Hi All,

First of all i would like to say thanks to a few members who helped adding their 2 cents were possible, you know who you are.

Long story short I impulse bought my car over an RS3 for a great price and didnt check the options on the car. After some time realised i need more sound and power from it. Added a racechip (hate on it if you want) which added performance gains. Started looking into exhausts and found that nothing really matches the sound of the PE in the aftermarket options.

By no means am I a mechanic or tuner this is just what I learnt about how PE cars operate the exhaust.

• Mercedes will not retrofit this and you will see why
• When car is off valves are open
• When car is started valves automatically close after 3 seconds or so
• When in comfort with exhaust button on valve open 30% or so
• When in sports + with exhaust button on valves open 100+ after 4000 RPM and full load and are variable at other RPMS
• There is a controller in the boot that controls these valves
• All the characteristics of the PE exhaust are driven by the exhaust and valve controller
• I contacted some tuners here in sydney and they said "we cant see a difference in the base map between car with and without PE"

Luckily for me there was this wrecked c43 amg with the PE as option.


After alot of discussions with other members and google research the theory was that most of the aspects of the PE exhaust i.e cracks on gear changes and burbles, pops and bangs were from ECU and a little from the exhaust. No hard evidence just theory.

The first idea was to get everything from this wrecked car.

Wiring + connectors


Special valve box thingy?


I soon came to realise the loom is "stitched"? into the main loom.

So i bit the bullet and bought the exhaust, I was ok if the car just sounded a little deeper but really was chasing the characteristics of a PE optioned car POP bang crack whatever you call it.



.
Difference in exhaust from cat back to muffler left side AMG right side standard sports exhaust. MAKE SURE YOU GET BRACKETS FROM PE OPTIONED CAR OR WILL BE FABBING SOME UP.



Updated video as the first few below are average.

All bolted up first start in Sport+

First drive not knowing what the outcome was going to be, I was very happy with the result

Warm eco startup at home trying not to **** of my heavily pregnant wife or neighbours

Driving around like a goose


Tunnel


In summary, this has transformed the car. There is no drone on the motorway with the valves always open. Met with a friend earlier tonight and we drove both cars (his car has PE from factory). We could not notice any difference in exhaust note or power between the two cars (all done by butt dyno no dragy or cool tools available).

Ive had quite a few messages on the facebook page and just hope this helps whoever the next guy is thats trying to figure all this out.

Thanks
Dave

 

Fantastic write up man. You really did the thing properly.

 

Thanks munis! Well the best it can be without the car being optioned from factory

 

Well there is a difference though. You are not getting any crackles or burbles on lift off. Which I think is done by the Sound module by Kristronics as I have mentioned previously in one of the threads.

 

So what were your findings on incorporating this sound module? I think even if you put that module in, it still would need to be coded (SCN) in into the car. Only then you will get the full PE experience I think. On the other hand, to further improve the sound a bit, get a resonator deleted. Really helps with the upshift Bangs. And may be pursue the downpipes? Then you can go to a tuner to get a burble tune.

 

It took a little while driving but seemingly getting crackles on lift off. We drove both cars and found zero difference.

You can only incorporate sound module if replace entire loom and center console with the button and get it programmed as you mentioned.

 

I think what the sound module does if give you a much extended over run. You are getting a lift off pop as much as I can see. I get overruns in as low as 3000rpm. So where is this super elusive sound module located? Wonder if a tuner can hack it to make more interesting sounds.

 

Not sure what it does, I also get this overruns at low RPM same as the other PE car.

The module is located in the boot

 

excellent write up glad it worked out for you.

That sound module is very interesting.

I agree with prior post if someone could alter that I bet they could make a fortune

 

Hey, if you listen to the video below, you can see a very extended lift off over run which I couldn't find in the video you provided. I still think this over run is caused by the sound module which is connected to the CANBUS for sure, hence can modify fuelling. If you get this long over runs as well, it kind of disproves my theory. So I would really like to know. Can you upload a video where you can get a long overrun?

