Horrendous Sound Downpipes and Midpipes!!!

[widbimmer]

I have installed the MadDad midpipes and the AR catlless downpipes on my 1M (I've kept the original catback) and the sound is AWFUL!

I don't know if any of you guys have that same problem. But for me it sounds like a 1996 Nissan Sentra with a corroded exhasut!!! Yes it's that BAD!!!

The only thing I haven't installed, were, the gaskets that come with the Downpipes... And I was wondering if I by switching the stock gaskets it might improve the sound or If I need another catback???

I really need some expert help! thanks

[Artemis]

Catless downpipes = noise and smell galore.

If you don't want to re-install the stock N54 midpipe, swap the Maddad midpipe (loud) with the N55 midpipe (less loud):
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=662265

[widbimmer]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Catless downpipes = noise and smell galore.

If you don't want to re-install the stock N54 midpipe, swap the Maddad midpipe (loud) with the N55 midpipe (less loud):
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=662265

Don't get me wrong about the noise! I do like it, the problem here is that it isn't a pleasent loud noise!!! It sounds very bad! that's why I was thinking if it might have something to do with the gaskets!

[Ian///M]

Put the OEM DP's back on

[Acetech]

I've got AR's and stock mid and rear exhaust and the sound is great, just slightly more aggressive that stock, and no smell with stock mid section.
I used stock gaskets and have no leaks and my pipes are not rubbing on anything.
Check your install for pipes contacting or leaks

[widbimmer]

Originally Posted by Acetech

I've got AR's and stock mid and rear exhaust and the sound is great, just slightly more aggressive that stock, and no smell with stock mid section.
I used stock gaskets and have no leaks and my pipes are not rubbing on anything.
Check your install for pipes contacting or leaks

Are your AR DP's catless?

I don't know if removing the DP's or the Midpipes...

[Acetech]

Yes, catless

[ADVANT123]

Sounds like an install issue potentially. Any sound clips you can share?

[amgthis]

I have BMS dps and op top of smelling bad, I have tons of drone. Might go back to stock

[RnmEvo9]

Put your OEM midpipe back in.

[ozinaldo]

I believe the best part of 1M exhaust components is the down pipes, not perfect maybe but still they seem to be allright. It is the section that by keeping it stock we save most buck, avoid gas smell and any kind of engine/ECU issue.

I find both the rear muffler and mid pipe as worse by design or at least they are more restrictive than necessary. The muffler is too big, heavy and visible with questionable built quality and it is too quiet for this type of a car while the tips are also not the best design, too plain.

The mid pipe is probably the main source of excessive drone and it is restrictive due to second pair of cats plus a resonator and I don't even go to resonator being a dummy/a pseudo box arguement. Mid pipes are also heavy like the muffler.

If there is one section worth keeping, that is the down pipes since changing them is quite costly and never without downsides plus the gains are reported to be less than you want it to be after all that headache, that's what some reputable tuners themselves concluded, like GIAC. Unless you want an aggressive tune which needs catless dps that does not seem to be cost effective to change them.

The mids should go first imo, alternative being the muffler or both sections like myself chose to go for. If you buy a full exhaust by the same brand like Akra or Lightweight etc. which was tested to work with good results and confirmed by owners, then it may worth changing whole exhaust including dps too, but only if you can justify the price of it since none of them will come cheap really.

This is the way that I see this whole 1M exhaust enigma, arguably weakest part of the stock car together with the charge pipe issue. Like some others posted before, I also advise to keep the down pipes and work with the other sections instead.

[widbimmer]

Originally Posted by ADVANT123

Sounds like an install issue potentially. Any sound clips you can share?

Sorry, I don't have recorded any clips of the sound! Early this morning I put de OEM DP's back and so far the sound is good but that thing that most people call drone it's a bit more presente than before...Maybe I'll install the AR DP's with the OM mids in a week to see what suits better

[widbimmer]

Originally Posted by ozinaldo

I believe the best part of 1M exhaust components is the down pipes, not perfect maybe but still they seem to be allright. It is the section that by keeping it stock we save most buck, avoid gas smell and any kind of engine/ECU issue.

I find both the rear muffler and mid pipe as worse by design or at least they are more restrictive than necessary. The muffler is too big, heavy and visible with questionable built quality and it is too quiet for this type of a car while the tips are also not the best design, too plain.

The mid pipe is probably the main source of excessive drone and it is restrictive due to second pair of cats plus a resonator and I don't even go to resonator being a dummy/a pseudo box arguement. Mid pipes are also heavy like the muffler.

