E500 Exhaust: Muffler+Resonator Delete, x-pipe, and j-pipe (miracle pipe)
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 47
Likes: 1
w203 R.I.P. / w204
Nice write up. I too just did a resonator and muffler delete with J pipes on my w204. Tried many different exhaust set ups and this is by far my favorite. Just out of curiosity, what number did you guys use for the speed of sound? Sound moves faster the hotter the temp gets and exhaust pipes are hot lol.
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
2005 E509 4matic
I just recently picked up my first ever benz it is a 05 E500. And the look of the quad tips is sexy. Think I might just add the tips. Not really looking for the sound but definitely want the look. But you did a great job on it and it does sound amazing.
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 721
Likes: 74
From: NYC
2016 c450 / 2016 VW Jetta 1.8t / 2006 Wrangler X
I'm going to revive this topic because I've been looking into something like this for my c450. This seems like the best way to keep the volume desired, but killing the drone at highway speed.
How did you come to the length you chose for the J pipes? Did you engineer it or your muffler shop do it? After a year, is this setup still working for you?
How did you come to the length you chose for the J pipes? Did you engineer it or your muffler shop do it? After a year, is this setup still working for you?
Newbie
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
2006 w211 e350 Sport
Really want to revive this thread as well. Most of the people here are doing it for their V8 E-classes but I have a V6 and I'm not sure on how to calculate how long the J-pipe needs to be. Also is the end of the J-pipe open or closed off?
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
2011 E350 4MATIC Sedan W212
Did you end up finding a result on this? I've put in a cutout right before my mufflers on my V6 and it sounds good with minimal drone when they're open, but I'm open to other options as long as there is no drone in the cabin. I like the cutout, just dislike that it hangs and it's visible from the rear
Newbie
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
1997 E320 ELEGANCE
Muffler+Resonator+J Pipes - Job Done
Hi There Members,
I've recently done this job on my 2003 E500 w211. Resonator out, x-pipe put in its place, and two 29" J Pipes where the rear mufflers used to be. The sound is awesome, don't appear to have lost any HP (as the J-Pipes seem to replace the lost back pressure?) but...
There is a drone inside the cabin at about 1200-1400rpm. This is annoying because with the 5 speed transmission, this equates to 55-65kp/h, which is our general speed limit, so I'm doing that a lot of the time. There is no drone anywhere else in the rev band, however, which is great out on the freeway.
My question then is this: should I try lengthening/shortening the J-pipes and how would I work out which to do without a ton of experimenting? I know there is a mathematical formula for calculating J-pipe length/resonance but maths is not my strong suit. Alternatively, could I consider replacing the two j-pipes with free flow resonators (not mufflers) or leave the j-pipes and put two resonators in further towards the front of car. (Seems like a backward step, though?)
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Regards, Jamie
I've recently done this job on my 2003 E500 w211. Resonator out, x-pipe put in its place, and two 29" J Pipes where the rear mufflers used to be. The sound is awesome, don't appear to have lost any HP (as the J-Pipes seem to replace the lost back pressure?) but...
There is a drone inside the cabin at about 1200-1400rpm. This is annoying because with the 5 speed transmission, this equates to 55-65kp/h, which is our general speed limit, so I'm doing that a lot of the time. There is no drone anywhere else in the rev band, however, which is great out on the freeway.
My question then is this: should I try lengthening/shortening the J-pipes and how would I work out which to do without a ton of experimenting? I know there is a mathematical formula for calculating J-pipe length/resonance but maths is not my strong suit. Alternatively, could I consider replacing the two j-pipes with free flow resonators (not mufflers) or leave the j-pipes and put two resonators in further towards the front of car. (Seems like a backward step, though?)
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Regards, Jamie
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 1,059
Likes: 73
From: DC Metro Area
2007 Mercedes E550
Hello:
This is my exhaust story. I read these forums for years and debated back and forth with myself whether I would finally do the exhaust on my own car, and I finally did, and here is what I learned:
First of all, I have a 2005 Mercedes E500 and it is (was) completely stock. I wanted an exhaust that had a mean, snarly, V8 sound to go with the car's 5.0L engine. I wanted to get people's attention here and there, and I wanted to drive around with my windows down and smile at the sound of my own car! Basically, I wanted my comfortable Mercedes to sound like a badass sports car...while still being a practical and comfortable sedan. To that point, I did not want any drone and I didn't want so much interior volume that I would lose what I saw as the car's greatest strength: cruising comfortably.
