Active Exhaust - Meh?

[Kiyalami]

Ok - so thanks for everyone who has been commenting on my which trim / spec to purchase.

I'd only driven a base GT up until this point... couldn't find a manual PP with Active Exhaust to drive - until today.

What am I missing?

The Performance Pack - 100% Definite improvement. Love everything about it. It's a must purchase / add.

I was most excited to test out the active exhaust...

And - well, I came away a bit - underwhelmed.

What am I missing?

At idle, all settings sounded the same (car was already warmed up when I got there - salesman took it and put gas in it).
Under half+ throttle, there was definitely a difference, but nothing like I expected. I was expecting quiet to be - well, super quiet.
It was still nice and rumbly. But even track mode (which I'm assuming is wide open) - it was only moderately louder.

I came away with from it thinking - why would I spend $1600 on that option when all the modes sounded like they were within 20% of each other...

Did I do something wrong? Saleman was of course clueless on how even to find the settings - I finally figured it out.

Thanks in advance, again...

I specifically wanted to buy a base car w/o PP and Active exhaust, because I wanted to instal aftermarket parts to my liking.

As far as exhaust I wanted to replace the muffler ONLY with Borla Attak. It was a great choice, if on the loud side. What i like most is the low speed pronounced burbles and pops when you cross 2k rpm on deceleration - giggles guaranteed every single time. At WOT it scream NASCAR. Cruising on the highway at ~80 you'll know you have a growling V8 under the hood (and what a masterpiece of a V8 !!!!). On a long journey ~7h, each way, my wife complained it was loud, but secretly liked it I suspect, and my 3y old just loves it. I couldn't get enough of the V8 brubble every minute of the 7 hours - but I am a diehard V8 fanatic!

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[Frogdog1]

Normal as your go-to? If you want to scare the minivan drivers, try track mode. It will add gray hairs to their receding hairlines, like teenagers do! Glenn

It definitely will.

Track Mode is pretty quiet if you're keeping your speed constant and your foot out of it, but get near someone and it will definitely wake them up if you put your foot in it, LOL! I just did some town driving in track mode and it can be rather fun! I noticed people stay back from me at stop lights. I don't know why. I also don't know why track mode is louder on a stock GT because in Sport mode, the butterfly valve in the exhaust is open all the way. So where is the extra sound coming from in Track mode??

 

[Junkyard Dog]

I also don't know why track mode is louder on a stock GT because in Sport mode, the butterfly valve in the exhaust is open all the way. So where is the extra sound coming from in Track mode??

I do not know how it works, so I cannot comment upon the premise of your question, but it is definitely louder.

 

[Junkyard Dog]

It definitely will.

Track Mode is pretty quiet if you're keeping your speed constant and your foot out of it, but get near someone and it will definitely wake them up if you put your foot in it, LOL! I just did some town driving in track mode and it can be rather fun! I noticed people stay back from me at stop lights. I don't know why. I also don't know why track mode is louder on a stock GT because in Sport mode, the butterfly valve in the exhaust is open all the way. So where is the extra sound coming from in Track mode??

I do not know how it works, so I cannot comment upon the premise of your question, but it is definitely louder.

It looks like the valve opens a little more for each setting. Closed for Quiet mode, all the way open and straight through exhaust for Track Mode. Presumable Normal and Sport are partially open.

 

[Frogdog1]

It looks like the valve opens a little more for each setting. Closed for Quiet mode, all the way open and straight through exhaust for Track Mode. Presumable Normal and Sport are partially open.

This video is not completely accurate. The valve can't open any more from Sport mode. It is wide open in Sport and you can see it if you look into to exhaust with a little flashlight. To move it either way closes the valve from wide open, hence my question. Yet, in Track mode, there is definitely more sound coming from somewhere. It must be magic.

 

[Junkyard Dog]

This video is not completely accurate. The valve can't open any more from Sport mode. It is wide open in Sport and you can see it if you look into to exhaust with a little flashlight. To move it either way closes the valve from wide open, hence my question. Yet, in Track mode, there is definitely more sound coming from somewhere. It must be magic.

What is your source for this information?

I searched quite a bit, and there is not much out there on the internet, at least that I could find in a few minutes. This video was about the best. It may be inaccurate. Frankly, I do not know. But I would like to know how you know, if you do know.

 

[Frogdog1]

What is your source for this information?