If there is one section worth keeping, that is the down pipes since changing them is quite costly and never without downsides plus the gains are reported to be less than you want it to be after all that headache, that's what some reputable tuners themselves concluded, like GIAC. Unless you want an aggressive tune which needs catless dps that does not seem to be cost effective to change them.

The mids should go first imo, alternative being the muffler or both sections like myself chose to go for. If you buy a full exhaust by the same brand like Akra or Lightweight etc. which was tested to work with good results and confirmed by owners, then it may worth changing whole exhaust including dps too, but only if you can justify the price of it since none of them will come cheap really.

This is the way that I see this whole 1M exhaust enigma, arguably weakest part of the stock car together with the charge pipe issue. Like some others posted before, I also advise to keep the down pipes and work with the other sections instead.

The whole car it's fine! The thing here is that I wanted a deeper more agressive sound and while acomplishing that gain a little extra hp.

I'm trying the midpipes by it self... then I wil try the DP's without mids...

Thanks for sharing your opinion

[Artemis]

Probably the combination of the exhaust flow and OEM exhaust piping passing under the small cavity inside the boot (hidden compartment under the trunk felt pad above the battery compartment) causes the droning sound at some rpm level. Some 1M owners suggested to fill the cavity with non heat sensitive sound deadening materials. However, no info yet re heat canalization safety, hence, better leave it 'as is'.
See: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=759270

Also the replacement of the N54 midpipe by an alternative one (such as the N55, Maddad or Berk Technology midpipe) and/or the replacement of the 1M exhaust by some aftermarket exhausts (such as the 1M Akrapovič exhaust) appear to significantly reduce the drone phenomenon.
See: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=651547
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=662265

If I were you, I would re-install the OEM downpipes and focus on midpipe (N55 or Maddad) and axle back (after market slip-on rear muffler) to get rid of most of the drone nuisance.

An example (1M Akrapovič slip-on exhaust + N55 mids):

[robertm]

Something is installed wrong. It shouldn't be a bad at all. I'm not saying I have catless downpipes and catless midpipes but if I did then everyone that has ever gotten into the car said (or would say) it sounds great. It's defintely a bit louder, but not bad in anyway. You can definitely hear the turbo whoosh more but that's not bad either. I've had (or would) someone say is sounds exotic. I recommend a freer flowing air intake to complete the symphony of sound.

Basically though somethings not right with your install if you don't think it sounds great!

[widbimmer]

Originally Posted by robertm

Something is installed wrong. It shouldn't be a bad at all. I'm not saying I have catless downpipes and catless midpipes but if I did then everyone that has ever gotten into the car said (or would say) it sounds great. It's defintely a bit louder, but not bad in anyway. You can definitely hear the turbo whoosh more but that's not bad either. I've had (or would) someone say is sounds exotic. I recommend a freer flowing air intake to complete the symphony of sound.

Basically though somethings not right with your install if you don't think it sounds great!

It doesn't sound anything like you say.. It does sound good when you are over 5000 rpm but before that it sounds like a bunch of tin cans hitting each other very hard! I do have an Intake and it sounds good.

[robertm]

Originally Posted by widbimmer

It doesn't anything like you say.. It does sound good when you are over 5000 rpm but before that it sounds like a bunch of tin cans hitting each other very hard! I do have an Intake and it sounds good.

Yah that's for sure not right. I am betting your DPs are touching something and that's what's causing the noise. I've read other posts elsewhere of guys getting a lot of noise when the DPs were making contact with steering rack (I think that's what they can bump up against, can't quite remember). If you get the car back up in the air it will probably be obvious pretty quick what's wrong.

Also, if you are going back in, I would definitely install the AR bomb-proof exhaust gaskets. They are of higher quality than the factory pieces and the factory pieces could already be partially compromised from being used with a different combination of components.

Good luck!

[widbimmer]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Probably the combination of the exhaust flow and OEM exhaust piping passing under the small cavity inside the boot (hidden compartment under the trunk felt pad above the battery compartment) causes the droning sound at some rpm level. Some 1M owners suggested to fill the cavity with non heat sensitive sound deadening materials. However, no info yet re heat canalization safety, hence, better leave it 'as is'.
See: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=759270

Also the replacement of the N54 midpipe by an alternative one (such as the N55, Maddad or Berk Technology midpipe) and/or the replacement of the 1M exhaust by some aftermarket exhausts (such as the 1M Akrapovič exhaust) appear to significantly reduce the drone phenomenon.
See: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=651547
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=662265

If I were you, I would re-install the OEM downpipes and focus on midpipe (N55 or Maddad) and axle back (after market slip-on rear muffler) to get rid of most of the drone nuisance.

