestrian sound to be unique. Give me AC/DC, or a silly person's voice going "Whoop-Whoop!" or the theme song from Star Trek.

 

[Nai3t]

Believe it or not, there has research that went into the tone(s) selected. The idea was that it needed to be obviously directional, so the pedestrian can intuitively and accurately determine what direction the vehicle is coming from, meaning of a low enough frequency not to reflect easily. Some tests looked at two EVs simultaneously approaching from opposite directions, checking whether both could be discerned. The high frequency beeping from trucks we're all used to is so passe.

Cars bleeting random noises might negates some or much of that impact.

 

[voxel]

I might be deaf but I don't hear anything at low speeds (are there any sounds at low speeds on this video

). My ear drums might be toast from all the concerts I attended in my youth.

You mean the pedestrian warning when they walk behind the car? That is an annoying beep but temporary.

 

[Huey52]

Just as there was a lot of research into the military aircraft "bitchin' Betty." They had to find a voice that then-predominately male aviators/pilots would innately pay attention to, but not be so overly nagging to be summarily tuned out (despite the crude moniker it actually works). "Are you listening to me?"

Same for the Garmin navigation lady who has been updating same forever.

I still think I may have gotten a less noticeable pedestrian alert, especially as my wife and I still think it's a rather unique The Jetson's type sound. I was just in an extended 15 mph zone near the beach and the few pedestrians didn't seem to notice. 🤷‍♂️

Believe it or not, there has research that went into the tone(s) selected. The idea was that it needed to be obviously directional, so the pedestrian can intuitively and accurately determine what direction the vehicle is coming from, meaning of a low enough frequency not to reflect easily. Some tests looked at two EVs simultaneously approaching from opposite directions, checking whether both could be discerned. The high frequency beeping from trucks we're all used to is so passe.

Cars bleeting random noises might negates some or much of that impact.

 

[Don]

I'd like to have it play a tape of my Honda CBX at full song! That's get their attention - Nobody's gonna step out in front of THAT!

Don

 

[ChristophW]

My car is definitely louder than what you hear on ID Furkan's video. The 71 dB I measured for backing up in the quoted thread is significantly louder than our Miele vacuum or a person talking. It is in the range of a washing machine or dishwasher up close, for example.

This leads me to two things:

1. As @Huey52 and others stated, not all our cars appear to sound the same volume-wise. Not sure why, but I do hope software updates will cure it.
2. I am sorely tempted to do some sound dampening work like @Electric Driver, but liability concerns are holding me back.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place as it were.

 

[Nai3t]

My car is definitely louder than what you hear on ID Furkan's video.
...

If there's ever an ID.4 meet-up, volume differences will need to be on the agenda of things to check.

 

[bobdavisnpf]

The 71 dB I measured for backing up in the quoted thread is significantly louder than our Miele vacuum or a person talking. It is in the range of a washing machine or dishwasher up close, for example.

With a Dyson vacuum and Bosch washers, we're basically opposite for household-appliance sounds!
I haven't tested but pretty sure our ID4 also tops out at 71dB; at higher speeds it's also got more of the higher tone. At lower speeds it's quieter and more low tones; I kinda like the sounds up to about 14mph.

The Furkan video has got notably less pedestrian warning sound than any of the few ID4's I've heard IRL.