I insulated the hatch with B-quiet and also sprayed the back of the plastic panel with sound deadening foam (obtained from a stereo shop, not too sure how effective it really is). I broke two of the eight mounting pegs on the plastic panel upon prying it from the hatch. I was being really careful but it is a pain to remove this panel. I was able to use the remaining six pegs to fasten it back to the hatch without any problems. There has been a sound reduction of about 40% especially below 3000rpm and above 4000rpm. The droning between 3000 and 4000 rpm is still there but with less resonance. Thanks Natey, you were right about the hatch and the side panel.
I bought some high temp paint (clear color for engines) and sprayed the heat shield right above the exhaust. There was no reduction in sound or resonance. Wasted Cdn $8.
I also sprayed Rubberized Guard in the wheel wells. Bought two cans from Wal-Mart for Cdn $10. Made a big difference in the road noise from the tires. (Now I can hear the drone from the exhaust even better). This is something I would recommend.
The Mazda dealer has suggested changing the tip to one with a smaller diameter. I dont have that much experience with exhausts so please tell me what you think of this suggestion.
I bought some high temp paint (clear color for engines) and sprayed the heat shield right above the exhaust. There was no reduction in sound or resonance. Wasted Cdn $8.
I also sprayed Rubberized Guard in the wheel wells. Bought two cans from Wal-Mart for Cdn $10. Made a big difference in the road noise from the tires. (Now I can hear the drone from the exhaust even better). This is something I would recommend.
The Mazda dealer has suggested changing the tip to one with a smaller diameter. I dont have that much experience with exhausts so please tell me what you think of this suggestion.
