Exhaust tips: Flush or Poke?

[JappleS]

How are most of you guys aligning the tips on your aftermarket exhausts? My main concern was getting them centered, which wasn't too much of a problem (see pic), but now I'm wonder if I should make them flush with the valence or maybe poke them out a bit. Right now they are almost perfectly flush, but I don't have much room to pull them out from the end of teh pipe. Opinions or suggestions?

BTW, I'm creating an ad in the classified forums for a used rear bumper cover that I decided not to use when I installed my exhaust, if anyone is interested.

[vdubjetta02]

I think it looks great they way they are

[Beast]

Looks perfect how it is. If you had quad then IMO a little poke looks nice.

btw which exhaust is that? Vid clip?

[JappleS]

Thanks. It was a lot of fiddling with the system to get them perfectly centered. I guess the flush look is okay, but it does probably would look a little more aggressive if I pulled them out a little bit. I just wanted to get some opinions because I'm not sure how everyone else is doing it.

[JappleS]

Looks perfect how it is. If you had quad then IMO a little poke looks nice.

btw which exhaust is that? Vid clip?

I was originally going to go with quad tips, but I decided to just go dual instead. Anyways, its an AWE exhaust. I painted the back edge of the mufflers flat black so that it blends in better from the back. Sorry, no video clip yet. It's not loud though, just a little louder than stock. I like the sound.

[Beast]

So i guess the best thing would be to go custom if I want it loud :/

[MonzaA5]

I was originally going to go with quad tips, but I decided to just go dual instead. Anyways, its an AWE exhaust. I painted the back edge of the mufflers flat black so that it blends in better from the back. Sorry, no video clip yet. It's not loud though, just a little louder than stock. I like the sound.

Looks great the way it is, IMO. Did you have any fitment issues with the AWE exhaust?

[JappleS]

Looks great the way it is, IMO. Did you have any fitment issues with the AWE exhaust?

Yes, I'm actually working with them through PM to correct the issues. For some strange reason, there's only about 1/4" of clearance between the left side pipe and the lower control arm. As a result, the exhaust hits the control arm when I go over bumps and makes an annoying clanking sound. According to AWE, there should be 1.5 to 2 inches of clearance there. I'll have to see what they say about correcting the fitment problem. I'll keep everyone updated. But hey, at least the tips look perfectly centered!

[JappleS]

So i guess the best thing would be to go custom if I want it loud :/

Yes, but it might be difficult to get a nice sound with a custom exhaust on a 2.0 engine. You run the risk of having a Civic fart-can type sound, which is never good. LOL

The AWE system is definitely not loud at all. Personally, the stock exhaust system was far too quiet. The AWE system at least gave me something to hear when I drive. And it definitely gets louder when you get on the throttle. If you want more volume, you can always buy the downpipe. And if that's still not enough, you can get the high-flow cats, which should give you a bit more sound.

[Mops@Nemesis]

Looks perfectly centered and tucked nicely. Hard to comment on flush/poke from those pics. I ran 4" tips with my previous dual setup. Looking straight down I had mine set up where you could see about 1/4" of the most inner part of the tip.

[JappleS]

Yes, that's not a good picture to show the flush/poke. Here's a better one

[Mops@Nemesis]

Yea, your tips are perfect imo. You never want to see the taper. Quartz plus y-spokes look so good!

[MonzaA5]

I've read other complaints about fitment issues with AWE exhausts on the A5. It's what's stopping me from getting one. Let us know how it works out.

[JappleS]

I've read other complaints about fitment issues with AWE exhausts on the A5. It's what's stopping me from getting one. Let us know how it works out.

Will do. I'm not happy about the clanking noise, but I have to hear what AWE says about how to get more clearance. The problem is that I can't see how it can be adjusted for more clearance. Here are a couple of pics to show you what I'm talking about. Keep in mind that I painted the back sides of the pipes, so there is some overspray visible under the car. I used a greenish primer and then flat black hi-temp paint. You can see how tight the pipe is next to the lower control arm. If you look closely, you can see the mark on the pipe where it bangs against the end of the control arm. It only happens over bumps, but it's still annoying.

[kidentist]

Its an aftermarket exhaust, IMHO its supposed to look different.....that's part of the appeal, right?

[MonzaA5]

JappleS, I can see why you are unhappy. The clanking would drive me nuts, considering how bad the roads are around here. So this is only a problem with the left side? I wonder if your exhaust was not bent correctly and is out of spec..

[dbcperformance]

just like this:

[mxrz]

That long ass screw and self locking nut looks real classy down there...

[Mops@Nemesis]

Lol, wasn't going to mention as they seemed so proud.