Bottom line:
I now have a custom system consisting of a resonator delete, x-pipe, rear muffler deletes, and J-pipes. It is incredible. Better than even my wildest dreams! The car has a distinct and exotic "bark" to it, it roars, it echoes off trees and buildings, but when you roll up the windows, it is quiet and ZERO DRONE!! J-pipes are basically the most amazing things I have ever come across. I don't know how they are not more popular. If you are on the fence, like I was, and you're reading this, DO IT! You won't regret it and, I promise, there is zero drone or tiresome interior volume.
Exhaust History:
I started by installing an OEM E55 rear section exhaust that was removed from a stock E55 AMG. I cut out my bumper and welded in the system. It was very easy and an exact swap-out with the stock system. The car looked great, but basically sounded no different. So, next, I removed the resonators and installed an x-pipe. After this, I definitely noticed more bass and the exhaust had a much nicer sound. Still, it was extremely quiet and nearly unnoticeable in the interior. Spent a lot of money and saw very little difference.
After driving around for almost a year with the AMG system, I decided I had to try again. So, I did a complete muffler delete. The car sounded cool, but it was way too loud in the interior and had so much painful drone I got headaches and frustrated by the end of any drive. It didn't sound good inside the car, either; it was just a wall of low-frequency noise and no real discernable exhaust note. On the outside, the car sounded awesome. I could not drive the car like this, though.
Next, after reading about j-pipes from some other posts on this forum and from Mustang, Camaro, and G8 forums, I decided I'd try it. Not an easy decision, though! The muffler delete was so unpleasant to drive that I really didn't believe that a simple j-pipe would make enough of a difference. I couldn't believe that it would actually be able to get rid of this much interior bass and drone. But, thanks to the great posts by GredD, AMGAffalterbach, and many others, I went for it.
The J-pipes yielded incredible results. Almost unbelievable. 100% of the interior drone and bass is gone, and all that remains is the good stuff! Snarl, bark, and an almost metallic, exotic V8 tone. Reminds me a lot of Maserati V8s. I am so glad that I decided to do a J-pipe and not go back to stock. Honestly, there is basically no drone in the interior, you can cruise very comfortably, passengers won't be annoyed, you can hear the radio easily, commute without getting angry at the noise...it's perfect. It makes me smile every time I drive.
Another big advantage of the J-pipes when you go with a muffler delete is that you actually get a little back-pressure again and I have noticed that this helps the low-end compared to the muffler delete without the j-pipes. The top end power is awesome (not sure how much better it really is, but at least it sounds spectacular!).
System Details:
-Resonator Delete
-X-pipe
-Rear Muffler Deletes
-Custom bent j-pipes (29inch pipes of whatever diameter your exhaust is, bent into a j, and capped)
-AMG-style Quad Tips (requires custom bumper cutouts)
Media:
I attached some photos and here is a link to a youtube video of the exhaust. In the youtube video, I am limited by the rev limiter. But, under heavy throttle and above 5,000rpm or so, this exhaust absolutely screams! It's pretty wild.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWzU...ature=youtu.be
Again, I'd like to extend a big "thank you" to everyone on this forum who experimented with this before me and took the time to post about it. Couldn't have gotten here without you! I hope this post may help others in the future, and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this type of exhaust setup. Also, if you're in the Bay Area, I highly recommend 50-50 Muffler. They did an outstanding job.
This is my exhaust story. I read these forums for years and debated back and forth with myself whether I would finally do the exhaust on my own car, and I finally did, and here is what I learned:
First of all, I have a 2005 Mercedes E500 and it is (was) completely stock. I wanted an exhaust that had a mean, snarly, V8 sound to go with the car's 5.0L engine. I wanted to get people's attention here and there, and I wanted to drive around with my windows down and smile at the sound of my own car! Basically, I wanted my comfortable Mercedes to sound like a badass sports car...while still being a practical and comfortable sedan. To that point, I did not want any drone and I didn't want so much interior volume that I would lose what I saw as the car's greatest strength: cruising comfortably.
