T6 4motion white noise inside van, standard or problem?

kiteboardkid

Member
T6 Pro
Before Christmas I sold my trusty T5 t32 LWB camper (2005) after owning it for 15 years and have replaced it with a T6 T32 4motion (with diff lock) LWB Kombi (2018). I wanted to go Swamper this time around rather than another lowered van. It is a very highly spec'd van, full service history with 39,000mls. It came with an aftermarket but nice Bulkhead fitted behind the second row seats. I have just removed this (6x screws) only to find the white noise level in the back has gone up considerably! The van has already been insulated and carpeted, so after reading on here and assuming it was probably the wheel arches (especially now its' been lifted and sits on BFG K02 tyres), I set about removing the carpet and adding 3mm silent coat and then 5mm DeadSound Thermal SD, then finished them with the ABS plastic covers from Vanstyle. Great I thought that'll do it! Much to my dismay it didn't seem to make much difference. Yesterday I got in the back whilst my wife drove, it was then very obvious the vast amount of white noise was coming from the centre of van floor, slightly in front (6 inches) of the rear diff, i.e. where the Haldex clutch is probably situated. The van floor already has the standard VW thick rubber sponge mat but this isn't doing much. Are these 4motion models really that noisy around the rear diff or do I have a potential problem here? It isn't a whining but more just white noise. I'll try and take it to my mechanic later this week to get his opinion before then going to my local VW van centre in Basingstoke.

I have read this Thread about sound insulating the floor area and note what... bttb Garry (#30) has done to his 4motion.. so will probably do the same to my floor.
Road and wind noise too high even after sound deadening

Any other 4motion drivers noticed this noise issue?

Thanks.
 
Hi I have the same spec van other than 2017 and did notice a decent reduction in the road noise when the wheel arches were insulated and carpet lined with no other obvious road noise from the van floor. I run standard road tyres.
If there is noise from the diff well worth getting it checked as you intend. One other thing when the van was lifted did you fit the rear diff spacers recommended for the 4 motion. I still have to fit my new suspension so don’t know yet if the spacers or lack of them would affect the noise level.
 
Hi I have the same spec van other than 2017 and did notice a decent reduction in the road noise when the wheel arches were insulated and carpet lined with no other obvious road noise from the van floor. I run standard road tyres.
If there is noise from the diff well worth getting it checked as you intend. One other thing when the van was lifted did you fit the rear diff spacers recommended for the 4 motion. I still have to fit my new suspension so don’t know yet if the spacers or lack of them would affect the noise level.
No, I did consider the spacer kit but was told it's really not that necessary unless you go really high, more that 30mm lift. I thought they were quite pricey for a 2x bolts and 3x discs, £75 from TransporterHQ! Might make up my own. I will discuss with my mechanic.

When I went to my local VW van centre about 6 weeks ago they offered me an extended warranty, which I took them up on for piece of mind. You get 2x MOT, 2x Services (major & minor), 2 years road side assistance and 2 years warranty for £888. If I do have an issue with rear diff then I bloody hope this warranty will cover it!
 
Update:

Nothing wrong with the Diff or Haldex.... It's the BFG K02 tyres that are making all the noise. Even a VW main dealer, Transmission Specialist and independent Mechanic all said that is a Diff issue! As soon as I swap the wheels/tyres back to normal spec (road tyres) the noise from the rear is perfectly normal and acceptable.
I have gone to town with the sound deadening/spoofing and still it's no better, also tried different tyre pressures 35-65psi.
Now looking to change to the Yokohama Geolandar G015 or Falken Wildpeak instead.
 
Update:

Nothing wrong with the Diff or Haldex.... It's the BFG K02 tyres that are making all the noise. Even a VW main dealer, Transmission Specialist and independent Mechanic all said that is a Diff issue! As soon as I swap the wheels/tyres back to normal spec (road tyres) the noise from the rear is perfectly normal and acceptable.
I have gone to town with the sound deadening/spoofing and still it's no better, also tried different tyre pressures 35-65psi.
Now looking to change to the Yokohama Geolandar G015 or Falken Wildpeak instead.
Have you considered Michelin Agilis?
 
Update:

Nothing wrong with the Diff or Haldex.... It's the BFG K02 tyres that are making all the noise. Even a VW main dealer, Transmission Specialist and independent Mechanic all said that is a Diff issue! As soon as I swap the wheels/tyres back to normal spec (road tyres) the noise from the rear is perfectly normal and acceptable.
I have gone to town with the sound deadening/spoofing and still it's no better, also tried different tyre pressures 35-65psi.
Now looking to change to the Yokohama Geolandar G015 or Falken Wildpeak instead.
Michelin latitudes are awesome I run these on my t5.1 4motion great all rounder with more of road tyre characteristics.
 
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