[Josh/AWE]

Will do. I'm not happy about the clanking noise, but I have to hear what AWE says about how to get more clearance. The problem is that I can't see how it can be adjusted for more clearance. Here are a couple of pics to show you what I'm talking about. Keep in mind that I painted the back sides of the pipes, so there is some overspray visible under the car. I used a greenish primer and then flat black hi-temp paint. You can see how tight the pipe is next to the lower control arm. If you look closely, you can see the mark on the pipe where it bangs against the end of the control arm. It only happens over bumps, but it's still annoying.

Responded to your PM with some possible fixes!

[JappleS]

JappleS, I can see why you are unhappy. The clanking would drive me nuts, considering how bad the roads are around here. So this is only a problem with the left side? I wonder if your exhaust was not bent correctly and is out of spec..

Yes, only on the left side. There is plenty of clearance on the right side.

[JappleS]

Its an aftermarket exhaust, IMHO its supposed to look different.....that's part of the appeal, right?

I love the way it looks and the way it sounds. I just need to find a way to get more clearance between the pipe and the suspension on the left side!

[JappleS]

That long ass screw and self locking nut looks real classy down there...

They can loosen that clamp and rotate it so the screw isn't sticking down like that.

[Josh/AWE]

I love the way it looks and the way it sounds. I just need to find a way to get more clearance between the pipe and the suspension on the left side!

JappleS have you been able to fix this?

It looks like you need to loosen the slip joint immediately before the y-pipe (towards from of car) and rotate to give proper clearance at control arms. Then loosen the slip joints right before the rear resonators to re-center the tips.

You can also take it to a professional shop with a lift with these instructions.

We have had zero fitment issues with this system, as they are all made on a fixture to exact spec right here at our shop in Willow Grove. Please let me know if you need more assistance!

[JappleS]

JappleS have you been able to fix this?

It looks like you need to loosen the slip joint immediately before the y-pipe (towards from of car) and rotate to give proper clearance at control arms. Then loosen the slip joints right before the rear resonators to re-center the tips.

You can also take it to a professional shop with a lift with these instructions.

We have had zero fitment issues with this system, as they are all made on a fixture to exact spec right here at our shop in Willow Grove. Please let me know if you need more assistance!

I worked on it over the weekend and I really wasn't able to adjust it any better. A good friend of mine owns a repair shop with a lift, so he tried to help out as well. All the joints were at minimum overlap (just pushed together enough to match the width of the clamp) before we made any adjustments. We loosened up the clamps by the Y-pipe and tried to rotate the exhaust system from there back, but it wouldn't rotate at all because the rest of the clamps were still tight. So we loosened the other clamps and did manage to rotate the pipe for a bit more clearance, but it was still pretty tight. No matter what we did, we couldn't ge anywhere near an inch or inch and a half of clearance between the lower control arm and the left side pipe.

Still though, when we did get more clearance, the tips were way off and not aligned at all. I also noticed that the pipes on both sides were touching the back of the felt liners in the wheel wells. Is that normal? I don't think it does any harm because I've been driving around like that for a while now and the hot pipe doesn't seem to be burning the felt liners, but I'm still wondering if there should be clearance between the pipe and the felt liners. You can actually see in my picture above that the pipe is up against the felt liner.

Anyway, we couldn't figure out a way to get more clearance and still have the tips centered in their openings. I also think the large pipe that goes from the "Y" to the right side muffler is hanging down too low. I tried rotating it, but I'm not sure if that helps or hurts with the rest of the fitment.

Maybe I should drive down to you guys and see if you can get it adjusted properly. I'm not that far from your shop. Would I have to pay to have your guys make the adjustments?

[Josh/AWE]

It sounds like there is some improper adjustment that requires further loosening at some of the slip joints, and the best bet would be to completely loosen and rework the system. All systems are built on the same fixtures, so there is no chance of improper fabrication spec.

If you would like to come down, we would be more than happy to take a look at it. The absolute most that we would charge is one hour of labor. It could also be free depending on how much we have to take apart. We are very confident that we will get this back to good.

As an aside, I hope that you didn't experience any loss in the storm and made it through safely.

[JappleS]

Just an update:

With spring just around the corner, my car will be coming out of winter hibernation. So I spent all day Saturday and most of the day Sunday trying to adjust my AWE exhaust system. Unfortunately, it ended in frustration. There is simply no possible way to center the tips and have proper clearance between the exhaust system and the suspension (specifically, the left side lower control arm). I tried adjusting every joint in different orders, minimizing & maximizing the amount of overlap on all joints, rotating the Y-pipe to adjust the clearance on each side, etc... Nothing works. No matter how I adjust it, I can't get decent clearance and a centered tip on the left side. I even pulled the entire system off the car on three separate occasions and started over from scratch in an attempt to get it adjusted properly.