Bottom line:
I now have a custom system consisting of a resonator delete, x-pipe, rear muffler deletes, and J-pipes. It is incredible. Better than even my wildest dreams! The car has a distinct and exotic "bark" to it, it roars, it echoes off trees and buildings, but when you roll up the windows, it is quiet and ZERO DRONE!! J-pipes are basically the most amazing things I have ever come across. I don't know how they are not more popular. If you are on the fence, like I was, and you're reading this, DO IT! You won't regret it and, I promise, there is zero drone or tiresome interior volume.
Exhaust History:
I started by installing an OEM E55 rear section exhaust that was removed from a stock E55 AMG. I cut out my bumper and welded in the system. It was very easy and an exact swap-out with the stock system. The car looked great, but basically sounded no different. So, next, I removed the resonators and installed an x-pipe. After this, I definitely noticed more bass and the exhaust had a much nicer sound. Still, it was extremely quiet and nearly unnoticeable in the interior. Spent a lot of money and saw very little difference.
After driving around for almost a year with the AMG system, I decided I had to try again. So, I did a complete muffler delete. The car sounded cool, but it was way too loud in the interior and had so much painful drone I got headaches and frustrated by the end of any drive. It didn't sound good inside the car, either; it was just a wall of low-frequency noise and no real discernable exhaust note. On the outside, the car sounded awesome. I could not drive the car like this, though.
Next, after reading about j-pipes from some other posts on this forum and from Mustang, Camaro, and G8 forums, I decided I'd try it. Not an easy decision, though! The muffler delete was so unpleasant to drive that I really didn't believe that a simple j-pipe would make enough of a difference. I couldn't believe that it would actually be able to get rid of this much interior bass and drone. But, thanks to the great posts by GredD, AMGAffalterbach, and many others, I went for it.
The J-pipes yielded incredible results. Almost unbelievable. 100% of the interior drone and bass is gone, and all that remains is the good stuff! Snarl, bark, and an almost metallic, exotic V8 tone. Reminds me a lot of Maserati V8s. I am so glad that I decided to do a J-pipe and not go back to stock. Honestly, there is basically no drone in the interior, you can cruise very comfortably, passengers won't be annoyed, you can hear the radio easily, commute without getting angry at the noise...it's perfect. It makes me smile every time I drive.
Another big advantage of the J-pipes when you go with a muffler delete is that you actually get a little back-pressure again and I have noticed that this helps the low-end compared to the muffler delete without the j-pipes. The top end power is awesome (not sure how much better it really is, but at least it sounds spectacular!).
System Details:
-Resonator Delete
-X-pipe
-Rear Muffler Deletes
-Custom bent j-pipes (29inch pipes of whatever diameter your exhaust is, bent into a j, and capped)
-AMG-style Quad Tips (requires custom bumper cutouts)
Media:
I attached some photos and here is a link to a youtube video of the exhaust. In the youtube video, I am limited by the rev limiter. But, under heavy throttle and above 5,000rpm or so, this exhaust absolutely screams! It's pretty wild.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWzU...ature=youtu.be
Again, I'd like to extend a big "thank you" to everyone on this forum who experimented with this before me and took the time to post about it. Couldn't have gotten here without you! I hope this post may help others in the future, and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this type of exhaust setup. Also, if you're in the Bay Area, I highly recommend 50-50 Muffler. They did an outstanding job.
Newbie
Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Mercedes e500
w211 mercedes e500 exhaust
HI i just my first car is a 2004 Mercedes e500 and I really wanted to make it louder cause it just sounded like a vacuum and you could only hear the motor. So I saw these videos and the posts about the muffler delete, x pipe, and j pipes and that's what I did to my car except the j pipes. My car sounds absolutely amazing and I love it. There is really no drone except maybe a tiny bit but I don't mind what so ever. The exhaust piping size is 2.25in by the way. I just want to say thank you to Arfisch for showing me how to make my Mercedes sound like a real sports car.
