C350 x pipe - what’s best? A couple questions
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Newbie
Joined: Apr 2018
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2008 C350 Sport
C350 x pipe - what’s best? A couple questions
Last night my C let me know something was up with my left brake lights so I asked my lady friend if she could hit the brakes for me as I stood behind my car and well she accidentally hit the accelerator instead and fairly hard too 🤦🏽*♂️ However I was very impressed from what came from my exhaust, but I felt there was more potential to get a nice roar from my 350 and felt it was somewhat restricted for being a “luxury sport sedan”. It got me thinking on putting an X pipe in place of the first resonator as I did on my old mustang, but I couldn’t get all the information I needed from basic research so I’m hoping you all can help. Here are a couple of my questions.
1. I see a lot of talk about going with the magnaflow Xpipe but for such a simple mod I don’t see why a custom fab x pipe from a reputable shop wouldn’t be just as good if anything cheaper and less troublesome to install. Do you all agree with this?
(I have no concern of voided warranty as I am the second owner and if any it would no longer be valid due to age/mileage)
2. Will my car throw any engine codes due to any O2 sensors from removing the resonator? (Only asking because my mustang did.)
3. Does removing only the first set resonator do a good enough job of unrestricting airflow for a nice growl or do you suggest more work like deleting the mufflers as well. Or does anybody have a specific exhaust set up that they love for their c350?
4. If we’re only removing one set of resonators, which is the best to replace with the xpipe for the best sound? The front or rear resonators?
Side note: I’m very particular because I’m a college student and prefer not to be in and out of the shop spending extra cash trying to figure out the right set up (I don’t think anyone does for that matter) also do plan on going with a diffuser and quad tip set up down the road but that’s not for awhile.
Thank you for any help and sorry for the long post!!! Oh and I’m new here so pleasure to meet and see all of y’alls enthusiasm and love for Mercedes 😍
1. I see a lot of talk about going with the magnaflow Xpipe but for such a simple mod I don’t see why a custom fab x pipe from a reputable shop wouldn’t be just as good if anything cheaper and less troublesome to install. Do you all agree with this?
(I have no concern of voided warranty as I am the second owner and if any it would no longer be valid due to age/mileage)
2. Will my car throw any engine codes due to any O2 sensors from removing the resonator? (Only asking because my mustang did.)
3. Does removing only the first set resonator do a good enough job of unrestricting airflow for a nice growl or do you suggest more work like deleting the mufflers as well. Or does anybody have a specific exhaust set up that they love for their c350?
4. If we’re only removing one set of resonators, which is the best to replace with the xpipe for the best sound? The front or rear resonators?
Side note: I’m very particular because I’m a college student and prefer not to be in and out of the shop spending extra cash trying to figure out the right set up (I don’t think anyone does for that matter) also do plan on going with a diffuser and quad tip set up down the road but that’s not for awhile.
Thank you for any help and sorry for the long post!!! Oh and I’m new here so pleasure to meet and see all of y’alls enthusiasm and love for Mercedes 😍
Member
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 144
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From: Vancouver, BC
2014 Mercedes C350 Coupe
Hey just to answer a few of your questions:
1. That would depend on your shop. If you just buy the magnaflow x-pipe it probably would be cheaper since shops charge by the hour when you ask them to fabricate exhaust components. A guy was selling the x-pipe for 60 USD if I recall correctly on the forum.
2. No, because the O2 sensors are located upstream.
3. In my opinion, removing the resonators would not make it sound better. The point of the resonators is to cancel out certain frequencies from the exhaust that the manufacturer deems as "sounding bad". It does this by using destructive interference, where certain sound frequencies with certain wavelengths are reflected and overlayed to cancel that specific frequency out. It is very similar to how noise cancelling headphones work, except in this case its a passive component. I would recommend upgrading to more aggressive mufflers or even a muffler delete, and leave the resonators and everything upstream alone. Removing the secondary cats would also make it sound better, but I'm not sure if that will throw CEL without a tune.
4. Again, I don't recommend removing the resonators as you may hear that raspy ricer sound when revved. Just cut out the mufflers and call it a day. Or try to find a set of c63 mufflers from a scrapped c63.
Hope this helps.
1. That would depend on your shop. If you just buy the magnaflow x-pipe it probably would be cheaper since shops charge by the hour when you ask them to fabricate exhaust components. A guy was selling the x-pipe for 60 USD if I recall correctly on the forum.
2. No, because the O2 sensors are located upstream.
3. In my opinion, removing the resonators would not make it sound better. The point of the resonators is to cancel out certain frequencies from the exhaust that the manufacturer deems as "sounding bad". It does this by using destructive interference, where certain sound frequencies with certain wavelengths are reflected and overlayed to cancel that specific frequency out. It is very similar to how noise cancelling headphones work, except in this case its a passive component. I would recommend upgrading to more aggressive mufflers or even a muffler delete, and leave the resonators and everything upstream alone. Removing the secondary cats would also make it sound better, but I'm not sure if that will throw CEL without a tune.
4. Again, I don't recommend removing the resonators as you may hear that raspy ricer sound when revved. Just cut out the mufflers and call it a day. Or try to find a set of c63 mufflers from a scrapped c63.
