DIY: Golf tee mod / exhaust flapper disable w/ pictures

[1013mm]

Originally Posted by No234

Hey, does this work on a 128? I went under my car today in the morning and I didn't find that black and yellow cable to kink. Is there a different way to do it for the 128?

should be.

[No234]

There's one rubber black tube that runs from one thing to like this big black plastic sort of round thing ( the Actuator is what it is i think im not sure?) witch is connected to the side of the exhaust is that it? Sorry if I sound dumb but I don't want to be kinking the wrong tubes haha. I think the none yellow in the tube is throwing me off but I don't know if its the same. Better pictures or something would be great. Thank you

[1013mm]

Originally Posted by No234

There's one rubber black tube that runs from one thing to like this big black plastic sort of round thing ( the Actuator is what it is i think im not sure?) witch is connected to the side of the exhaust is that it? Sorry if I sound dumb but I don't want to be kinking the wrong tubes haha. I think the none yellow in the tube is throwing me off but I don't know if its the same. Better pictures or something would be great. Thank you

the black tube.

[backtoreality15]

Well my experience with the 128i is that when cold-starting, the exhaust is much deeper, and then quiets down once the car warms up. It seems to be the opposite of what should be happening? For the record I have done the golf tee mod before and have removed it. I hope that didnt damage the actuator.

Any ideas?

[No234]

Nah I turned my car on today and it was so deep my ears were ringing then once I drove off it was quite, I guess its just our car? I have never done the golf tee mod I was trying but I failed so I took it as a sign that I should just not do it haha..

[1013mm]

Originally Posted by No234

Nah I turned my car on today and it was so deep my ears were ringing then once I drove off it was quite, I guess its just our car? I have never done the golf tee mod I was trying but I failed so I took it as a sign that I should just not do it haha..

what?????? its supposed to sound like a rumble.... maybe you messed with the wrong tube.

[No234]

Nah I tried zip tieing the tube you told me but it was being a pain so I just gave up so I didn't do anything to the car, but that's how my car usually sounds deep in the beginning and then it goes quieter unfortunately....

[supraking]

I can actually hear my flap open and close while I'm driving, which I don't like (sounds like something is loose under my car), so I'm taking it back to the dealership and telling them to either quiet it down or plug it up. If they don't do either I'll attempt the mod myself. Hopefully it's not too complicated on a 128 :P

[jeremyc74]

Originally Posted by backtoreality15

Well my experience with the 128i is that when cold-starting, the exhaust is much deeper, and then quiets down once the car warms up. It seems to be the opposite of what should be happening? For the record I have done the golf tee mod before and have removed it. I hope that didnt damage the actuator.

Any ideas?

That's normal. The 135i is the exact same way. I think the flap defaults to the open position, and then closes as the vacuum builds. That's why taking the vacuum line off, or plugging it up makes the valve stay open all the time. When you first start the car it takes a second for vacuum to build up in the entire system.

[bimmerboy]

just tried this mod out for kicks.... IMO its actually quieter at startup, and only a little louder around low rpms.. The only time I was impressed is when putting around 1800rpms in 4th gear, flooring it gives a nasty bark... Up top it sounds the same though.
No noticeable power increase/decrease.

I was hoping for more i guess. I think the E90/92 335s have a much nicer sounding factory exhaust, plus the golf tee mod makes a more noticeable difference for them.

[ad78]

not much of a difference. unlike the .:R32 golf tee mod = best sounding stock $30K car

[plasar]

Dinan did this mod for me when I got my Stage 2. I really can't tell much of a difference. If you want a big change in exhaust sound, I think you need a sports exhaust.

I wish I could A/B - we need a golf tee hooked up to a cable mod!

[supraking]

As I said a while back, I could actually hear the flap while driving and it was really annoying, so I took it back to BMW to fix it. They ordered a new muffler and exhaust, installed it all, and to my dismay, the same thing is happening. Going out now to zip-tie the hose and will report back.

[supraking]

Did the mod yesterday. Zip-tied the hose while still plugged into the actuator and verified that no pressure was seeping through (let it idle for a while and no flap movement was noticed).

I can definitely say this made a big difference to the sound on my 128. My car sounds so mean at low RPMs or with little load. FYI, the mechanic at BMW told me the flap is triggered by a combination of RPM and load (how hard you step on the peddle). In first and second gear my engine sounds much louder from 0 to 2000 RPM, and when using engine compression to slow down in higher gears, it's much louder than before. Great mod!!

[Mega Man]

Question: If you haven't done this, is your flap open or closed when the engine is off?

[Jay's128i]

I believe closed, but I cant tell now. I did the mod with a crimp tie and when I took it off,the flap stayed open and has been since.

[jeremyc74]

Originally Posted by Mega Man

Question: If you haven't done this, is your flap open or closed when the engine is off?

Mine seems to be open, and it stays that way for the first few minutes after I start the car. The idle is pretty loud for a few minutes, then quiets down to normal. I'm thinking it takes a second for the vacuum to build, but it may be a function of how they're controlling the valve.

[Mega Man]

Mine is open when the engine is off, and I haven't done this.

[supraking]

Just to clarify for everyone... DEFAULT (when the car is off) position of the flap is OPEN. When the car is started, air pressure is applied to the actuator through the vacuum hose, which in turn causes the flap to CLOSE. It REOPENS when increased RPMs and/or throttle load are present, and CLOSES AGAIN when revs/load drop back down.

Originally Posted by jeremyc74

Mine seems to be open, and it stays that way for the first few minutes after I start the car. The idle is pretty loud for a few minutes, then quiets down to normal. I'm thinking it takes a second for the vacuum to build, but it may be a function of how they're controlling the valve.

The car isn't loud for the first minute or two because of the flap... in fact, you can hear the flap close right after you start your car. It's just loud because the engine is warming up (or something similar, I'm not really that educated when it comes to BMW engines, someone else care to chime in?).

For those who want to see it, the flap pivots on a vertical axle in the center of the left exhaust pipe, about 8-10" in. It rotates 90 degrees from a closed to open position. Stand outside your door, start your car, and run back quickly to hear/see it close.

[Mega Man]

I started my car up with the windows down and no music on a few times. You can hear the flap close. It's actually quite noticeable if you're listening for it.

[imoz]

I did this on Sunday... I used a zip tie. Simple! It sounds mean, I love it.

[RaceTime]

I did this at an autocross, my time dropped .05 seconds the next run...either better throttle response, placebo effect or just a tighter nut behind the wheel...LOL!