[MetalMK]

My personal vehicle is a 2016 228i Xdrive. I am planning to modify its exhaust but right now I don't want to touch the catalytic converter yet (the smell and CEL). Here are some ideas that I came up with and I need you guys' suggestions to help me choose one.

1: Muffler delete
2: Muffler and resonator delete
3: Straight pipe after the first cat
4: Switch to M235i M Performance Muffler
5: Straight pipe after the first cat but add a M235i M Performance Muffler

I am also open to suggestions!
Thanks in advance

[KB34]

Originally Posted by MetalMK

My personal vehicle is a 2016 228i Xdrive. I am planning to modify its exhaust but right now I don't want to touch the catalytic converter yet (the smell and CEL). Here are some ideas that I came up with and I need you guys' suggestions to help me choose one.

1: Muffler delete
2: Muffler and resonator delete
3: Straight pipe after the first cat
4: Switch to M235i M Performance Muffler
5: Straight pipe after the first cat but add a M235i M Performance Muffler

I am also open to suggestions!
Thanks in advance

Muffler delete with the BMW valve simulator. Cheapest, an very good sound.

http://www.2addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1475169

[BEM-S4]

If you want cheap the stock 235 mufflers are easy to get folks who upgrade to MPE can't give them away. Ask me how I know...

[MetalMK]

Originally Posted by KB34

Muffler delete with the BMW valve simulator. Cheapest, an very good sound.

http://www.2addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1475169

What's a valve simulator? I googled it and nothing came up

[SteveInfante]

I just did the OEM exhaust mod to my N20 228 and I already had no resonator. Search for the vid.

[MetalMK]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

If you want cheap the stock 235 mufflers are easy to get folks who upgrade to MPE can't give them away. Ask me how I know...

I live in Canada and nobody wants to ship their muffler here

[KB34]

Originally Posted by MetalMK

What's a valve simulator? I googled it and nothing came up

I'm used to other terminology, it is a valve on other cars. BMW just calls it an exhaust flap, if you have the exhaust flap, you will need this. Take a look under the rear end and see if there is a black box on the side of the muffler.

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...r/18302411427/

[KB34]

Originally Posted by SteveInfante

I just did the OEM exhaust mod to my N20 228 and I already had no resonator. Search for the vid.

Depending on how loud he wants to go, and his level of expertise, this is a good option too.

If you want quick and easy, order the exhaust flap simulator, wait for it to arrive and then go to a muffler shop and have them hack off the old one.

Then if he ever wants to sell it later, he can just put the old one back on too.

[SteveInfante]

Originally Posted by KB34

Depending on how loud he wants to go, and his level of expertise, this is a good option too.

If you want quick and easy, order the exhaust flap simulator, wait for it to arrive and then go to a muffler shop and have them hack off the old one.

Then if he ever wants to sell it later, he can just put the old one back on too.

Why do you need the simulator? I have had mine just disconnected for almost 65,000 miles and the flap has been open and not a peep from a check engine light due to that or anything. I just put the car in Sport, rev'd the engine till it opened (after the engine was warm of course) and then turned the car off, unplugged it, taped up the connections, and never worried about it again. Unless you want to be able to control it there's no need. Just unplug it.

[KB34]

Originally Posted by SteveInfante

Why do you need the simulator? I have had mine just disconnected for almost 65,000 miles and the flap has been open and not a peep from a check engine light due to that or anything. I just put the car in Sport, rev'd the engine till it opened (after the engine was warm of course) and then turned the car off, unplugged it, taped up the connections, and never worried about it again. Unless you want to be able to control it there's no need. Just unplug it.

It will throw an error code that is not a light on the dash. Not every error code will show whats considered a "CEL" usually check engine lights are more serious things, such as a bad O2 Sensor, etc. So you will never see it, but when you get emissions tested it will show through the ODBII port. Or when getting serviced by BMW. The flap is intended to heat up the catalytic converter while the car is idling on start up. On these cars the flap is not controlled by the sport switch. Basically once the car is warm it is open. It is intended for emissions in colder locations by creating additional back pressure in the exhaust. My state doesn't care so much about emissions testing but in places that are stricter it may not pass with this error code. Better safe than sorry.

[SteveInfante]

Originally Posted by KB34

It will throw an error code that is not a light on the dash. Not every error code will show whats considered a "CEL" usually check engine lights are more serious things, such as a bad O2 Sensor, etc. So you will never see it, but when you get emissions tested it will show through the ODBII port. Or when getting serviced by BMW. The flap is intended to heat up the catalytic converter while the car is idling on start up. On these cars the flap is not controlled by the sport switch. Basically once the car is warm it is open. It is intended for emissions in colder locations by creating additional back pressure in the exhaust. My state doesn't care so much about emissions testing but in places that are stricter it may not pass with this error code. Better safe than sorry.

