I guess I need to crawl under the car because unless some people are calling the mufflers "secondary resonators" I thought the X pipe is what replaces the resonator in the mid pipe.

 

The name "secondary resonator" implies there is a primary resonator. I explained this pretty clearly in the post immediately before your first post in this thread.

These are my secondary resonators. https://i.imgur.com/2CV9Vt0.jpg

 

Ahh gotcha, I think people using the "secondary cats" term was confusing the hell out of me. Thanks for the clarification.

 

Sounds awesome man! Wow, kind of makes me reconsider doing a muffler delete. I just don't think I can handle the drone and constant noise levels.

 

I have a 2012 C300. I deleted the "second cats" and placed a magnaflow x-pipe as far up as possible and had the shop pipe the rest. As soon as I drove away, I noticed a rattle when I accelerate. The rattle doesn't happen when I rev the engine in park or neutral. The higher in RPM's I go while I drive, the louder the rattle, then stays constant while the car is moving until I stop. I'm going to take it back to the shop tomorrow to have it checked for an exhaust leak and see if all the bolts are tightened. It could even be something hitting the heat shield.

 

I would consider this but having no power gain I wouldn't want my c300 to sound like it has more power than it does.

 

With the Xpipe I feel the w204 looks and sounds like it has more power than it does.

 

Maybe I need to hear it in person lol. Where you located Rod? I'm in San Jose.

 

I'll PM you, maybe this is a good way to also do some audio for others who are interested. We could compare or just do Xpipe.

 

Man that MagnaFlow went up in price. Going for a cheaper brand. So install closer or further away from cat?

Rod, where did you get yours done and how much did you pay including the extra piping? Might go to the one by my work in Hayward but I'm not sure what price range is acceptable in the bay area.

 

I've heard Lawson makes a cheaper x pipe, amazon should be selling it if I remember correctly. I installed closer to the cats.

I had mine done at classic muffler on Winfield. Andy is highly rated, and a genuinely good guy. His methods may not be as clean cut but he is precise enough, and he does a great job. Just check out his reviews on yelp. At the time, I paid $100 for the X pipe and $60 for the install, I think. I know the total came out to around $160. I would say it was worth every penny. He covered the extra piping in his install. If you are in San Jose, it might be worth giving him a shot. Get quotes from your trusted shops in Hayward and compare with a quote from Andy. I was reccomended to Andy from multiple friends of mine. From Camaros to BMW owners.

Good luck! And I hope to see you soon! Maybe I'll stop by if you go to the shop to give you a final sound test before you make the plunge. ALSO, Andy had the magnaflow x pipe and he used a 2.5 inch, even though I had him order a 2.25. The 2.5 allows him to just slide it over the piping and then clamp/weld it down.

 

Kind of a pointless question as I've already bought the X-Pipe and plan on installing it this weekend but...

Does anybody feel that after installing the X-Pipe that your Benz has lost some of its classiness per se? I've watched/listened to a lot of clips on youtube showcasing the x-pipe on our cars but they all sound just a tad different depending on how the videos were filmed. Guess I'm just trying to make sure that my car doesn't sound like a 17 year old's car (been there, done that). Can anyone confirm or give your input on this matter?

 

I'm mobile so it isn't easy for me to post links, but yes, it lost a little classiness in return for sportiness. The C class sport looks very aggressive in my opinion, and it was a shame that the non amg c class has the look, but not bark or bite. With the xpipe all it is missing is the bite haha. But seriously, it is mainly noticeable at 3K rpm+, a little more growly below that. If you look at the maserati Q4 exhaust, or the Infiniti G37 exhaust or the BMW 335i exhaust, you will see that classy cars can still sound aggressive. I've heard all 3 in person and love each of them and their stock exhaust note. Of course it is all personal preference. It puts a smile on my face almost as much as when I drive my brother's 335i. If you truly wanted to sound like a stereotypical 17 year old you would do a muffler delete, not that there is anything wrong with a personal taste for muffler deletes.

I feel like the x pipe was the best of both worlds, I get to keep the class with a little extra sportiness.

 

Thank you Rodpwnz, exactly the type of input I was looking for. I guess in the end it is a bit of a trade-off, but a trade-off that seems very welcoming here on the forums. It seems like a lot of people are happy with the x-pipe setup. And yea, nothing wrong with doing muffler deletes, just not my cup of tea (anymore) haha. Thanks again!

-allen

 

Hayward....haha my old stomping grounds (although I still pass through it daily). This mod keeps calling me, but I'm trying my best to resist.

