[booker]

There can be some drone at certain times, it's funny if you're pushing on its like the sound is thrown further away and sounds sweet.

At any speed, if you're accellerating gradually, it seems like 3k rpm is the spot where you get the worst drone.

Equate that to motorway driving and you have to be in excess of 70 to get there.

I won't lie, at times it can be a touch uncomfortable, but mine is a fun car, and as such when I drive it I'm having fun and listening to Lightning growl, can't help but put a smile on your face.

I don't know where you are but if you're close enough to come listen, I'll gladly take you for a spin.

 

Thanks for the offer - I'm in the Midlands but next time I head south I will give you a shout

[tismot]

Mine is a non-resonated full system.

[AudiRS3]

Hi Folks, 

 

Just a quick question, I am thinking of getting a custom built cat back, but wondering how the S button "flap" would work? Where is this located? Will it affect the MOT from Audi? What would you guys suggest....I have also seen the secondary decat pipes you guys are fitting...whats the experience been on this? Has it been worth the mod? might just go for secondary decat pipes if it improves sound...but dont want the droning at all!

 

Cheers!!

[Paul]

Just go for the decat pipes first, it might be all you need, and keeps the stealth oem exhaust.

The S button allows the ecu to control a flap in one of the tail pipes by vacuum. Press the S Button, and along with sharpening the throttle, it will also allow a bit more noise from the exhaust, in specific gears, at specific speeds and rpms.
I do like the option to switch it off, sometimes on the motorway after 100 miles, you just cba with the noise and switch it off.

If you look under the rear of the car at the tailpipes you will see the valve and actuator in the left tail pipe.

Aftermarket can use the switching feature if you have a vacuum operated valve fitted.
Cable tie it off, or use a golf tee to block the pipe, and if oem, the flap will stay open all the time at all speeds, ( google flapper mod) or if non standard exhaust, just blanks the feature off.

if you went for a BCS Powervalve exhaust, they use boost to activate their flap, and run another line in, and dont use the vauum system at all.

Cat back shouldn't effect MOT.
Decat might. It will pass emissions, but might fail on cats missing . See page 1 in this thread.

Edited by Paul, 27 April 2015 - 11:14 AM.

[AudiRS3]

Just go for the decat pipes first, it might be all you need, and keeps the stealth oem exhaust.

 

The S button allows the ecu to control a flap in one of the tail pipes by vacuum. Press the S Button, and along with sharpening the throttle, it will also allow a bit more noise from the exhaust, in specific gears, at specific speeds and rpms.

I do like the option to switch it off, somethies on the motorway after 100 miles, you just cba with the noise and switch it off.

 

If you look under the rear of the car at the tailpipes you will see the valve and actuator in the left tail pipe.

 

Aftermarket can use the switching feature if you have a vacuum operated valve fitted.

Cable tie it off, or use a golf tee to block the pipe, and if oem,  the flap will stay open all the time at all speeds, ( google flapper mod) or if non standard exhaust, just blanks the feature off.

 

if you went for a BCS Powervalve exhaust, they use boost to activate their flap, and run another line in, and dont use the vauum system at all.

 

Cat back shoudlnt effect MOT.

Decat might. It will pass emmissions, but might fail on cats missing . See page 1 in this thread.

 

 

Right I see, I always will get MOT's done by Audi but don't want to risk getting a fail if secondary bypass decat pipes fail....I would rather go for a Milltek system...but don't want to lose the option of the exhaust flap being turned off and on through the S button. Not sure if a custom exhaust fabricator would be able to control this...in a custom made back box, the little one will be happy as well...

[AudiRS3]

Just go for the decat pipes first, it might be all you need, and keeps the stealth oem exhaust.

 

I have taken your advice mate, going with the secondary cats option. Booked in with Pipewerx who have done a couple before, all in £260..sp I am happy with that....I wonder what the sound will be like.....will see... any ideas on what it will sound like? especially with s button on and off....

 

Cheers for the advice..top lad! 

[Paul]

There is a video on this site of the sound, I will try and find it.

http://www.audirs3oc...milltek +bypass

Edited by Paul, 27 April 2015 - 10:33 AM.

[AudiRS3]

Just looked on the Scorpian website and they say...

 

Please note: Engine management light may be activated. Stage 2 ECU remap recommended.

 

Does anybody have experience on this? if I add secondary de cat pipes....would the engine management light come on? 

[Paul]

There are no sensors in the secondary cats or after, so that is wrong.
The car doesn't know if secondary cats are fitted or not.

[AudiRS3]

There are no sensors in the secondary cats or after, so that is wrong.
The car doesn't know if secondary cats are fitted or not.

 

right....thanks Paul makes sense now! How much does the sound change? deeper and louder? have you had it done? what about the sound when you change gear with the s tronic gear box? also....how much does the sound change with S button on and off?

[Paul]

I haven't had mine done as I have warranty, but have been around other owners cars ( static) who have.
It is a very popular modification, and gives the car more of a growl.