The reason why I believe this is because I did a few tests on my own to see how much of the sound is controlled by the module. I went to S+ which automatically turns on the exhaust button in the center console. I also have an ASR module in my car which lets me keep my valves 100% open or close or stock setting. With the ASR module in open mode as well, I get all the pops bangs and crackles and overruns, but if I keep the valves open using ASR module but turn the exhaust button off in centre console while being in S+, all the pops crackles and burbles suddenly disappear and the car gets much quieter, even though the valve is completely open. Which kind of explains how much of the sound is dependent on the ECU controlling the fueling.

 

I truly do not understand why one would go through the trouble of this, but I'm glad it worked out for you.

Would easily go for a valved aftermarket option before even considering this.

 

Someone had to do it.

Well done though.

 

What do you mean by trouble? Im outlining my research to try to help others who are sitting there trying to do a full retrofit. At the end of the day I bought a catback AMG exhaust and just bolted it up....

 

Bolt on genuine AMG PE for under 1k. No brainer. All those aftermarket branded exhausts are quite disappointing because they don't give you that AMG grunt. Sure... they're loud, but IMO if it's between paying 4 or 5k for a valve controlled AWE or Armytrix exhaust or bolting on a genuine PE that's done very little kms for UNDER 1k, you best believe I'm going AMG.

Good work dude. When I heard it in West Ryde last night I was surprised it bolted on and worked that well. Great upshift bangs and nice down**** pops and burbles. Sounds unreal and just like my PE.

The videos above are not that useful because you do need to learn how to utilise the exhausts with rpm ranges, manual mode gear shifts etc. People get different sounds because they drive differently. It's not a matter of "oh 3k rpm will give you this sound", so you'll learn while you drive, plus... my exhaust has changed from when I got it to where I'm at now (5000km) so expect that there might be some change wearing in the new bird.

Good work. You made the right decision.

 

for people that were asking in PM here is cold start in sports+
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuPf...ature=youtu.be

Some reason no pops when its cold but warm start in sports+ make pops

 

 

Thanks threefirs,

I just hope it doesnt become an argument like some of the facebook pages i was just trying to help

 

Nice on two accounts, the work itself and for buying this instead of the RS3

 

engineering is often a work of art, and this is that. Incredible job retrofitting in the circumstances, should be proud of your work!

 

Thanks man, it stopped me from selling the car haha

 

"Trouble"? Uhh....not only is it a 'bolt-on' part, but it's a FACTORY 'bolt-on' part

Besides, I don't think it takes brain surgery to figure out why anyone would want to do this. Especially considering that not only are the aftermarket options CRAZY-STUPIDLY OVERPRICED, but that they don't offer any worthwhile power gains. Personally I'm not going to spend time or energy looking for one for my car, but if a came across one for a few hundred bucks like this kid did, then I'd probably do it.


Oh and just in case you STILL don't get why basically 99% of c43 owners prefer the PE over the standard exhaust..... it's because of the sound

 

[QUOTE=sean1.8t;7496911]"Trouble"? Uhh....not only is it a 'bolt-on' part, but it's a FACTORY 'bolt-on' part

Thanks Sean. Yes the after market exhausts are $5000 and up here in australia. I find them a little raspy but i havent heard one in person only videos where you cant tell.

All of the hangers are the same except for the back left one that holds up the H pipe. I would try to get all of them if you can

 

If you can't get the sound module to work, just install one of these

 

Not sure why you are offended by a difference in opinion. Can you purchase the entire set-up regularly(new) without a donor car from the wreckers?

 

If you see my reaction and thought I was offended, then reading your post again tells me that you truly were offended since this guy's opinion on what exhaust to put on his car, differs from yours. I mean I wasn't "offended" in the slightest. But using your very own logic, apparently you are. Sorry to learn that a complete stranger adding an exhaust has the ability to affect you on a personal level like that.