Mach5 downpipe and SS exhaust review
- Thread starter Milk242
- Start date
Not true, I had HJS and Mach5 before and the difference is huge.
Kaz's videos with the Aerie dp + Mach 5 race exhaust sound impressed the hell out of me so i'm definitely counting down the days until i get my Mach 5 dp + race exhaust installed, lol.
Since i'm also having the fake engine noise wire snipped the same day it's gonna sound like an entirely different car, I can't wait!
Alright so...had the Mach 5 catted downpipe + Mach 5 race spec catback exhaust installed today, along with the fake engine noise wire snipped at the same time, and all I can say is...
HOLY SHIT!!!
No exaggeration...as @Kaz has mentioned before...the Mach 5 race catback and a high flow catted dp of choice (i'd lean Mach 5 at this point) should be absolutely mandatory on every i4 Emira. It is truly past the point of thinking and straight to "just do it" territory. The lack of fake engine noise definitely helps because you can actually hear every detail from the engine, but my goodness...it sounds like such a different car yet still refined. It's the literal one missing piece from the i4 being as close to perfect as possible.
I can't even describe how much louder the car is, and loud only in a "good" way...pops and burbles are enhanced, turbo spooling/blow offs enhanced, just...wow. You couldn't wipe the smile off my face driving back home the 20 miles (and a few more around town just to listen to the car). About the only thing I can say that might not be a "positive" for everyone is...if you were craning necks before you'll be craning a lot more after, now that the car sounds the part.
Trackspec Autosports in Fremont lived up to their reputation and did a phenomenal job, and all this work was done in one day. I had a convo with the tech before I left explaining all the info i've read here on the forums around potential CELs from the dp (which we weren't concerned about since Mach 5 has a solid rep for not throwing a CEL) as well as the valve controller relocation concerns (that if it didn't fit or was finicky could limp mode the car/need a recalibration) but I was assured it went through some paces in every drive mode and if any issues came up they would work with me to figure it out.
No CELs at the shop, no CELs on the way home or driving around town....but obviously it'll take a few drive cycles to really know, so i'll be driving throughout the week and i'll keep this thread updated should anything come up.
I'll note that I also went WITHOUT a Milltek valve controller and am solely relying on the valve controller relocation, which is basically just spoofing a valve on the Mach 5 bracket cause the car thinks it's spinning a valve open/close as it normally would/should (the race spec catback exhaust has no valve to control/is always open). As long as the Mach 5 bracket bar holds up over time this shouldn't cause any issues.
I will do my best to get some videos up in the next few days when I actually have time to get somewhere and have someone record proper, but i'm just totally floored and impressed with these Mach 5 parts + the wire snipping and can't believe that I want to drive this car like 10x more than before lol.
HOLY SHIT!!!
No exaggeration...as @Kaz has mentioned before...the Mach 5 race catback and a high flow catted dp of choice (i'd lean Mach 5 at this point) should be absolutely mandatory on every i4 Emira. It is truly past the point of thinking and straight to "just do it" territory. The lack of fake engine noise definitely helps because you can actually hear every detail from the engine, but my goodness...it sounds like such a different car yet still refined. It's the literal one missing piece from the i4 being as close to perfect as possible.
I can't even describe how much louder the car is, and loud only in a "good" way...pops and burbles are enhanced, turbo spooling/blow offs enhanced, just...wow. You couldn't wipe the smile off my face driving back home the 20 miles (and a few more around town just to listen to the car). About the only thing I can say that might not be a "positive" for everyone is...if you were craning necks before you'll be craning a lot more after, now that the car sounds the part.
Trackspec Autosports in Fremont lived up to their reputation and did a phenomenal job, and all this work was done in one day. I had a convo with the tech before I left explaining all the info i've read here on the forums around potential CELs from the dp (which we weren't concerned about since Mach 5 has a solid rep for not throwing a CEL) as well as the valve controller relocation concerns (that if it didn't fit or was finicky could limp mode the car/need a recalibration) but I was assured it went through some paces in every drive mode and if any issues came up they would work with me to figure it out.
No CELs at the shop, no CELs on the way home or driving around town....but obviously it'll take a few drive cycles to really know, so i'll be driving throughout the week and i'll keep this thread updated should anything come up.