[Josh/AWE]

Hey JappleS,

Can you send me a picture via PM? I'd love to take a look at it and see if I can make a suggestion.

[Tifosi]

Just an update:

With spring just around the corner, my car will be coming out of winter hibernation. So I spent all day Saturday and most of the day Sunday trying to adjust my AWE exhaust system. Unfortunately, it ended in frustration. There is simply no possible way to center the tips and have proper clearance between the exhaust system and the suspension (specifically, the left side lower control arm). I tried adjusting every joint in different orders, minimizing & maximizing the amount of overlap on all joints, rotating the Y-pipe to adjust the clearance on each side, etc... Nothing works. No matter how I adjust it, I can't get decent clearance and a centered tip on the left side. I even pulled the entire system off the car on three separate occasions and started over from scratch in an attempt to get it adjusted properly.

Why don't you take up Will/AWE's offer and head to their head quarter to have the system fitted. If it is a manufacturing mistake, I am sure they will take good care of you. Unless you are all the way up in Buffalo, PA is not that far away from NY.

At least you are not here in the Pacific NW/Seattle. The closest US AWE dealer is Matrix Integrated in Portland. AWE customers are left to fend for ourself unless Will/AWE can recommend a shop that they are very confident in working with. Will/AWE, do you have one ?

[Josh/AWE]

Matrix is a great shop, and I recommend them highly if you are within driving distance. They also have a network of dealers that have been set up through them who can possibly help you out. To find out the specifics, call Matrix at 503.443.1141 and talk to Jeremy.

Tifosi, I would recommend University Audi for you as they have installed our pieces in the past and are incredibly local to you. Let me know if I can help anyone else out finding a local dealer or install center.

[JappleS]

Hey JappleS,

Can you send me a picture via PM? I'd love to take a look at it and see if I can make a suggestion.

Sure, anything specific you'd like to see? The pictures I posted above are still accurate though. If you look at the gap between the left side pipe (behind the y-pipe) and the rear pivot point of the lower control arm, you can see how close it is. With a tiny gap like that, any lateral movement in the exhaust system will result in contact with the lower control arm and a corresponding clanking noise. If you look closely at the picture, you can see a mark on the exhaust pipe where it has been in contact with the lower control arm.

BTW, I worked for more than 10 years as an ASE Master Tech, so I've hung my fair share of exhaust systems. Still though, I can't quite get it right on my own car. Someone from AWE (forgot exactly who though) told me that there should be about 1" of clearance between the lower control arm and the exhaust pipe. On my car, it's more like 1/4". I can adjust it to get about 1/2" of clearance, but then the left side exhaust tip is too far inboard and not at all centered in its opening.

[JappleS]

Why don't you take up Will/AWE's offer and head to their head quarter to have the system fitted.

Yeah, I'll probably end up doing that. I figured I'd just adjust it myself, but that's not working out very well so far. LOL

[Josh/AWE]

Ideally if you could, I'd really like an undercar shot with the car in the air to some extent. I know that this can be a bit much to ask, but it would be the best way to accurately diagnose. Once I can take a look at this I will shoot over some recommendations.

These can be tricky to put on for sure due to all the adjustment in the system, but once it is adjusted there is definitely an "aha!" moment.

[JappleS]

Okay, in this pic I was able to get the tips just about perfect. But the clearance between the exhaust and the lower control arm was about 1/4". Also notice that the exhaust system seems to be hanging a bit low. Actually, that's why I painted the pipes black in the first place, because I didn't like how the exhaust system looked from behind hanging down that low.

[JappleS]

This picture shows how the left side tip looks when I adjusted the exhaust system for more clearance away from the lower control arm. I was able to get about 1/2" of clearance, but then the left side tip is too far to the right.

[JappleS]

Here's a picture where you can see the tight clearance between the exhaust system and the lower control arm. I circled it in red. There's a bit more than 1/4" clearance when this picture was snapped.

[JappleS]

And here's a shot to give you a general look at the exhaust system as it is right now. The overlap is pretty much at the minimum overlap on all joints. In fact, the left side is set so that there's a gap between the "openings" in the outer pipe and the inner pipe. In other words, it's basically sealed by the clamp, which is to say it's not really sealed at all.

[Josh/AWE]

PM sent.

[coolwater]

What was the final fix for this?
I'm heading back to installer end of week to get my tips adjusted as they are too close to the center of vehicle.
Should be centered in the valance holes.
Plus one of my tips is stick out further than the other.
Hopefully moving it to the outside more doesn't interfere with the control arms.

-cW