I searched quite a bit, and there is not much out there on the internet, at least that I could find in a few minutes. This video was about the best. It may be inaccurate. Frankly, I do not know. But I would like to know how you know, if you do know.

Not being sarcastic, but put your car in Sport mode. Get a flashlight and look into the end of the exhaust at the butterfly valve. It is wide open on my car in Sport mode. When I put my car in any other mode except Track, it is not wide open (and has less sound). In Track, the valve doesn't move from wide open as in Sport, yet the exhaust makes more sound. Seeing the valve with my eyes and hearing the exhaust sounds is my source of information. Track is louder yet the valve doesn't move from the Sport position, which is wide open.

 

[Starship Enterprise]

Assuming you are correct about Sport mode being wide open valve, (I haven’t checked myself)….. What makes sense to me is possibly Track mode adjusts the timing more than exhaust. I read SOMEWHERE Track mode unlocks an extra 6 hp and the fact that throttle response is much more immediate in Track vs. Sport. Opening the butterfly flap another 1/4” alone shouldn’t be able to do all that.

For all I know ….Track mode exhaust might even open the MAF more than other modes.

In the end, you select a setting, who knows how many parameters and settings it’s affecting?

If I’m wrong about any of this, and I probably am…I’m just guessing and trying to remember what I think I read at one point. Take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Junkyard Dog]

Not being sarcastic, but put your car in Sport mode. Get a flashlight and look into the end of the exhaust at the butterfly valve. It is wide open on my car in Sport mode. When I put my car in any other mode except Track, it is not wide open (and has less sound). In Track, the valve doesn't move from wide open as in Sport, yet the exhaust makes more sound. Seeing the valve with my eyes and hearing the exhaust sounds is my source of information. Track is louder yet the valve doesn't move from the Sport position, which is wide open.

That's not sarcastic. It's a good answer, and maybe something I will try myself, maybe even with somebody else switching the mode from Quiet to Normal to Sport to Track as I am watching what happens (and trying not to breath all of that exhaust).

 

[Frogdog1]

That's not sarcastic. It's a good answer, and maybe something I will try myself, maybe even with somebody else switching the mode from Quiet to Normal to Sport to Track as I am watching what happens (and trying not to breath all of that exhaust).

i

I think Starship Enterprise is onto the answer. Timing or something else affects the sound because the butterfly valves are not since they're in the same position for two different modes yet the sounds are different. You won't breathe any exhaust because it isn't going in your face......there isn't much of it while idling and it doesn't take but a few seconds to observe the valve position. I think we have the answer. Something is going on with the engine. What exactly, I dunno but it's a thing.

 

[Junkyard Dog]

So he says until the Fire Department finds me unconscious with my skin all cherry red from carbon monoxide poisoning . . ..

 

[Starship Enterprise]

So he says until the Fire Department finds me unconscious with my skin all cherry red from carbon monoxide poisoning . . ..

The trick is to do it with the garage door open…

 

[Frogdog1]

So he says until the Fire Department finds me unconscious with my skin all cherry red from carbon monoxide poisoning . . ..

There's nothing to worry about. Our EPA has car exhausts so clean now, it's perfectly safe to breath.......

 

[Starship Enterprise]

i

I think Starship Enterprise is onto the answer. Timing or something else affects the sound because the butterfly valves are not since they're in the same position for two different modes yet the sounds are different. You won't breathe any exhaust because it isn't going in your face......there isn't much of it while idling and it doesn't take but a few seconds to observe the valve position. I think we have the answer. Something is going on with the engine. What exactly, I dunno but it's a thing.

When I got my 06 GT it came with Flowmasters. It was a low V8 rumble with sloppy pedal response. I put a JLT CAI and an SCT Tune, and boy did it wake up the engine! Throttle response was way more snappy and the advanced timing made for more of a snarly growl.

So changing the timing can definitely change the sound as well as response.

 

[AZ_Ryan]

I think confusion is you guys are having is because you are watching the valves at idle. My understanding is the valves move with throttle input on all modes except Track. Other modes start a certain amount open and then open and close with input through the RPM band. Sport mode may is open all the way at idle, but does move during driving. I believe track is open all the time and doesn't move.

Throttle input effecting AE mayThis may also explain why some people notice more of a difference between drive modes than others. It depends on how you drive.

This video may help -


EDIT: there was also a good discussion on this in the 6G forum. https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/how-does-the-active-exhaust-work.181432/

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