Hope this helps.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 8
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2008 C350 Sport
Hey just to answer a few of your questions:
1. That would depend on your shop. If you just buy the magnaflow x-pipe it probably would be cheaper since shops charge by the hour when you ask them to fabricate exhaust components. A guy was selling the x-pipe for 60 USD if I recall correctly on the forum.
2. No, because the O2 sensors are located upstream.
3. In my opinion, removing the resonators would not make it sound better. The point of the resonators is to cancel out certain frequencies from the exhaust that the manufacturer deems as "sounding bad". It does this by using destructive interference, where certain sound frequencies with certain wavelengths are reflected and overlayed to cancel that specific frequency out. It is very similar to how noise cancelling headphones work, except in this case its a passive component. I would recommend upgrading to more aggressive mufflers or even a muffler delete, and leave the resonators and everything upstream alone. Removing the secondary cats would also make it sound better, but I'm not sure if that will throw CEL without a tune.
4. Again, I don't recommend removing the resonators as you may hear that raspy ricer sound when revved. Just cut out the mufflers and call it a day. Or try to find a set of c63 mufflers from a scrapped c63.
Hope this helps.
1. That would depend on your shop. If you just buy the magnaflow x-pipe it probably would be cheaper since shops charge by the hour when you ask them to fabricate exhaust components. A guy was selling the x-pipe for 60 USD if I recall correctly on the forum.
2. No, because the O2 sensors are located upstream.
3. In my opinion, removing the resonators would not make it sound better. The point of the resonators is to cancel out certain frequencies from the exhaust that the manufacturer deems as "sounding bad". It does this by using destructive interference, where certain sound frequencies with certain wavelengths are reflected and overlayed to cancel that specific frequency out. It is very similar to how noise cancelling headphones work, except in this case its a passive component. I would recommend upgrading to more aggressive mufflers or even a muffler delete, and leave the resonators and everything upstream alone. Removing the secondary cats would also make it sound better, but I'm not sure if that will throw CEL without a tune.
4. Again, I don't recommend removing the resonators as you may hear that raspy ricer sound when revved. Just cut out the mufflers and call it a day. Or try to find a set of c63 mufflers from a scrapped c63.
Hope this helps.
Now im curious to see if anybody’s just done a muffler delete alone and how that sounds, I’m assuming straight piping it from there?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 4,761
Likes: 566
From: Milwaukee, WI
2010 C300 4MATIC........ 2011 C63 AMG.............. 2015 CLS400 4MATIC.....
The best thing to do is straight pipe your secondary cats (which are resonators, near front of the car) then remove the suitcase style resonator further down and replace it with an x-pipe (additional piping required, shop should have).
You'll see lots of sound clips on this, mostly c300's, so if you have a pre-facelift yours should sound better and if you have 2013+ facelift yours should sound the same.
Muffler delete sound pretty solid on this platform however it's still an unrefined sound, I would not do it over the above combination because I do not like drone and non stop noise. Maybe as a weekend car.
You'll see lots of sound clips on this, mostly c300's, so if you have a pre-facelift yours should sound better and if you have 2013+ facelift yours should sound the same.
Muffler delete sound pretty solid on this platform however it's still an unrefined sound, I would not do it over the above combination because I do not like drone and non stop noise. Maybe as a weekend car.
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 473
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From: SF bay area
C300 sport
oh thank you for all of this information!! Is there a reason why it seems like “the thing” to do is replace that upstream resonator with an x pipe? It seems like it’s giving everybody pretty much the growl I’m looking for.
Now im curious to see if anybody’s just done a muffler delete alone and how that sounds, I’m assuming straight piping it from there?
I remember back in 2009/2010 when I first got my car, there were only at most a couple mbworld forum members who had installed an X-pipe. I was also a college student, carrying too many units and with no reliable source of income. Dropping $200 to mess around with an exhaust I may not like was not easy for me. I remember scouring the internet for DAYS, reading on ford, chevy, BMW, etc. forums, watching youtube videos of xpipes on other cars just so that I can imagine what it would sound like on mine before pulling the trigger on the mod. If I had done the same now, my research would be finished in minutes.
At this point in time, in 2018, there are so many resources specific to the M272 (2008-2012) w204 xpipe that it's just unacceptable and lazy to have to ask about an xpipe again...I mean there are literally dozens of threads here about the w204 and xpipes, as well as a multitude of videos/audio on any combination of exhaust mods involving an xpipe for w204's. I'd expect more from someone who is pursuing higher education.
I request you type out your inquiry, press the internet search button, and within 10 minutes you would know whether or not you want to delete the resonator, the mufflers, the second cats or all. It would be much more effective than us sitting here and typing it out for you.
As for your questions, Bowen covered most of it. Most people and myself deleted the resonator and put a Magnaflow xpipe in its place. Muffler delete is very loud and droney imo, even at low RPM. I would not recommend removing secondary cats, forgot the reason; easy to find on the forums if you look though.
Here are a couple videos of my xpipe
I'd wholly recommend a resonator delete and xpipe install, with mufflers and secondary cats intact. Good luck.
