Having had time this long weekend to sit down and sort through all the pictures I took over the summer, finally decided to do a write-up on my B6 sound deadening project I completed about a month or so back. I am no car stereo buff, but just a guy who likes a quiet and comfortable ride... especially on the highways.

While our B6's are pretty quiet compared to standard cars, there is always room for improvement. Plus any chance to tear apart the interior does give one a much more intimate relationship with the vehicle.

First off, I looked at the various sound deadening materials and came to the conclusion that RAAMmat BXT came in at the price/quality point that I was looking for. Ordered up two rolls of BXT (125 sq. ft total) and 7 yards of
Ensolite closed cell foam and 3 cans of spray adhesive.

Rick from RAAMaudio has to be the best guys out there, always willing to answer questions, honest, knowledgeable and a pleasure to do business with.

In addition to all the necessary tools (knives, screwdrivers and so forth) used during this project, one of the most invaluable tools I had was a fabric tape measure. When you are laying mat where there are dips and curves a regular ruler or tape measure will not do. The fabric tape measure gives you dead on what you have to cut off the roll.

Once my order arrived, the first part of the car I decided to tackle was the doors. Bentley and tools in hand, I eventually got all the door panels and trim off and started laying the BXT.

I first put a layer on the cabin side of the outer door skin, using trim sticks and tiny hands to get the mat into those hard to reach places. After the first layer, rapping my knuckles on the outside of the door made it sound and feel like it was armored. Behind each door speaker went two additional layers of mat 10" x 10" and a square of Ensolite over top of it.

Driver Door


Rear-Left Passenger Door


A second layer was put on the cabin side of the "inner" door skin. Some of the access holes have OEM plastic covers over them, while other smaller holes had nothing. I fabricated from roof flashing metal small inserts and used silicone sealant to keep them in place. These access holes were then covered with a layer of mat.

Rear-Left Passenger Door with Fabricated Access Covers


Front Passenger Door Sealed Up


Once sealed up, the doors were covered with a layer of Ensolite closed-cell foam. It can be a little slow going at first as you try not to waste foam, but once you start laying the foam it goes on like butter.

Rear-Left Passenger Door with Ensolite


I was worried about the window regulator motor not sitting flush with the door once the mat and Ensolite were on. I left a little area under where the motor would sit uncovered with mat, but did cover it with Ensolite. Due to Ensolite's great compression factor, the motor went on and went flush with the door.

Next step was to put back the OEM foam on each door. The foam bulged out where the access holes were and I was concerned that the door panel would not fit back properly.

Rear-Left Passenger Door with OEM Foam Re-Installed


Before putting the door cards back on, I tapped the back of each card and if it resonated put a scrap or two of mat on that spot.

Rear-Left Passenger Door with Panel Re-Installed


All four doors were deadened, although the right-rear passenger door was left about 75% matted and without Ensolite as there is a ding I want to get removed by PDR before fully completing the door.

The deadened and re-assembled doors feel a little heavier now and give a re-assuring thunk when being closed... think Presidential limousine.

A couple tests drives revealed that indeed the car was more quieter, however I could tell now that there was remaining noise coming up through the floor... so that would be the next phase of the project.

Stripping down the interior of the B6 is a definite learning experience, while I did not keep exact track it definitely took me the better part of a week to get it down to bare metal all the while avoiding any damage to anything (with the exception of a few scuffs on plastic).

While I didn't originally intend on removing the glovebox, one of the tabs on my radio seemed to be stuck so I had to remove the glovebox and using a mirror and long tweezers push the remaining tab in so the radio would pop.

Interior Down to Bare Metal




Impressively enough, there was a good amount of sound deadening on the front footwells. There was little resonance from this area, though the rear footwells were a much different story.

I started laying the BXT on the driver's side of the car and rear seat area, using as large sections as possible and saving any scraps to use in the smaller areas. I then continued on and laid large sections on the passenger side.

Initial Matting








Although I may have laid more mat than needed in some spots, I believed it was better to use too much than too little. The teardown itself took forever so best to be safe than sorry and be liberal with the BXT.

After laying the first layer, I added a second small layer on the sides of the transmission tunnel and all footwell areas.

Coverage






















The BXT have being laid to my satisfaction, it was time to tidy up the job with a layer of Ensolite foam. It was a little like a jigsaw puzzle trying to fit piece it all together and minimize any waste. I managed to get the
entire floor and underneath the rear seat laid with about 5 or 6 pieces.

Ensolite Application













Re-Installation and Placement of Vents and Seat Wiring Harnesses







Having the interior out, I considered whether to attack the roof. Had to remove a lot of the pillar trim and sunroof frame to get to the headliner, but I think the end justified the means. It's highly suggested to have someone help you with the headliner because when it wants to come down... it will come down whether you are ready or not. Before removing the sunroof frame, try and tape up the sliding headliner cover as the grease from the tracks seems to get all over it... thankfully Mr. Clean Magic Eraser came to the rescue.

I suspected there was some sort of factory deadening and once the headliner was out, it was confirmed. The factory deadening is a layer of very thin and crunchy foam glued onto a thick paper, not very impressive.

Factory Deadening


Roof - Looking Forward


BXT Installed on Roof




Only the rear part of the roof can really have mat laid on it, as anything forward of it is sunroof or too small to require deadening. A layer of Ensolite was also applied to the roof.

With the roof complete, it was time to reinstall the carpet. Thanks to a family member who shall remain nameless, the carpet was thoroughly cleaned of vicious salt and coffee stains, courtesy of the previous owner. Getting the carpet to lay properly was a little tough, but with some muscle and pushing and shoving it all went back into place without any real fitment issues.

Reinstallation of Carpet and Interior Trim






Drivers Seat Re-Installed


The rest of the car went back together pretty easy. It amazes me how easy it goes back together in comparison to how long it took to take it apart.

The only real fitment issue that I encountered and have pretty much surrendered to is the plastic trim that covers the front of the seat tracks against the transmission tunnel. They seem to get caught if you move the seat forward too much, not a big deal so I just leave them off.

I did not elect to tackle the trunk as I wanted to evaluate the level of deadening offered by the work so far. I do have enough mat to do a cursory job in the trunk, but that will have to wait for another day.

Now for the results... driving the car is a much quieter and comfortable experience. You soon learn how much wind noise is put out by the side mirrors. When raining there is also a very noticeable difference. Where the roof once "pinged", the rain sounds muted and distant.

I did some quick SPL readings which on their own may not mean much as I neglected to take "before" readings prior to starting this project. SPL meter was located in center console "pocket" near the gearshift. The radio and all accessories were off and windows rolled up for the readings.

2002 A4 - 3.0L - All Stock

Ambient In-Car (Engine Off) - 27 dbA
Engine On - Idle 750rpm - 40 dbA
60 km/h - 58 dbA
80 km/h - 60.5 dbA
100 km/h - 62 dbA

I suspect these numbers would be even lower if I had decent tires. The previous owner outfitted the car with "Hercules" Z-Rated tires all around... which emphasize price, more than quality. A decent tire or even a quiet tire will probably bring these numbers down somewhat.

Overall, if you are looking for a quieter more comfortable ride then I would not hesitate to recommend using RAAMmat BXT in your A4. The work can be quite trying at times, but based on my experience the results are well worth the effort.

--END--

2002 Brilliant Black A4 3.0 QT
Almost as stock as the day she left .DE
Tech Articles: B6 Sound Deadening - Symphony II -> II+ & SAT Radio Upgrade