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Newbie
Joined: Jul 2021
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Mercedes e500
Help
Hello:
This is my exhaust story. I read these forums for years and debated back and forth with myself whether I would finally do the exhaust on my own car, and I finally did, and here is what I learned:
First of all, I have a 2005 Mercedes E500 and it is (was) completely stock. I wanted an exhaust that had a mean, snarly, V8 sound to go with the car's 5.0L engine. I wanted to get people's attention here and there, and I wanted to drive around with my windows down and smile at the sound of my own car! Basically, I wanted my comfortable Mercedes to sound like a badass sports car...while still being a practical and comfortable sedan. To that point, I did not want any drone and I didn't want so much interior volume that I would lose what I saw as the car's greatest strength: cruising comfortably.
Bottom line:
I now have a custom system consisting of a resonator delete, x-pipe, rear muffler deletes, and J-pipes. It is incredible. Better than even my wildest dreams! The car has a distinct and exotic "bark" to it, it roars, it echoes off trees and buildings, but when you roll up the windows, it is quiet and ZERO DRONE!! J-pipes are basically the most amazing things I have ever come across. I don't know how they are not more popular. If you are on the fence, like I was, and you're reading this, DO IT! You won't regret it and, I promise, there is zero drone or tiresome interior volume.
Exhaust History:
I started by installing an OEM E55 rear section exhaust that was removed from a stock E55 AMG. I cut out my bumper and welded in the system. It was very easy and an exact swap-out with the stock system. The car looked great, but basically sounded no different. So, next, I removed the resonators and installed an x-pipe. After this, I definitely noticed more bass and the exhaust had a much nicer sound. Still, it was extremely quiet and nearly unnoticeable in the interior. Spent a lot of money and saw very little difference.
After driving around for almost a year with the AMG system, I decided I had to try again. So, I did a complete muffler delete. The car sounded cool, but it was way too loud in the interior and had so much painful drone I got headaches and frustrated by the end of any drive. It didn't sound good inside the car, either; it was just a wall of low-frequency noise and no real discernable exhaust note. On the outside, the car sounded awesome. I could not drive the car like this, though.
Next, after reading about j-pipes from some other posts on this forum and from Mustang, Camaro, and G8 forums, I decided I'd try it. Not an easy decision, though! The muffler delete was so unpleasant to drive that I really didn't believe that a simple j-pipe would make enough of a difference. I couldn't believe that it would actually be able to get rid of this much interior bass and drone. But, thanks to the great posts by GredD, AMGAffalterbach, and many others, I went for it.
The J-pipes yielded incredible results. Almost unbelievable. 100% of the interior drone and bass is gone, and all that remains is the good stuff! Snarl, bark, and an almost metallic, exotic V8 tone. Reminds me a lot of Maserati V8s. I am so glad that I decided to do a J-pipe and not go back to stock. Honestly, there is basically no drone in the interior, you can cruise very comfortably, passengers won't be annoyed, you can hear the radio easily, commute without getting angry at the noise...it's perfect. It makes me smile every time I drive.
Another big advantage of the J-pipes when you go with a muffler delete is that you actually get a little back-pressure again and I have noticed that this helps the low-end compared to the muffler delete without the j-pipes. The top end power is awesome (not sure how much better it really is, but at least it sounds spectacular!).
System Details:
-Resonator Delete
-X-pipe
-Rear Muffler Deletes
-Custom bent j-pipes (29inch pipes of whatever diameter your exhaust is, bent into a j, and capped)
-AMG-style Quad Tips (requires custom bumper cutouts)
Media:
I attached some photos and here is a link to a youtube video of the exhaust. In the youtube video, I am limited by the rev limiter. But, under heavy throttle and above 5,000rpm or so, this exhaust absolutely screams! It's pretty wild.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWzU...ature=youtu.be
Again, I'd like to extend a big "thank you" to everyone on this forum who experimented with this before me and took the time to post about it. Couldn't have gotten here without you! I hope this post may help others in the future, and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this type of exhaust setup. Also, if you're in the Bay Area, I highly recommend 50-50 Muffler. They did an outstanding job.
This is my exhaust story. I read these forums for years and debated back and forth with myself whether I would finally do the exhaust on my own car, and I finally did, and here is what I learned:
First of all, I have a 2005 Mercedes E500 and it is (was) completely stock. I wanted an exhaust that had a mean, snarly, V8 sound to go with the car's 5.0L engine. I wanted to get people's attention here and there, and I wanted to drive around with my windows down and smile at the sound of my own car! Basically, I wanted my comfortable Mercedes to sound like a badass sports car...while still being a practical and comfortable sedan. To that point, I did not want any drone and I didn't want so much interior volume that I would lose what I saw as the car's greatest strength: cruising comfortably.