I have posted a link to Mac's video above, and there is quite a few on YouTube
too, but I'm not sure how well microphones pick up the note change.

[AudiRS3]

I haven't had mine done as I have warranty, but have been around other owners cars ( static) who have.
It is a very popular modification, and gives the car more of a growl.
 

 

I am still within warranty too..but have been informed by Pipewerx they can get you for decat pipes as for example of the gear box goes...then thats not because its got a decat pipe...plus will keep the old system just in case lol! 

[AudiRS3]

I haven't had mine done as I have warranty, but have been around other owners cars ( static) who have.
It is a very popular modification, and gives the car more of a growl.

I have posted a link to Mac's video above, and there is quite a few on YouTube
too, but I'm not sure how well microphones pick up the note change.

 

Cars booked in for the secondary cats on the 28th! managed to get him down to £200 all in at Pipewerx...the owner has a new s3 with a full custom made system....asked me for his thoughts when mines in! 

 

he also said he could take one of the resonators off the exhaust back box to make it louder.....anyone done this?

[tismot]

Just looked on the Scorpian website and they say...

 

Please note: Engine management light may be activated. Stage 2 ECU remap recommended.

 

Does anybody have experience on this? if I add secondary de cat pipes....would the engine management light come on? 

 

That looks wrong, From an exhaust point of view the MIL (or CEL depending what side of the pond you are from) will flag a P0420 DTC only if you play with the primary Cat, and not the secondary pipes.

 

That text looks like a play to get beer vouchers out of your pocket into to theirs !!

 

A stage two re-map normally deletes the Cat efficiency monitoring side of things inside the ECU as the extra load on the primary Cat can effect its ability to convert all the gases.

 

Just fitting De-cat pipes will not effect the ECU in any way.

 

Mark

Edited by tismot, 01 May 2015 - 10:20 AM.

[marshy]

he also said he could take one of the resonators off the exhaust back box to make it louder.....anyone done this?

Each to their own but in my opinion removing the secondary cats is about as loud as I'd go.
Any louder and you risk making your car sound cheap or like a modded up lesser model.
With the secondary cats removed it gives you the perfect compromise with extra noise and no drone.
If you have the sport button on you can get a little drone at higher motorway speeds but nothing intrusive.

[45bvtc]

Each to their own but in my opinion removing the secondary cats is about as loud as I'd go.
Any louder and you risk making your car sound cheap or like a modded up lesser model.
With the secondary cats removed it gives you the perfect compromise with extra noise and no drone.
If you have the sport button on you can get a little drone at higher motorway speeds but nothing intrusive.

 

I agree 100%. 

 

BLUEY had Milltek by-pass pipes fitted very early on and the enhanced noise/rumble produced suit BLUEY and me just fine. 

 

I remember well how those two Milltek 'not for road use' labels fell off...

[booker]

I agree 100%. 

 

BLUEY had Milltek by-pass pipes fitted very early on and the enhanced noise/rumble produced suit BLUEY and me just fine. 

 

I remember well how those two Milltek 'not for road use' labels fell off...

 

Lamentable quality, eh John 

[AudiRS3]

Each to their own but in my opinion removing the secondary cats is about as loud as I'd go.
Any louder and you risk making your car sound cheap or like a modded up lesser model.
With the secondary cats removed it gives you the perfect compromise with extra noise and no drone.
If you have the sport button on you can get a little drone at higher motorway speeds but nothing intrusive.

 

Glad you said this...i dont want to be upsetting the little baba on the motorway journeys lol...I am sure decats will be enough for sound well "tasteful" sound...i had a focus st before my s3 and put a full system on it from the headers and literally ruined the sound, so went back to standard...but really looking forward to it...from the youtube videos you cant really judge what the sound depth is like...but it would be interesting to see what they make and how the sound differs from a miltek or scorpion sound. 

[P_G]

The only issue I have with the bypass pipes is the sound is still somewhat muffled, the 5 pot warble is not crisp in note less it is under hard acceleration and in reality that is very little of the time. I'm tempted to have a new back box put on with limited deadening in it to see if it improves the note but not the decibel level by too much.

 

I did this on the RS4 and it sounded mega, the growl was audible from 1000rpm upward with only resonance drone at 1800-2000rpm.

 

http://vid18.photobu...RS/P1000476.mp4

 

The only bit I miss about RS4 ownership

Edited by P_G, 01 May 2015 - 03:12 PM.

[AudiRS3]

The only issue I have with the bypass pipes is the sound is still somewhat muffled, the 5 pot warble is not crisp in note less it is under hard acceleration and in reality that is very little of the time. I'm tempted to have a new back box put on with limited deadening in it to see if it improves the note but not the decibel level by too much.

 

I did this on the RS4 and it sounded mega, the growl was audible from 1000rpm upward with only resonance drone at 1800-2000rpm.

 

http://vid18.photobu...RS/P1000476.mp4

 

The only bit I miss about RS4 ownership

 

Might be worth putting a video up to see what you mean, when you fire up the motor....does it sound different? like for example would Audi be able to tell if you went for a service, etc?