Uninspiring exhaust note

Chesty Bonds · Oct 22, 2004

You might've read recently my thread relating to my horrendously expensive service last week.... Well, it gets worse. I had a new BMW muffler installed on my car and i have to say that i'm totally underwhelmed by the sound. It's true that my old muffler was very loud (it was corroded) but it did sound absolutely fantastic while the engine was under load.

The new muffler has just killed the personality of my car and i'm seriously pissed off, especially since i spent $400 on the bloody thing. I'm thinking i might get the drill onto the new muffler but i'm not sure if it will hinder performance or not... Perhaps some well-directed holes will alleviate my problem?

epj3 · Oct 22, 2004

Get a remus!!! Vroom [:)]

Chesty Bonds · Oct 22, 2004

epj3 said:

After i just blew $400 on the BMW muffler!? I 'aint made of money you know! [hihi]

adrean8j · Oct 22, 2004

See you should have bought the REMUS first for about $100 extra like I did(Actually i have a REMUS Romulus) and have them put it on....hindsight is 20/20 they say! Sorry dude! Do not drill holes in it! Unless you feel like dropping another $400 sometime soon......

Chesty Bonds · Oct 22, 2004

adrean8j said:

Yeah this is why i'm so pissed off! Yeah if i drill the thing it will f***ing corrode in no time from all the unburnt fuel in the exhaust since i dont do many freeway driving. So cut [mad]

E30 318is · Oct 23, 2004

At least there will still be one good sounding 318is in the area mate!

Don't worry, i'll let you have a drive every now and then. [poke]

Chesty Bonds · Oct 23, 2004

E30 318is said:

OMG Trev I'm so cut right now [boxface]

.

finch · Oct 26, 2004

did the guy that serviced your car and put the exaust on consult you before changing it over.. or did he ask what you wanted?.. i reakon just go back to him and say that you not satisfied with the sound, and that you want somethng differant.. then simply tell him fix it.. and dont even concidering paying for it..

Chesty Bonds · Oct 26, 2004

finch said:

Well we both agreed over the phone that we would go for the BMW muffler. I really want to keep my car stock-standard anyway. I guess i was just taken aback by how quiet the new muffler was... and, at the same time, how loud my old one had become!

I do think that the new one will get louder though. Once its been run-in it should sound better. My mechanic said he put the standard muffler on his E30 323i and that it was really quiet until about the 1000km mark. Hopefully, mine gets quite a bit louder over the next few weeks...

e30fr3@k · Oct 26, 2004

Waiting might work...taking it off works too. My car sounded so beefy since the day I bought it. When I took my muffler off (it was loose) I realized why it sounded so good. There wasn't anything inside to dampen anything. Plus it was completely rusted out. All I have are like 1.5 or 2 inch headers flowing into my cat and then right back out again, but no muffler. It sounds great and everyone that I drive with says it's the best they've ever heard. It's just so beefy and powerful sounding when you hit 3000 RPM plus. And it's no more illegal than putting on an after market system. At least in Washington state, it's illegal to have anything other than a stock exhaust system. Doesn't mean the ricers get pulled over or anything, but it's technically a rule.

Chesty Bonds · Oct 27, 2004

e30fr3@k said:

Waiting might work...taking it off works too. My car sounded so beefy since the day I bought it. When I took my muffler off (it was loose) I realized why it sounded so good. There wasn't anything inside to dampen anything. Plus it was completely rusted out. All I have are like 1.5 or 2 inch headers flowing into my cat and then right back out again, but no muffler. It sounds great and everyone that I drive with says it's the best they've ever heard. It's just so beefy and powerful sounding when you hit 3000 RPM plus. And it's no more illegal than putting on an after market system. At least in Washington state, it's illegal to have anything other than a stock exhaust system. Doesn't mean the ricers get pulled over or anything, but it's technically a rule.

I don't get what you mean... [confused]

Maybe you could explain that again??

e30fr3@k · Oct 27, 2004

Here goes: So basically, from personal experience, if you want a beefy sound, take your muffler off. My mechanic recommended against it because he thought it would be too loud. When I took it off at my house, it was no louder than it was before. This was because the muffler wasn't working to begin with, but the moral of this story is that the car really isn't that loud without a muffler...Those rice rockets are many times louder than my car, but the difference is sound quality. I.E., headers sound better than coffee cans. I'm making a video with a friend right now and we'll have some good audio on it..cuz you gotta hear the exhaust, it's absolutely perfect. If I were to get a new engine, I would absolutely keep the exhuast system (even without a muffler).

Chesty Bonds · Oct 27, 2004

So are you saying your car has no muffler!? If i did that the cops would have my arse before i got to the end of my street! Doesn't it look bad too??? I mean, no exhaust-pipe etc.

I'm not having a go at you, i'm just a bit taken-aback really.

adrean8j · Oct 27, 2004

Chesty Bonds said:

I am a bit taken-aback also.....you mean to tell me you took off your muffler and the "man" wont say anything if they were to pull you over and happen to see your cars bare A@!. For some reason I think you are mistaken...but then again I dont live in Washington State(a place known for its....ummmm eccentricity) [thumb]

e30fr3@k · Oct 28, 2004

It looks wierd to me, but you have to know the car to realize that it's missing ...out of sight, out of mind kinda thing, I guess. If they realized it, then ya, they could pull me over and ticket me. In which case I'd say it just fell off recently and I had an appointment with my mechanic to have it fixed. If he doesn't pity me, then he can eat one. My favorite new toy is my dimmer switch for my license plate lights. Just turn 'em off when a cops behind you and when he passes the rear of your car just turn 'em back on and pretend you have no idea what he's talking about. I have yet to try it out on a cop, but it makes me less paranoid about speeding at night.

Chesty Bonds · Oct 28, 2004

Yeah but then there is also the question of back-pressure and the detrimental effect that this will have on your performance... I've gotta give it to you though, you've got balls! [hihi]

Militant-Grunt · Oct 28, 2004

Dont you loose horsepower if you take out the muffler?

Ben · Oct 28, 2004

youd probably gain a little top end hp, and loose some torque, because theres not enough back pressure. my crown vic sounded awsome when the muffler fell off, (dirt roads are fun in a boat) but it really wasnt as loud as i had expected... i guess the 2 cats had something to do with it.......

Chesty Bonds · Oct 28, 2004

Militant-Grunt said:

Indeed you would. My mechanic told me that the E30 exhaust system (3" right the way through for the four-pot) is very efficient anyway.... I just think it's a little bit QUIET [hihi]

Ben · Oct 28, 2004

my stock exhaust sounds amazing. its a few years old (and i think its rusting from the inside out) but it sounds awsome.

Uninspiring exhaust note

2

Senior Member

2

1000 Post Club

2

Member

2

Member

2

2

2

2

2

1000 Post Club

2

2

2

Active Member

2

Active Member