Bottom line:
I now have a custom system consisting of a resonator delete, x-pipe, rear muffler deletes, and J-pipes. It is incredible. Better than even my wildest dreams! The car has a distinct and exotic "bark" to it, it roars, it echoes off trees and buildings, but when you roll up the windows, it is quiet and ZERO DRONE!! J-pipes are basically the most amazing things I have ever come across. I don't know how they are not more popular. If you are on the fence, like I was, and you're reading this, DO IT! You won't regret it and, I promise, there is zero drone or tiresome interior volume.
Exhaust History:
I started by installing an OEM E55 rear section exhaust that was removed from a stock E55 AMG. I cut out my bumper and welded in the system. It was very easy and an exact swap-out with the stock system. The car looked great, but basically sounded no different. So, next, I removed the resonators and installed an x-pipe. After this, I definitely noticed more bass and the exhaust had a much nicer sound. Still, it was extremely quiet and nearly unnoticeable in the interior. Spent a lot of money and saw very little difference.
After driving around for almost a year with the AMG system, I decided I had to try again. So, I did a complete muffler delete. The car sounded cool, but it was way too loud in the interior and had so much painful drone I got headaches and frustrated by the end of any drive. It didn't sound good inside the car, either; it was just a wall of low-frequency noise and no real discernable exhaust note. On the outside, the car sounded awesome. I could not drive the car like this, though.
Next, after reading about j-pipes from some other posts on this forum and from Mustang, Camaro, and G8 forums, I decided I'd try it. Not an easy decision, though! The muffler delete was so unpleasant to drive that I really didn't believe that a simple j-pipe would make enough of a difference. I couldn't believe that it would actually be able to get rid of this much interior bass and drone. But, thanks to the great posts by GredD, AMGAffalterbach, and many others, I went for it.
The J-pipes yielded incredible results. Almost unbelievable. 100% of the interior drone and bass is gone, and all that remains is the good stuff! Snarl, bark, and an almost metallic, exotic V8 tone. Reminds me a lot of Maserati V8s. I am so glad that I decided to do a J-pipe and not go back to stock. Honestly, there is basically no drone in the interior, you can cruise very comfortably, passengers won't be annoyed, you can hear the radio easily, commute without getting angry at the noise...it's perfect. It makes me smile every time I drive.
Another big advantage of the J-pipes when you go with a muffler delete is that you actually get a little back-pressure again and I have noticed that this helps the low-end compared to the muffler delete without the j-pipes. The top end power is awesome (not sure how much better it really is, but at least it sounds spectacular!).
System Details:
-Resonator Delete
-X-pipe
-Rear Muffler Deletes
-Custom bent j-pipes (29inch pipes of whatever diameter your exhaust is, bent into a j, and capped)
-AMG-style Quad Tips (requires custom bumper cutouts)
Media:
I attached some photos and here is a link to a youtube video of the exhaust. In the youtube video, I am limited by the rev limiter. But, under heavy throttle and above 5,000rpm or so, this exhaust absolutely screams! It's pretty wild.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWzU...ature=youtu.be
Again, I'd like to extend a big "thank you" to everyone on this forum who experimented with this before me and took the time to post about it. Couldn't have gotten here without you! I hope this post may help others in the future, and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this type of exhaust setup. Also, if you're in the Bay Area, I highly recommend 50-50 Muffler. They did an outstanding job.
if I go 50-50 muffler will they already know what I want if I want the same setup
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 50
Likes: 3
From: Somewhere deep in Florida
2003 E500, 52k miles
Hello:
This is my exhaust story. I read these forums for years and debated back and forth with myself whether I would finally do the exhaust on my own car, and I finally did, and here is what I learned:
First of all, I have a 2005 Mercedes E500 and it is (was) completely stock. I wanted an exhaust that had a mean, snarly, V8 sound to go with the car's 5.0L engine. I wanted to get people's attention here and there, and I wanted to drive around with my windows down and smile at the sound of my own car! Basically, I wanted my comfortable Mercedes to sound like a badass sports car...while still being a practical and comfortable sedan. To that point, I did not want any drone and I didn't want so much interior volume that I would lose what I saw as the car's greatest strength: cruising comfortably.