 

I know what you mean. Don't want it but want it. I'm hoping to meet with Rod before I pull the trigger so I know if I really want to do this or not. For now just gonna get install quotes. You up for a meet? Rod is trying to orchestrate one.

 

haha I wouldn't say orchestrate a meet, more like find one we could all fit in our schedules

We could all meet this weekend to compare exhaust notes and put the comparison on youtube. I'm still asking around about future car meets in the bay area but, I wouldn't mind just us three meeting up for the first time.

Pm me if you're down, Edgalang.

 

Here's one with the x pipe installed closer to the mufflers. I think I like this sound better.

 

I think mine, with the xpipe closer to the cats, might sound a little closer to stock. I really like the sound in that video you linked.

If you want to do a little experiment, we could compare stock vs my cat-xpipe and then again after you install the muffler-xpipe.

We could use both your camera/microphone/phone and mine each time we compare, so that we get as much material for comparison as possible.

 

The torture....

 

I'll do it if you do it lol

 

So I tried to get a quote from one of the closer shop by my work and he didn't want to do the xpipe on my car. He says putting an xpipe on my car will lessen the back pressure and will affect performance during higher speed of 70mph+. What he's saying makes sense, so I'm kinda on the fence again on this mod. He was pro Mercedes engineering so he recommend I keep everything stock. What do you guys think?

 

I read for hours and hours before I made my decision. I asked forum members questions. I asked mb techs and the exhaust guy. I asked my car friends. I would over think things so much that it would cripple my decisions. I think this xpipe mod is what got me into doing the things I want without too much hesitation. If you really are this worried about how the xpipe will affect class or performance, it's a $150ish venture. If the itch is really that big, it could be worth just to see what all the fuss is about.

I did read about performance concerns, but most responses noted that the resonator is already pretty free flowing and nonrestrictive so there would be no difference in back pressure. Others said that that the difference is maybe gain a few hp but lose a few tq, or vice verse. I don't really remember exactly, but even if what your guy says is true, I don't drive past 70 much anyways, so the trade off is still completely worth it for me.

Every single day, including today, when I drive my car, I thank my past self for going through with it. It makes me want to gas it. It always puts a smile on my face, and I feel giddy like a child going to the amusement park.

In the end, it's always totally up to you buddy. I hope to see you at flipwerkz this Sunday, maybe then I can show you and it will make it easier for you to choose whichever you want.

 

Thanks Rod. Ya I think I'm over thinking it and like you I don't drive past 70 mph anyway except when I'm on Hwy 5. One shop where I got my quad tips done quoted me $90 install, $180 if I go with their xpipe. Another shop quoted me $120 install, $200 if I go with their xpipe. I may just end up getting the Lawson x pipe or one from ebay (I don't need stainless steel) and go to Classic Muffler where you had yours done. Worse case, I don't lose out much if I decide to go back to stock. Can get it all done for less than $100. Hopefully they are open on weekends.

What time you heading to Flipwerkz?

 

I don't want you to feel like I'm pushing you to do it, I am just really happy with it so I may come off as an xpipe salesmen so to speak haha.

I can ask Andy for a quote on install only for an Xpipe, I think he had a better price than online for the magnaflow xpipe, so I just paid for him to use his in shop magnaflow xpipe.

I think it's important to note that everyone was getting 2.25 inch xpipes and Andy didn't have 2.25 in stock, so he had to order it to his shop for me. When it got there a few days later, he tried to fit it but told me that it was too small and only 2.5 would fit. So he put on the 2.5 magnaflow xpipe he already had in stock. Since Andy was the one who ordered the 2.25 inch Xpipe, I didn't have to deal with returning the 2.25...

It's only a quarter inch, and I'm pretty sure the 2.5 will allow Andy to slide it over nice and easy and then weld it in place. I asked a different exhaust expert if .25 would make a difference and he told me it was negligible.

If you can get the xpipe for under $50, I think you can get Andy to do it for $100 flat. My friend did a muffler delete alone and that was $70 from Andy. Since Andy is so popular, he is very busy. I would highly recommend making an appointment. Andy is also closed on Sundays. If you want to be realistic, you might be looking at around $120ish out the door. I think Andy may have given me a discount because I bought the Xpipe from him too.

Anyways, I will probably be there at around 9. My issues with the meet is that I'm short on time(midterms), I would have rather done a regular car meet, and that it will be loud so we can't get good sound recordings of the xpipe. I was hoping we could have gone to mckean or somewhere super south San Jose where it's quiet, with long stretches of empty road we can floor it on safely. Either way, if you're going, I'm going haha

Looking forward to it!