[Foveator]

I got to take my Ascent Touring out on the highway today.

I punched it at about 65 mph to about 80+ mph. The turbo was effortless, smooth and quick. The steering and ride were spot on smooth and very comfortable, on par with any luxury car.


What I did notice was a resonant hum in the car at about 80 mph. Being a geek, I happen to have a sound spectrum analyzer on my phone and measured the resonant hum to be almost exactly at 200 Hz, a sound comparable to the the G under middle C on a piano.


The underlying question is where is it coming from? This is obviously a new design from the ground up. Could it have been tire noise? Air vibrating the roof racks? My guess is that it has something to do with the rigidity of the frame, but it was repeatable every time I reached that speed.


At first I though it might have been from the radio, but it was there with the radio off.
Has anyone else noticed this? If you listen, I'll bet it's there. It sounds like a midrange hum.

(I had a similar problem with my 1980 TR7 convertible between 55 and 70 mph, but that was traced to structural issues with the convertible design. It actually vibrated at that speed.)

 

[traildogck]

The tires.

Read the Car&Driver article on the Ascent. It's called road noise or general NVH. Check your tire pressures #1. Subaru is notorious for high pressure at delivery ... and sh*tty delivery rubber.

 

[traildogck]

My guess is that it has something to do with the rigidity of the frame, but it was repeatable every time I reached that speed.

Hmmm ... is it in your butt? I wonder if it is the CVT mount if not the tires.

 

[Foveator]

It's not so much a vibration as a noise.... a sort of hollow noise, if that makes an sense at all. It didn't seem to affect the ride at all.

 

[Brian Haugen]

This sounds like road/tire noise. It's well-known about. While I haven't used a spectrum analyzer, I've heard a similar hum at speed on some roads (in the Portland area, freeway/highway roads vary widely). The suspension absorbs some of it, but just right road at just the right speed can really make it significant.

 

[Trey T]

If you're hearing things from above your head, potentially it could be contributed by sunroof. The sunroof has drainage channel to convey any fluid away.

Any cabin that has holes poked thru (i.e. sunroof cutout for movable glass, or firewall with ancillary objects passed thru) and doors not sealed properly, you'll have air leaking into, causing a wide spectrum of sound level

 

[mr.paul]

I also noticed that. Reminds me of the tone a tire would make if you rang it like a bell. Like if you thumped a balloon, but it "rings" on as you drive.

 

[Ey31]

The cars just telling you to show down, you've passed the speed limit. ??Jk.

 

[Foveator]

BTW, the tires on my Ascent are the Falken ZIEX ZE001.. 245/50R20. I don't know if these are the only 20" tires offered as OEM tires.

 

[Foveator]

I also noticed that. Reminds me of the tone a tire would make if you rang it like a bell. Like if you thumped a balloon, but it "rings" on as you drive.

I was comparing with an '18 Outback at 80mph today. Not a hint of hum or tire noise with it.

 

[[email protected]]

I’ll bet it’s tire noise...I was told the Falken’s are the only tire offered. I’ll try them out but I had similar issues on our Ford Flex. When I changed to Continental ExtremeContacts on the 20” wheels, the drop in noise was incredible and I got 40,000 Miles out of them. It came with Goodyear Eagles which were lousy.

 

[Orestes85]

I’ll bet it’s tire noise...I was told the Falken’s are the only tire offered. I’ll try them out but I had similar issues on our Ford Flex. When I changed to Continental ExtremeContacts on the 20” wheels, the drop in noise was incredible and I got 40,000 Miles out of them. It came with Goodyear Eagles which were lousy.

was going to recommend conti extreme contacts as well. great tires.

 

[GHP1]

Don't rule out a bad wheel bearing even at your mileage

 

[Foveator]

With lots of new members, have any of you noticed a hollow sounding hum that starts at speeds above 75mph? (If not, perhaps a wheel bearing after all.) If this is a tire issue with the 20" tires, everyone should have it.

 

[traildogck]

was going to recommend conti extreme contacts as well. great tires.

Great Tires...Cherry is wearing

 

[Mainland_newfie]

What i was hearing was like a high pitch whistle at about 50mph

 

[Robert.Mauro]

Do you have roof rails installed?

If you have the roof rails installed on your Ascent, make sure they're installed correctly. There's been a bunch installed backwards, or one backward and one properly.

The thick edge faces forward, like a raindrop falling - thick part faces into the wind.