Bottom line:
I now have a custom system consisting of a resonator delete, x-pipe, rear muffler deletes, and J-pipes. It is incredible. Better than even my wildest dreams! The car has a distinct and exotic "bark" to it, it roars, it echoes off trees and buildings, but when you roll up the windows, it is quiet and ZERO DRONE!! J-pipes are basically the most amazing things I have ever come across. I don't know how they are not more popular. If you are on the fence, like I was, and you're reading this, DO IT! You won't regret it and, I promise, there is zero drone or tiresome interior volume.
Exhaust History:
I started by installing an OEM E55 rear section exhaust that was removed from a stock E55 AMG. I cut out my bumper and welded in the system. It was very easy and an exact swap-out with the stock system. The car looked great, but basically sounded no different. So, next, I removed the resonators and installed an x-pipe. After this, I definitely noticed more bass and the exhaust had a much nicer sound. Still, it was extremely quiet and nearly unnoticeable in the interior. Spent a lot of money and saw very little difference.
After driving around for almost a year with the AMG system, I decided I had to try again. So, I did a complete muffler delete. The car sounded cool, but it was way too loud in the interior and had so much painful drone I got headaches and frustrated by the end of any drive. It didn't sound good inside the car, either; it was just a wall of low-frequency noise and no real discernable exhaust note. On the outside, the car sounded awesome. I could not drive the car like this, though.
Next, after reading about j-pipes from some other posts on this forum and from Mustang, Camaro, and G8 forums, I decided I'd try it. Not an easy decision, though! The muffler delete was so unpleasant to drive that I really didn't believe that a simple j-pipe would make enough of a difference. I couldn't believe that it would actually be able to get rid of this much interior bass and drone. But, thanks to the great posts by GredD, AMGAffalterbach, and many others, I went for it.
The J-pipes yielded incredible results. Almost unbelievable. 100% of the interior drone and bass is gone, and all that remains is the good stuff! Snarl, bark, and an almost metallic, exotic V8 tone. Reminds me a lot of Maserati V8s. I am so glad that I decided to do a J-pipe and not go back to stock. Honestly, there is basically no drone in the interior, you can cruise very comfortably, passengers won't be annoyed, you can hear the radio easily, commute without getting angry at the noise...it's perfect. It makes me smile every time I drive.
Another big advantage of the J-pipes when you go with a muffler delete is that you actually get a little back-pressure again and I have noticed that this helps the low-end compared to the muffler delete without the j-pipes. The top end power is awesome (not sure how much better it really is, but at least it sounds spectacular!).
System Details:
-Resonator Delete
-X-pipe
-Rear Muffler Deletes
-Custom bent j-pipes (29inch pipes of whatever diameter your exhaust is, bent into a j, and capped)
-AMG-style Quad Tips (requires custom bumper cutouts)
Media:
I attached some photos and here is a link to a youtube video of the exhaust. In the youtube video, I am limited by the rev limiter. But, under heavy throttle and above 5,000rpm or so, this exhaust absolutely screams! It's pretty wild.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWzU...ature=youtu.be
Again, I'd like to extend a big "thank you" to everyone on this forum who experimented with this before me and took the time to post about it. Couldn't have gotten here without you! I hope this post may help others in the future, and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this type of exhaust setup. Also, if you're in the Bay Area, I highly recommend 50-50 Muffler. They did an outstanding job.
This is my exhaust story. I read these forums for years and debated back and forth with myself whether I would finally do the exhaust on my own car, and I finally did, and here is what I learned:
First of all, I have a 2005 Mercedes E500 and it is (was) completely stock. I wanted an exhaust that had a mean, snarly, V8 sound to go with the car's 5.0L engine. I wanted to get people's attention here and there, and I wanted to drive around with my windows down and smile at the sound of my own car! Basically, I wanted my comfortable Mercedes to sound like a badass sports car...while still being a practical and comfortable sedan. To that point, I did not want any drone and I didn't want so much interior volume that I would lose what I saw as the car's greatest strength: cruising comfortably.
