Technical Quietening the Diesel Clatter

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Technical Quietening the Diesel Clatter

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My son has recently bought a 165 M-jet Sport. Loves the car and it's a great engine, but...it is rather noisy for a modern diesel. So I've just fitted a Noise Killer engine blanket.

As a fair test, I told him I'd done something to the car, but he had to spot what it was. First time he drove it: '...wow, the engine's a lot quieter, what have you done to it?'.

I'm well pleased with the result. If you're interested, I bought the blanket shown on thier website for the Vauxhall Astra, as it has an additional panel that fits behind the engine between it and the bulkhead. But I specified that the larger of the two blankets was increased in width to 600mm to fully cover the Bravo engine (their Astra blanket is 500 x 400 and 330 x 270 as standard). They will make any custom design you specify.

http://www.nkgroup.co.uk/product/vehicle-acoustic-engine-blankets/

Cost of mine was £75 inc VAT plus £12 shipping.
 
I find the idea of that a little scary, maybe it just me but I would be concerned about laying anything on top of the engine as it could cause unwanted effects, localised heat spots and so on. We have a delta limited with the same 165 engine and tbh whilst it is not the quietest unit I can't say that it is all that noisy especially at speed, might be worth trying a dose of Wurth fuel cure to see if engine quietens up?

Interesting site though and if I ever finish it I might talk to them about material for my lancia beta as it looks like good stuff.
 
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My son has recently bought a 165 M-jet Sport. Loves the car and it's a great engine, but...it is rather noisy for a modern diesel. So I've just fitted a Noise Killer engine blanket.

As a fair test, I told him I'd done something to the car, but he had to spot what it was. First time he drove it: '...wow, the engine's a lot quieter, what have you done to it?'.

I'm well pleased with the result. If you're interested, I bought the blanket shown on thier website for the Vauxhall Astra, as it has an additional panel that fits behind the engine between it and the bulkhead. But I specified that the larger of the two blankets was increased in width to 600mm to fully cover the Bravo engine (their Astra blanket is 500 x 400 and 330 x 270 as standard). They will make any custom design you specify.

http://www.nkgroup.co.uk/product/vehicle-acoustic-engine-blankets/

Cost of mine was £75 inc VAT plus £12 shipping.

As far as I know the mjet diesel unit is very quiet.I would suggest you take it to the Fiat mechanic and they change the oil with the right one with oil filterfor starters.
Compared to our BMW 1 1.8d and TDI Golf 6 it is very quiet, unless there is something wrong.Good luck

Ps:I would not cover any engine with that blanket
 
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As far as I know the mjet diesel unit is very quiet.I would suggest you take it to the Fiat mechanic and they change the oil with the right one with oil filterfor starters.

Ps:I would not cover any engine with that blanket

From the comment '...as far as I know...' I assume you've never actually heard it. I've driven many modern diesels and, trust me, compared to the opposition the 165 is noisy. And please don't insult my intelligence about changing the oil - it was done within two days of taking delivery of the car.

And as for your P.S. - each to his own. These forums are for exchanging information - which you are free to disagree with and ignore.
 
Did not want to insult you, I own a mjet and my father has a Croma 110kW and both engines are quiet compared to our company cars which I ussually drive and which are BMW1 and Golf 6 as I wrote above.Regarding oil changes, I have seen it all, as the customer was sure the car was serviced etc. After inspection nothing was done.People usually do not check anything and never read any manuals.They just come up with funny solutions or complain. Kind regards.
 
If that were true, FIAT wouldn't fit a thick, sound-absorbing layer to the engine cover and a sound-absorbing blanket to the bonnet, at the factory...

Yes but their additions are put through thorough testing adding additional covers could lead to small areas of excess heat in the engine bay which could have long term effects such as premature aging of cam belt
 
From the comment '...as far as I know...' I assume you've never actually heard it. I've driven many modern diesels and, trust me, compared to the opposition the 165 is noisy. And please don't insult my intelligence about changing the oil - it was done within two days of taking delivery of the car.

And as for your P.S. - each to his own. These forums are for exchanging information - which you are free to disagree with and ignore.

Unfortunately for you, he is more than entitled to voice his opinion. Regardless of whether he agrees or not.

The comment of "disagree with and ignore" isn't at all productive for a forum. If we all did that, it would be a forum full of "great tips" with no-one offering alternative suggestions or criticism etc etc. I suggest if you don't want people to criticise what you say then don't post it publicly for people to read (y)

I would say that the 165 isn't noisy. Could I please ask what year your car was produced? The facelift Bravo features improved sound insulation which is what I expect was the problem to start with, rather than the engine itself.

It's unfair to compare a Bravo diesel to a Golf diesel for example. Because that Golf might have far superior sound proofing..

Each to their own on an engine blanket. I wouldn't personally fit one though..

**Sit's back and waits to be flamed**
 
Swift/ Shaun would be the guy to ask about that :)

He's owned both a diesel 57 plate, and he's just purchased one of the newer 13 plate diesels and said that it was markedly quieter on the motorway etc.

I would guess they just spent more time and attention to detail. Sometimes be car feels like money saving measures have been made on my car - it's petrol but the road roar on the motorway - especially in the wet is fairly poor.