I'm not saying I'm an expert on the way that BMW does things but I don't think that the exhaust flap has to do with the emissions of the car. If you change the muffler to say one that doesn't have the flap, by your explanation, people would be failing the state emissions testing in the states with testing. Again, I'm not an expert on that either, as my state also doesn't care about state sponsored inspections, but that logic doesn't make sense to me. I've scanned my car with a SnapOn reader/laptop to make sure things were kosher after a random CEL. No hidden exhaust flap codes present.

The OP has his stock down pipe still installed, resonator still on his car, so a hidden code that's maybe going to show up when his car is scanned for a maybe state inspection is not really relevant in this post.

[Pat_335D]

I did a resonator delete and picked up a MPE muffler off a 328i f30 and it sounds fantastic, all the burbles and turbo whistle you could want!

[KB34]

Originally Posted by SteveInfante

I'm not saying I'm an expert on the way that BMW does things but I don't think that the exhaust flap has to do with the emissions of the car. If you change the muffler to say one that doesn't have the flap, by your explanation, people would be failing the state emissions testing in the states with testing. Again, I'm not an expert on that either, as my state also doesn't care about state sponsored inspections, but that logic doesn't make sense to me. I've scanned my car with a SnapOn reader/laptop to make sure things were kosher after a random CEL. No hidden exhaust flap codes present.

The OP has his stock down pipe still installed, resonator still on his car, so a hidden code that's maybe going to show up when his car is scanned for a maybe state inspection is not really relevant in this post.

Well it is relevant when he wants to modify his exhaust.

I'm going to use one of your images from a previous thread as an example. Please explain how reducing the flow from one pipe to two, because that's what will happen in this case, will increase the sound. The velocity of the air and amount of pressure which causes us to perceive sound levels being louder will be decreased by opening up a second pipe. The intention of the valve is to increase back pressure in the exhaust to heat up the catalytic converter, as they do not perform efficiently until they are hot. Now if the flap was like that of my corvette and inline with two pipes that bypass the baffles in the muffler with a solid wall straight pipe, yes it would make it louder. But also, please explain why if I put it in ECO mode, wait for it to warm up, and use the bore scope in the exhaust it will be open. Doesn't make any sense, why would a flap for sound be open while in ECO mode. Makes sense in sport, but not ECO. It is 100% for creating additional back pressure in the exhaust to warm up the catalytic converter. My challenger is the same way, has two flaps in the exhaust that have a hole in the center. The Exhaust is 3" OD, the flap has a 2" hole in the center, creating additional back pressure, once the car is warm the flap is open all the time and I get all 3" to allow gases to exit.

Now, I can guarantee that when I disconnected mine and I read my codes with my coder, it did show a fault code for the exhaust flap disconnected. i'm not saying the code will be picked up by emissions or a dealer, i'm only saying it is possible and better safe than sorry. Having to re-test in my state costs an additional $25. So why not spend it on the $25 plug to begin with and not worry about it.

p.s. I'm an engineer for a major automaker and do quite a bit of fluid (which air is a fluid) and thermal analysis, lower air velocity and exit pressure reduces sound levels. It's why a fan is quieter when it is moving at a lower speed, or why the air coming in your window is quieter at slower speeds.

[Sypher]

Originally Posted by KB34

Well it is relevant when he wants to modify his exhaust.

I'm going to use one of your images from a previous thread as an example. Please explain how reducing the flow from one pipe to two, because that's what will happen in this case, will increase the sound. The velocity of the air and amount of pressure which causes us to perceive sound levels being louder will be decreased by opening up a second pipe. The intention of the valve is to increase back pressure in the exhaust to heat up the catalytic converter, as they do not perform efficiently until they are hot. Now if the flap was like that of my corvette and inline with two pipes that bypass the baffles in the muffler with a solid wall straight pipe, yes it would make it louder. But also, please explain why if I put it in ECO mode, wait for it to warm up, and use the bore scope in the exhaust it will be open. Doesn't make any sense, why would a flap for sound be open while in ECO mode. Makes sense in sport, but not ECO. It is 100% for creating additional back pressure in the exhaust to warm up the catalytic converter. My challenger is the same way, has two flaps in the exhaust that have a hole in the center. The Exhaust is 3" OD, the flap has a 2" hole in the center, creating additional back pressure, once the car is warm the flap is open all the time and I get all 3" to allow gases to exit.

Now, I can guarantee that when I disconnected mine and I read my codes with my coder, it did show a fault code for the exhaust flap disconnected. i'm not saying the code will be picked up by emissions or a dealer, i'm only saying it is possible and better safe than sorry. Having to re-test in my state costs an additional $25. So why not spend it on the $25 plug to begin with and not worry about it.

p.s. I'm an engineer for a major automaker and do quite a bit of fluid (which air is a fluid) and thermal analysis, lower air velocity and exit pressure reduces sound levels. It's why a fan is quieter when it is moving at a lower speed, or why the air coming in your window is quieter at slower speeds.

