Custom X5 Exhaust Drone

[astroboypaul]

Our E53 X5 4.4i has a non-genuine exhaust that was on it when we bought the car second-hand about a year ago. It sounds great, but the drone at lower speeds inside the car is annoying. I'd now like to reduce the noise inside the car so that it doesn't bother me any more (apologies for the lack of a target noise level here - I understand this makes it hard to determine just how quiet I want it to be, but suffice to say that my hearing isn't overly sensitive and it would bother most people after owning the car for a while).

When I bought the car the roadworthy tester shop thought it might not pass local noise level requirements (it would be close if it did). The roadworthy tester skipped this test as I was keeping the car. I would hope that whatever exhaust mod I decide upon should also resolve this issue too.

I had thought that installing the OEM exhaust would be the way to go, but I have recently seen resonator like this one http://www.modbargains.com/Superspri...tor-E53-X5.htm that might solve the problem? It wouldn't be a simple bolt-on addition to my exhaust from what I can see.

Has anyone been in this situation before? Grateful for any comments on how best to solve this one.

I have attached some pics of the exhaust as it is.

Thanks in advance,
Paul.

[pezho405]

I think your best bet is to find a stock exhaust, maybe even find someone who would trade??

[Dark5yde]

A $980 muffler?? LMAO WOW I can have a entire custom exhaust ran for 1/4 of that price.

[X5SND]

Im with trying to source an original setup.... just looking at that setup you have now looks like a hack job. Looks like mufflers off a 4.8 into custom pipes with some resonators up front...

Originally Posted by Dark5yde

A $980 muffler?? LMAO WOW I can have a entire custom exhaust ran for 1/4 of that price.

Food for thought....
First off, everything for euros are more expensive...its not a chevy pickup. Secondly, you're also paying the for R&D that goes into these pieces...sure you could do a whole system for $300, but with out the proper leg work for the math behind the system, its just guessing game.....and you'll undoubtedly face the exact issue the OP is with drone, excessive noise and unwanted tones.

Obviously there's a mark-up on each piece they put out.. but the people who can actually afford the sticker on vehicle can generally also afford to pay the premium demanded for the parts.

Take a look at the M6 SS headers for example, they're in the 6-7k range... ....the higher up the model range you go, the more expensive it gets.

[mrbmwx5]

Originally Posted by Dark5yde

A $980 muffler?? LMAO WOW I can have a entire custom exhaust ran for 1/4 of that price.

1/4 of your money will make your BMW sound like shiet.

[epdarks]

It looks like you have resonators in place now, you could cut those out and replace with a product that is known for quieter sound.

I do agree with what has been said, replacing this entire system with a stock exhaust will be a sure way to go back to factory dead-quiet exhaust. Check your local BMW junkyards, Craigslist, eBay, and forums. My guess is you could have the complete system for $250 or less.

What do you know about this exhaust system? Does it have a brand stamped on it? Or was it done custom? It's possible that it is stock all the way back to the mufflers in which case simply find a different muffler and weld it on.

[astroboypaul]

I'm beginning to like the idea of returning it to stock setup too. Looks to me like I'll need central silencer and both mufflers.
Any tips on buying exhaust parts from a breakers? What km's would be reasonable as a guide? 100k too much? Anything visible to look for apart from obvious holes?
Thanks for all the replies so far.

[mrbmwx5]

Those are not stock resonators , replace those with stock one and go from there.

[Dark5yde]

I am familiar with pricing and how it works. I understand it comes with the territory. But just because you can afford something does not mean it is the smartest choice. $980 for a muffler is insane I don't care what it is on or how it sounds. To each his/her own but thats just nuts to me.

Originally Posted by mrbmwx5

1/4 of your money will make your BMW sound like shiet.

We will see about that. I have been told that on many of my vehicles only to have the opposite result. But I understand where you guys are coming from.


But i'm not gonna junk up the thread with crap that isn't helpful. So i'm gonna respectfully bow out.

[papasmurf]

I'd do an X-Pipe. Resonators sometimes RESONATE and will drive you nuts. It's worth a shot.