I'll note that I also went WITHOUT a Milltek valve controller and am solely relying on the valve controller relocation, which is basically just spoofing a valve on the Mach 5 bracket cause the car thinks it's spinning a valve open/close as it normally would/should (the race spec catback exhaust has no valve to control/is always open). As long as the Mach 5 bracket bar holds up over time this shouldn't cause any issues.
I will do my best to get some videos up in the next few days when I actually have time to get somewhere and have someone record proper, but i'm just totally floored and impressed with these Mach 5 parts + the wire snipping and can't believe that I want to drive this car like 10x more than before lol.
There is a...how can I describe, almost boxer-y sound? I can't tell if it's intake + unrestricted exhaust noise but the pulsing even when just cruising above idle makes the car sound exotic...hard to explain. I will try and do a dual mic setup near the intake and one on the exhaust. It's hard to give a sense of volume and fullness through a tinny mobile phone video too. But congrats! doesn't it sound great? I have noticed a slight volume reduction too over time, it might be getting used to it but it smooths out as well. Really wonderful setup that I think should be mandatory as you stated. Last time up the mountain a few cars chased me down after I left to ask/tell me how crazy the car sounds from the outside.
Very happy to be here and really glad I didn't wait any longer than I did lol...glad I had yours/ @Milk242 and Kaz's experience with this set up as inspiration.Congrats! Welcome to the club.
Yup I know exactly what you mean with the pulsing sound...makes you really appreciate the brilliance of Mercedes/AMG with the M139, this setup makes it hard to believe it's a 4 banger lol...I had a Q60 before with a sport catback/JB4, upgraded CAI/heat exhanger/the works and this sounds WAY better than that V6 Twin Turbo VR30 ever did.
I can't wait to take it to the canyons this weekend...i'm hoping the next few days commuting to and from work will sort out any issues that pop up (if any, knock on wood it's an uneventful week) as that'll easily get me close to 200 miles driving over a number of cycles and if all is swell then to the woods we go.
One thing I didn't mention is how decent-to-good the KEF system actually sounds once that damn wire is snipped! Not only did the exhaust impress but the clarity from the speakers when playing music, etc, was a cherry on top.
Glad you love it, however, I remember about a year ago when I first recommended the Mach5 downpipe with no CEL, some forum members just said it to my face that a downpipe is just a downpipe, how it could be any different? Boomgear and our local club members had been working with Mach5 for more than 5 updates to get it works perfectly now.Alright so...had the Mach 5 catted downpipe + Mach 5 race spec catback exhaust installed today, along with the fake engine noise wire snipped at the same time, and all I can say is...
HOLY SHIT!!!
No exaggeration...as @Kaz has mentioned before...the Mach 5 race catback and a high flow catted dp of choice (i'd lean Mach 5 at this point) should be absolutely mandatory on every i4 Emira. It is truly past the point of thinking and straight to "just do it" territory. The lack of fake engine noise definitely helps because you can actually hear every detail from the engine, but my goodness...it sounds like such a different car yet still refined. It's the literal one missing piece from the i4 being as close to perfect as possible.
I can't even describe how much louder the car is, and loud only in a "good" way...pops and burbles are enhanced, turbo spooling/blow offs enhanced, just...wow. You couldn't wipe the smile off my face driving back home the 20 miles (and a few more around town just to listen to the car). About the only thing I can say that might not be a "positive" for everyone is...if you were craning necks before you'll be craning a lot more after, now that the car sounds the part.
Trackspec Autosports in Fremont lived up to their reputation and did a phenomenal job, and all this work was done in one day. I had a convo with the tech before I left explaining all the info i've read here on the forums around potential CELs from the dp (which we weren't concerned about since Mach 5 has a solid rep for not throwing a CEL) as well as the valve controller relocation concerns (that if it didn't fit or was finicky could limp mode the car/need a recalibration) but I was assured it went through some paces in every drive mode and if any issues came up they would work with me to figure it out.
No CELs at the shop, no CELs on the way home or driving around town....but obviously it'll take a few drive cycles to really know, so i'll be driving throughout the week and i'll keep this thread updated should anything come up.