That's a really good explanation. I always thought the flap was for reduced sound and was going to leave the flap unplugged when I install the M Performance exhaust I just got, but I'll leave it plugged in if it's for emission purposes.

[SteveInfante]

Good explanation KB34. Makes sense. If I lived in a state where I had emissions testing then I would've gone a different route with my car. I guess when the OP chimes back in then we will know for sure.

[KB34]

Originally Posted by Sypher

That's a really good explanation. I always thought the flap was for reduced sound and was going to leave the flap unplugged when I install the M Performance exhaust I just got, but I'll leave it plugged in if it's for emission purposes.

BMW makes a $25 plug you can order if you want to leave it unplugged. I know ECS Tuning has them, that's where I ordered mine. I assume for hotter climates, BMW just puts this in place of the flap in the exhaust, cheaper to add this plug than to create an all new harness and try to manage two separate harnesses at the factory. My guess is that for countries that are either strict on emissions or have some parts that are cold climates, they get the flap. And countries that are either relaxed on emissions or have warmer climates, they leave it off and put this plug on.

https://ecstuning.com/b-genuine-bmw-...r/18302411427/

[KB34]

Originally Posted by SteveInfante

Good explanation KB34. Makes sense. If I lived in a state where I had emissions testing then I would've gone a different route with my car. I guess when the OP chimes back in then we will know for sure.

I mean, will they pick it up, maybe... I don't want to take it for an emissions test and fail and have to re-test again, so I just put the plug on, cleared the code and done. Also, I don't want my wife going in for an oil change and them saying oh you have these codes we need to fix. And try to charge her hundreds of dollars to fix it. I would change the oil myself, but I got all those oil changes thrown in for free, and I know my wife won't pay for anything at the dealer without calling me first lol.

[SteveInfante]

Originally Posted by KB34

I mean, will they pick it up, maybe... I don't want to take it for an emissions test and fail and have to re-test again, so I just put the plug on, cleared the code and done. Also, I don't want my wife going in for an oil change and them saying oh you have these codes we need to fix. And try to charge her hundreds of dollars to fix it. I would change the oil myself, but I got all those oil changes thrown in for free, and I know my wife won't pay for anything at the dealer without calling me first lol.

Back when I didn't have time to do our vehicles myself they tried to do that to my wife, one time. She looked at them like they had an extra appendage growing on their forehead. Needless to say they never tried that on her again. Ha ha.

[KB34]

Originally Posted by SteveInfante

Back when I didn't have time to do our vehicles myself they tried to do that to my wife, one time. She looked at them like they had an extra appendage growing on their forehead. Needless to say they never tried that on her again. Ha ha.

Honestly I would do everything on it myself, but I specifically told them not to run my credit score as I already had a pre-approved loan from my bank, and I knew they couldn't beat 2.9% on a used car. But they ran it anyway some how 3 times (popped up on credit Karma "BMW Financial Services"), so needless to say I was rather mad. I suggested they give me the full service package until the CPO extended warranty ends in 2021, and an additional $1,000 off. They refused until I started to dial the phone for my personal lawyer on speaker. They still didn't think I was serious until the phone picked up "Law Offices of Webb and Taylor, How may I help you?" They jumped on board really quick at that point.

[SteveInfante]

Originally Posted by KB34

Honestly I would do everything on it myself, but I specifically told them not to run my credit score as I already had a pre-approved loan from my bank, and I knew they couldn't beat 2.9% on a used car. But they ran it anyway some how 3 times (popped up on credit Karma "BMW Financial Services"), so needless to say I was rather mad. I suggested they give me the full service package until the CPO extended warranty ends in 2021, and an additional $1,000 off. They refused until I started to dial the phone for my personal lawyer on speaker. They still didn't think I was serious until the phone picked up "Law Offices of Webb and Taylor, How may I help you?" They jumped on board really quick at that point.

Yeah they don't like to get called out for some of the car business stuff they try and pull. BMW is no exception to that stuff as its industry wide.

[hwntime]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

If you want cheap the stock 235 mufflers are easy to get folks who upgrade to MPE can't give them away. Ask me how I know...

I've been trying to find one up here in the Northwest (Portland, Seattle) area and there are none. Any leads on someone selling and shipping it out this way?

[KB34]

Originally Posted by hwntime

I've been trying to find one up here in the Northwest (Portland, Seattle) area and there are none. Any leads on someone selling and shipping it out this way?

Cheapest and best sounding, in my opinion, for the 228i is a muffler delete.

I personally think swapping to the 235i muffler leaves it too quiet.