Bottom line:
I now have a custom system consisting of a resonator delete, x-pipe, rear muffler deletes, and J-pipes. It is incredible. Better than even my wildest dreams! The car has a distinct and exotic "bark" to it, it roars, it echoes off trees and buildings, but when you roll up the windows, it is quiet and ZERO DRONE!! J-pipes are basically the most amazing things I have ever come across. I don't know how they are not more popular. If you are on the fence, like I was, and you're reading this, DO IT! You won't regret it and, I promise, there is zero drone or tiresome interior volume.
Exhaust History:
I started by installing an OEM E55 rear section exhaust that was removed from a stock E55 AMG. I cut out my bumper and welded in the system. It was very easy and an exact swap-out with the stock system. The car looked great, but basically sounded no different. So, next, I removed the resonators and installed an x-pipe. After this, I definitely noticed more bass and the exhaust had a much nicer sound. Still, it was extremely quiet and nearly unnoticeable in the interior. Spent a lot of money and saw very little difference.
After driving around for almost a year with the AMG system, I decided I had to try again. So, I did a complete muffler delete. The car sounded cool, but it was way too loud in the interior and had so much painful drone I got headaches and frustrated by the end of any drive. It didn't sound good inside the car, either; it was just a wall of low-frequency noise and no real discernable exhaust note. On the outside, the car sounded awesome. I could not drive the car like this, though.
Next, after reading about j-pipes from some other posts on this forum and from Mustang, Camaro, and G8 forums, I decided I'd try it. Not an easy decision, though! The muffler delete was so unpleasant to drive that I really didn't believe that a simple j-pipe would make enough of a difference. I couldn't believe that it would actually be able to get rid of this much interior bass and drone. But, thanks to the great posts by GredD, AMGAffalterbach, and many others, I went for it.
The J-pipes yielded incredible results. Almost unbelievable. 100% of the interior drone and bass is gone, and all that remains is the good stuff! Snarl, bark, and an almost metallic, exotic V8 tone. Reminds me a lot of Maserati V8s. I am so glad that I decided to do a J-pipe and not go back to stock. Honestly, there is basically no drone in the interior, you can cruise very comfortably, passengers won't be annoyed, you can hear the radio easily, commute without getting angry at the noise...it's perfect. It makes me smile every time I drive.
Another big advantage of the J-pipes when you go with a muffler delete is that you actually get a little back-pressure again and I have noticed that this helps the low-end compared to the muffler delete without the j-pipes. The top end power is awesome (not sure how much better it really is, but at least it sounds spectacular!).
System Details:
-Resonator Delete
-X-pipe
-Rear Muffler Deletes
-Custom bent j-pipes (29inch pipes of whatever diameter your exhaust is, bent into a j, and capped)
-AMG-style Quad Tips (requires custom bumper cutouts)
Media:
I attached some photos and here is a link to a youtube video of the exhaust. In the youtube video, I am limited by the rev limiter. But, under heavy throttle and above 5,000rpm or so, this exhaust absolutely screams! It's pretty wild.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWzU...ature=youtu.be
Again, I'd like to extend a big "thank you" to everyone on this forum who experimented with this before me and took the time to post about it. Couldn't have gotten here without you! I hope this post may help others in the future, and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this type of exhaust setup. Also, if you're in the Bay Area, I highly recommend 50-50 Muffler. They did an outstanding job.
Newbie
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 10
Likes: 3
From: Calgary AB
2004 Mercedes E500 4Matic
this setup sounds insane! Definitely happy I took your advice! No interior cab drone. Sounds amazing on cold start and finally sounds like a true V8! I’ll try and post a video asap!
Newbie
Joined: Oct 2025
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
2004 e500 w211
hello everyone was hoping to get some more info on this because i’m really liking the reviews with the j pipe but was hoping for more specifics like piping diameter if anyone could help me out on that would 2.25inch be fine and following that diameter all the way through to tips? is j pipe length 29inch? and what does it mean for the j pipe to be capped?
at the moment i’m set on the resonator delete for x pipe
all muffler deletes
amg style quad tips
j pipes
but just wanted the specifics
at the moment i’m set on the resonator delete for x pipe
all muffler deletes
amg style quad tips
j pipes
but just wanted the specifics