I don't think it would of broke FIAT's bank if they had of spent just that little bit extra at the factory adding some more layers of deadening. But what it would do is create a more quality feeling product.
 
I suspect they get noisier with age which is why I suggested trying fuel cure, either I notice it more or our Delta is a bit noisier at 25k than when we got it at 10k but I wouldn't say that it is noisy enough for me to be concerned or spend money on it. It is very quiet when cruising less so for low speed acceleration but with the radio on can't say either that it's ever too prominent. The delta does have noise absorbent windscreen glass and a noise absorbing roof panel don't know if bravo is the same?
 
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I find the idea of that a little scary, maybe it just me but I would be concerned about laying anything on top of the engine as it could cause unwanted effects, localised heat spots and so on.

I put your 'hot spots' issue to Noise Killer, and while you may well argue 'they would say that wouldn't they'...here is their response:

The web has opened a big big world to the armchair specialists who are experts at things they have no training in. The engine blankets do not encompass the whole engine, and as such there is plenty of air movement around the blanket – it’s not a tight fit as you will know from yours.

We have been making and selling engine blankets for over 15 years and we have never had a problem like your web friends suggest. We have driven our Company vehicles during this time with blankets fitted and kept a close watch on things.

We are used to this type thing on forums. Often nerds suggest that roof flash band is good for sound proofing and buy it at BandQ. Funny, I've never seen anyone from Rolls Royce in BandQ with a roll of flash band under his arm at the checkout.

We have spent years researching and working with the best manufacturers, so you can rest assured you are buying from the BEST.
 
I put your 'hot spots' issue to Noise Killer, and while you may well argue 'they would say that wouldn't they'...here is their response:

The web has opened a big big world to the armchair specialists who are experts at things they have no training in. The engine blankets do not encompass the whole engine, and as such there is plenty of air movement around the blanket – it’s not a tight fit as you will know from yours.

We have been making and selling engine blankets for over 15 years and we have never had a problem like your web friends suggest. We have driven our Company vehicles during this time with blankets fitted and kept a close watch on things.

We are used to this type thing on forums. Often nerds suggest that roof flash band is good for sound proofing and buy it at BandQ. Funny, I've never seen anyone from Rolls Royce in BandQ with a roll of flash band under his arm at the checkout.

We have spent years researching and working with the best manufacturers, so you can rest assured you are buying from the BEST.

Well I never said it would definitely be an issue but it must have some influence even if loosely fitted, I don't doubt that materially it's a good product and as said I may investigate their products for my beta coupe when it is ready. What flash banding has got to do with it I don't know and I may have been called an anorak but rarely a nerd ;-)
 
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That sort of response puts me off them as a company anyway.

"Armchair specialists" and "nerds" aren't really words I would expect from a "professional" - it certainly won't convince any armchair forum nerds to purchase one.

I guess the fact that they have been making them for 15 years, yet I have never heard of such a product proves how popular their business is (y)

The main issue with this, is they are never going to 100% tell the truth. Are they really going to turn around and say "yes, it can cause hot spots, engines can overheat, sorry for selling you one". For very obvious reasons they are going to paint their product in the best light :)

No-one on this forum professes themselves as experts, at least I hope they don't. However, as I've said before, rightly or wrongly everyone is entitled to their opinion regardless of right or wrong. That's the beauty of the internet.


EDIT: I must stress, I don't have any issues with other people using this product, I'm sure it's okay... each to their own!
 
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That sort of response puts me off them as a company anyway.

"Armchair specialists" and "nerds" aren't really words I would expect from a "professional" - it certainly won't convince any armchair forum nerds to purchase one.

I guess the fact that they have been making them for 15 years, yet I have never heard of such a product proves how popular their business is (y)

The main issue with this, is they are never going to 100% tell the truth. Are they really going to turn around and say "yes, it can cause hot spots, engines can overheat, sorry for selling you one". For very obvious reasons they are going to paint their product in the best light :)

No-one on this forum professes themselves as experts, at least I hope they don't. However, as I've said before, rightly or wrongly everyone is entitled to their opinion regardless of right or wrong. That's the beauty of the internet.


EDIT: I must stress, I don't have any issues with other people using this product, I'm sure it's okay... each to their own!


If the product was made for specific models rather than a sort of one or two sizes fits all approach and they were able to answer by saying each application is thoroughly tested I would be more confident, I think it is very unlikely to cause actual engine overheating and it may well work fine just makes me feel uneasy mainly because it just appears wrong but I am a sad case!

Incidentally I would be interested to hear the longer term experience of the OP on this product and should add I always appreciate folk contributing about potentially useful products or mods not trying to flame anyone.
 
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I've been driving diesels on the road for over 13years, my 165 is the quietest diesel I've used?

My list
Ford fiesta
Renault kangoo
Citroen dispatch
Transit connect
1989 transit van
2000 transit van
Caddy 1.9
New caddy 1.6
My friends mini is way noisier than our bravo???
 
Not really a very representative selection mostly commercials or van derived cars (if there is such a thing?). I think a 165 is neither exceptionally quiet nor particularly noisy as with most modern diesels cruising at speed is fairly quiet low speed acceleration and idle less so. Never annoyingly noisy though.
 
Suppose I just remember the days of Old diesels :D
[ame]http://youtu.be/Q1ANY9NqcoY[/ame]
 
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