Quieting down an AWE exhaust?

[Magnesium]

Gang, my 2011 S4 came with an AWE exhaust that starts after the cats, i.e. it replaces all the stock muffler components. I've never liked it -- it's very buzzy and loud in the 2000 RPM range, which of course is right where you do most of your driving around town.

Anyway, I would like to quiet it down and wondering anyone has mixed and matched exhaust components. Ideally I could source a pair of the stock rear mufflers and weld them on and be done with it, versus replacing the entire exhaust system. Anyone done something like this? How much effect on exhaust noise, especially in that 2k RPM band, does each component have? Would I be better off finding a center muffler?

[LowKeyLoki]

Is it the touring or track edition exhaust? Everyone pretty much agrees the track is super loud and drones, if that’s what you got you can buy a track to touring conversion kit from AWE that just adds back in the resonators/mufflers

[Magnesium]

I don't know. It was installed 10 years ago by the previous owner. It's not all that loud, it's just very buzzy in the 2k RPM range. It's far quieter at 3500 RPM than at 2500. It has resonators in the center, basically under the front seats.

[ccssid]

What does it look like?

https://awe-tuning.com/products/a-w-...exhaust-system

[eurojunkjon]

It sounds like it has resonated downpipes, at the back if you look under where the tips are, are there mufflers or is it just straight pipes?

[Magnesium]

It's got mufflers at the rear, the smaller AWE mufflers -- definitely not straight pipes. And there's a center muffler of some kind, and at the front of the system there are two resonators. I would imagine that putting stock mufflers in the rear would put the car mostly back to stock exhaust note. To replace the whole thing, I'd have to find a complete stock exhaust system locally. I'm sure someone has one piled up in the back of their garage somewhere in LA, but locating that person will be a challenge.

[doughboy17]

I subscribed to the thread to see if you have success quieting it down without replacing the mufflers/resonators. Assuming you have a DSG tranny, it sounds like you could even have a resonated AWE Touring exhaust. Mine was perfect for the first 7000 miles ... then ... it became boomy/ droney in the 1400 - 2100 RPM range. Now, it even started becoming buzzy.

Is yours droney/ buzzy when you set the cruise control at 65 mph? Mine is fine at that mph as long as I am not accelerating. LOL.

[Nillious]

Stock mufflers won’t do much for drone. I have all stock exhaust with resonator gone and an x pipe in place. It drones in the range you stated. Sounds like your resonator is probably blown out. The packing deteriorated and now it’s overall louder than it was intended to be.

[Magnesium]

Thanks guys. It doesn't drone, it's just loud and buzzy in exactly the RPM range where the tranny shifts when you're driving around town. The resonators in the front position are new -- they were cracked when I bought the car and it was the first thing I fixed.

[Magnesium]

I wonder if I should start by installing a center muffler. Unclear if the pipes would line up though, grafting a stock part into the AWE system. You'd think so, or at least they'd be close enough that it wouldn't matter. Anyone know?

[mys4.org]

My guess is the previous owner removed the cats and installed test pipe which is where the rasp came from. The AWE Touring setup isn't raspy on its own. You can add Vibrant Ultra Quiet resonators that help dial back the rasp.

https://amzn.to/3lOsagR

[Magnesium]

The stock cats are in place and it's not raspy sounding. It's loud and buzzy in the 2000 RPM range. Otherwise it's pretty quiet.

[king_j]

Stock cats, resonated down pipes (original or awe), and awe touring with all mufflers?

Should not be boomy or raspy.
This should sound very good, and not very loud.

Leak, or damaged resonator/muffler?


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[doughboy17]

Thanks guys. It doesn't drone, it's just loud and buzzy in exactly the RPM range where the tranny shifts when you're driving around town. The resonators in the front position are new -- they were cracked when I bought the car and it was the first thing I fixed.

Adding on to my prior post, I am wondering whether that is just the sound of the AWE resonated Touring exhaust and you simply do not like the sound. I have had a couple reputable shops inspect mine (upon the advice of AWE) and am advised it is rock solid without leaks/holes/etc. Mine is loud in the 1400 - 2100 RPM range when accelerating or under load. Those first 7000 miles were GLORIOUS, but I have a love/hate relationship with it now. My kids hate riding in the back seat because of the sound.

As much as I hate to say it, you may want to 1) try to find someone with a B8 S4 with an AWE resonated Touring Exhaust that would give you a ride to see what it sounds like or 2) purchase a used stock S4 exhaust for $150 and have that reinstalled.