I'll note that I also went WITHOUT a Milltek valve controller and am solely relying on the valve controller relocation, which is basically just spoofing a valve on the Mach 5 bracket cause the car thinks it's spinning a valve open/close as it normally would/should (the race spec catback exhaust has no valve to control/is always open). As long as the Mach 5 bracket bar holds up over time this shouldn't cause any issues.
I will do my best to get some videos up in the next few days when I actually have time to get somewhere and have someone record proper, but i'm just totally floored and impressed with these Mach 5 parts + the wire snipping and can't believe that I want to drive this car like 10x more than before lol.
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It almost sounds like a V6, but wait until you do a straight pipe with flash tuning, the sound and throttle response is another level!Very happy to be here and really glad I didn't wait any longer than I did lol...glad I had yours/ @Milk242 and Kaz's experience with this set up as inspiration.
Yup I know exactly what you mean with the pulsing sound...makes you really appreciate the brilliance of Mercedes/AMG with the M139, this setup makes it hard to believe it's a 4 banger lol...I had a Q60 before with a sport catback/JB4, upgraded CAI/heat exhanger/the works and this sounds WAY better than that V6 Twin Turbo VR30 ever did.
I can't wait to take it to the canyons this weekend...i'm hoping the next few days commuting to and from work will sort out any issues that pop up (if any, knock on wood it's an uneventful week) as that'll easily get me close to 200 miles driving over a number of cycles and if all is swell then to the woods we go.
One thing I didn't mention is how decent-to-good the KEF system actually sounds once that damn wire is snipped! Not only did the exhaust impress but the clarity from the speakers when playing music, etc, was a cherry on top.
Quick update with the Mach 5 downpipe + race exhaust combo:
- Driven about a week straight since install, over 200 miles as of now (150 of those highway miles), NO CELs. My i4 has no tune of any kind on it currently.
Whatever drive cycle requirement the Emira has i've definitely met at this point, so i'm confident in saying that this Mach 5 combo will not throw a CEL provided the install was done correctly, with no spacers or anything else required. Add me to the list of a few other forum members that can report no CELs from the Mach 5 downpipe. I've cold-started the car every day and used different drive modes, no issues.
- Highway Driving in Sport mode has some minor drone below 6th gear if you're sensitive to it. For me, it's borderline, but there's hardly any reason to be below 6th gear on the highway anyways, but something to note nonetheless.
- Since I had the fake engine noise wire snipped when I had this setup installed, I can hear the actual engine note change when going from Tour > Sport, for example...before, with the fake noise, toggling from Tour > Sport would produce a noticeable bass-y tone to let you know you switched modes, but you don't get the fake tone anymore and instead can hear the engine actually cycle a bit faster or whatnot when changing the drive mode. I don't know what all exactly changes, but you can hear it change mechanically somewhat subtly.
- I have to specifically point out the pops + bangs/burbles...because i'm serious when I say they are like 10x more pronounced. These M139s are relatively aggressively tuned to produce pops and bangs on decel/downshift from the factory on AMG cars, and that wasn't changed for the i4 Emira, you can just barely hear them on a stock setup because the exhaust is so muffled and further muted by the fake engine noise. Well...you will hear loud pops and bangs pretty much every single time you aggressively decel/downshift from now on, sometimes when it's not even THAT aggressive lol. The good news is it actually sounds good and fits the profile of the car, unlike other platforms where people are ECU tuning specifically for pops and such and just sound like straight garbage when they drive by lol.
From my understanding, a mere downpipe change won't really create 'more' pops and bangs per se as this is usually ECU-tuned/mapped specifically for, so it was kind of a shock to now hear so much of it being amplified by the Mach 5 dp + exhaust, because it's all supposedly just stock pops and bangs...I personally love it but I could see like 10% of Emira owners thinking it's on the obnoxious side.
- In Tour mode the sound is a tiny bit more subdued and the droning pretty much gone, but I genuinely didn't spend too much time driving in this mode lol.
I haven't had anyone drive in the car with me until today as I noticed some squealing noise coming from the left driver's side wheel area...I had my brother with me help investigate and he took a video, I suppose you can hear the Mach 5 setup with it lol.