An example (1M Akrapovič slip-on exhaust + N55 mids):

thanks for the video! I now have OEM DP's and maddad mids.... Will try somehing differente later on

[widbimmer]

Originally Posted by robertm

Yah that's for sure not right. I am betting your DPs are touching something and that's what's causing the noise. I've read other posts elsewhere of guys getting a lot of noise when the DPs were making contact with steering rack (I think that's what they can bump up against, can't quite remember). If you get the car back up in the air it will probably be obvious pretty quick what's wrong.

Also, if you are going back in, I would definitely install the AR bomb-proof exhaust gaskets. They are of higher quality than the factory pieces and the factory pieces could already be partially compromised from being used with a different combination of components.

Good luck!

Thanks! I will try to install the DP's properly and carefully later this month...

[octainejunkee]

Originally Posted by ozinaldo

I believe the best part of 1M exhaust components is the down pipes, not perfect maybe but still they seem to be allright. It is the section that by keeping it stock we save most buck, avoid gas smell and any kind of engine/ECU issue.

I find both the rear muffler and mid pipe as worse by design or at least they are more restrictive than necessary. The muffler is too big, heavy and visible with questionable built quality and it is too quiet for this type of a car while the tips are also not the best design, too plain.

The mid pipe is probably the main source of excessive drone and it is restrictive due to second pair of cats plus a resonator and I don't even go to resonator being a dummy/a pseudo box arguement. Mid pipes are also heavy like the muffler.

If there is one section worth keeping, that is the down pipes since changing them is quite costly and never without downsides plus the gains are reported to be less than you want it to be after all that headache, that's what some reputable tuners themselves concluded, like GIAC. Unless you want an aggressive tune which needs catless dps that does not seem to be cost effective to change them.

The mids should go first imo, alternative being the muffler or both sections like myself chose to go for. If you buy a full exhaust by the same brand like Akra or Lightweight etc. which was tested to work with good results and confirmed by owners, then it may worth changing whole exhaust including dps too, but only if you can justify the price of it since none of them will come cheap really.

This is the way that I see this whole 1M exhaust enigma, arguably weakest part of the stock car together with the charge pipe issue. Like some others posted before, I also advise to keep the down pipes and work with the other sections instead.

HAVE YOU SEEN the shape of the standard downpipes??
each to there own on the noise the de cats make (similar to a e46 m3 turbo imho) but the standard dp's are full of angles which = restriction,
with a suitable re map the performance gains are bound to be greater than swapping any other part of the exhaust?

[bdaddylo]

Originally Posted by octainejunkee

HAVE YOU SEEN the shape of the standard downpipes??
each to there own on the noise the de cats make (similar to a e46 m3 turbo imho) but the standard dp's are full of angles which = restriction,
with a suitable re map the performance gains are bound to be greater than swapping any other part of the exhaust?

+1

The 1M's DPs are better than the regular N54's, but can't compare to the aftermarket ones.

[ozinaldo]

Originally Posted by octainejunkee

HAVE YOU SEEN the shape of the standard downpipes??
each to there own on the noise the de cats make (similar to a e46 m3 turbo imho) but the standard dp's are full of angles which = restriction,
with a suitable re map the performance gains are bound to be greater than swapping any other part of the exhaust?

Of course I have seen them, I like to be under the car whenever I can and yes they bend and so but if I would choose between changing them and mid pipes I would still change the mids instead and that's what I did exactly and am very happy with the result. I don't care if I would make 10 whp instead of 7 or 8, but that's just me. Counting ponies is not everything for me.

Mid change fixes the drone best, gives better flow and response (OK dps do that too) and it's relatively cheaper vs changing dps. Plus it also adds some hp/tq despite marginally less so than dps. It also doesn't cause any code/ECU issues. Thus, my vote is for the mids unless as I said in my previous post someone needs to change whole system that I understand better. I am not saying stock dps are perfect, I said opposite already in my first post, they are not, but every choice has its plus and minus and its own cost to be considered carefully.

In my case I don't want a car without any cats and too loud all the time so I kept the stock dps. If I would want max power and max noise I would change the dps too and justify myself the cost and certain issues that come as a result of my choice. Now I am very satisfied with the actual result and I have zero issues to live with.