(quick edit...the noise from the wheel was debris caught between the caliper/rotor [a freaking magnet of all things], all taken care of/no issues).
- Driven about a week straight since install, over 200 miles as of now (150 of those highway miles), NO CELs. My i4 has no tune of any kind on it currently.
Whatever drive cycle requirement the Emira has i've definitely met at this point, so i'm confident in saying that this Mach 5 combo will not throw a CEL provided the install was done correctly, with no spacers or anything else required. Add me to the list of a few other forum members that can report no CELs from the Mach 5 downpipe. I've cold-started the car every day and used different drive modes, no issues.
- Highway Driving in Sport mode has some minor drone below 6th gear if you're sensitive to it. For me, it's borderline, but there's hardly any reason to be below 6th gear on the highway anyways, but something to note nonetheless.
- Since I had the fake engine noise wire snipped when I had this setup installed, I can hear the actual engine note change when going from Tour > Sport, for example...before, with the fake noise, toggling from Tour > Sport would produce a noticeable bass-y tone to let you know you switched modes, but you don't get the fake tone anymore and instead can hear the engine actually cycle a bit faster or whatnot when changing the drive mode. I don't know what all exactly changes, but you can hear it change mechanically somewhat subtly.
- I have to specifically point out the pops + bangs/burbles...because i'm serious when I say they are like 10x more pronounced. These M139s are relatively aggressively tuned to produce pops and bangs on decel/downshift from the factory on AMG cars, and that wasn't changed for the i4 Emira, you can just barely hear them on a stock setup because the exhaust is so muffled and further muted by the fake engine noise. Well...you will hear loud pops and bangs pretty much every single time you aggressively decel/downshift from now on, sometimes when it's not even THAT aggressive lol. The good news is it actually sounds good and fits the profile of the car, unlike other platforms where people are ECU tuning specifically for pops and such and just sound like straight garbage when they drive by lol.
From my understanding, a mere downpipe change won't really create 'more' pops and bangs per se as this is usually ECU-tuned/mapped specifically for, so it was kind of a shock to now hear so much of it being amplified by the Mach 5 dp + exhaust, because it's all supposedly just stock pops and bangs...I personally love it but I could see like 10% of Emira owners thinking it's on the obnoxious side.
- In Tour mode the sound is a tiny bit more subdued and the droning pretty much gone, but I genuinely didn't spend too much time driving in this mode lol.
I haven't had anyone drive in the car with me until today as I noticed some squealing noise coming from the left driver's side wheel area...I had my brother with me help investigate and he took a video, I suppose you can hear the Mach 5 setup with it lol.
(quick edit...the noise from the wheel was debris caught between the caliper/rotor [a freaking magnet of all things], all taken care of/no issues).
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great w
great write up. Do you have video/audio from inside the car at wide open throttle through the gears?
great write up. Do you have video/audio from inside the car at wide open throttle through the gears?
Car's at the shop today to check on the scraping/screeching noise coming from my rear driver's side wheel but i should be able to get video of that pretty easily this weekend.
Great, look forward to the videos.
I never got around to taking a video that weekend as it was my birthday and i actually got out of having to drive the entire weekend lol, but here are a couple short clips of highway + street driving on my Meta Ray Bans:
Would recommend turning the sound way up with headphones/earbuds as YT does manage to muffle just a tiny bit.
With no fake engine noise since that wire was cut and both windows mostly down with this Mach 5 downpipe + race exhaust, you can hear the stark difference in the engine just idling at stop lights, as well as the 'impact' between shifts (which you can actually feel in the car now). The OEM pops and burbles are MUCH more pronounced now as well, exponentially so. Just the overall ambient noises in and outside of the car are dramatically different. That fake engine noise was truly abysmal. All this driving was in Sport mode.
On the highway video, I would have gunned it a lot more getting into the FasTrak lane but that area usually has cops so I took it easy, the car stuck around 5th gear and i'd have normally just used the paddle to upshift earlier on, but it was actually good to capture the difference in droning in 5th vs 6th gear.
I swear at some point i'll have someone with me take some proper drive-by videos.
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