[Nillious]

Are you sure the cats aren’t gutted?

[AudiDanCT]

Are you sure the cats aren’t gutted?

Was thinking same. Mine are gutted and since then the rasp between 2-3k has started.


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[LarryFisherman]

stock downpipes + AWE touring muffler is objectively loud - it is insane to see people who quote "it's barely louder than stock" with a straight face

the loud/buzzy thing you are experiencing is normal. here's my experience:

stock cats + stock downpipes + AWE touring muffler = loud/boomy/buzzy from 1.5k - 2.5k rpm. 3k+ sounds great
stock cats + AWE resonated downpipes + AWE touring muffler = MUCH better and quieter. still a little loud, boomy, and buzzy, but night and day improvement over stock DP's. 3k+ sounds great

the AWE resonated pipes are specifically designed to quiet down the boominess in that rpm range. so - if you have stock downpipes, you need to try adding the resonated downpipes which will fix 80% of the issue and see if you like it. this WILL quiet down that rpm range and to me is a must with the AWE setup. if you already have the AWE resonated downpipes, then that's likely the quietest this setup will be (short of custom work)

maybe most important to you: if you want to come down and hear the car in person (south bay), you can PM me

[Magnesium]

Thanks all. The cats are not gutted and there are no leaks or cracks in the system. I think it probably sounds how it's supposed to sound.

What do people think will make the most difference -- adding in the stock center muffler or a pair of stock rear mufflers?

As for buying a $150 stock exhaust, I'd love to find such a thing. Have not been able.

[MrFunk]

Interesting thread.

I've been running the AWE system on mine for a decade... I would not say it's "loud" for an aftermarket exhaust and I actually really like the sound... Yes, it's not silent - and yes you hear it all of the time - even under cruise. If you have a DSG car it will drone in 7th gear is worse.
I found as I added other "loud" sports cars to the stable, I wanted to make highway driving a bit quieter. I ended up laying dynamat down in the entire trunk area... I removed the spare etc and just added a full coverage. It reduced some of that highway cruise noise. SOME of it... not all...

The other option would be to see if someone would trade their stock exhaust for your AWE... $0 trade. Maybe you can find someone local in one of the local regional forums or classifieds.

[Magnesium]

Update: got a pair of stock mufflers installed today and now the car sounds totally stock. I am very, very pleased. This suggests that in order to get the sportier exhaust sound, you just need to replace the mufflers, not the whole thing (the rest of my exhaust is still AWE).

Also, I kept the AWE mufflers, which are in great shape and for sale. I had the shop cut them off with plenty of pipe left (a couple of feet) for easy swap onto a stock exhaust system. Please PM me if interested. I'm thinking $400.

[SteveYem]

Update: got a pair of stock mufflers installed today and now the car sounds totally stock. I am very, very pleased. This suggests that in order to get the sportier exhaust sound, you just need to replace the mufflers, not the whole thing (the rest of my exhaust is still AWE).

Also, I kept the AWE mufflers, which are in great shape and for sale. I had the shop cut them off with plenty of pipe left (a couple of feet) for easy swap onto a stock exhaust system. Please PM me if interested. I'm thinking $400.

I'm a bit confused. I recently removed the AWE Touring system from my S4 and the rear mufflers didn't have a couple of feet to give. The rear mufflers have relatively short, bent tubes which clamp to the 'intermediate' tubes that clamp to the outlet side of the center resonator. Here is my AWE Touring system as it currently sits in the garage. That said, do your front resonators look like the ones shown to the left in this photo, or are yours much smaller (i.e. are they the OEM resonators)?

[Magnesium]

I'm a bit confused. I recently removed the AWE Touring system from my S4 and the rear mufflers didn't have a couple of feet to give. The rear mufflers have relatively short, bent tubes which clamp to the 'intermediate' tubes that clamp to the outlet side of the center resonator. Here is my AWE Touring system as it currently sits in the garage. That said, do your front resonators look like the ones shown to the left in this photo, or are yours much smaller (i.e. are they the OEM resonators)?

That is the exact same exhaust as on my car, except the tips are stainless, not black. The guy cut the muffler pipe something like 10" upstream of the clamp.

[wesleyCrowbar]

Update: got a pair of stock mufflers installed today and now the car sounds totally stock. I am very, very pleased. This suggests that in order to get the sportier exhaust sound, you just need to replace the mufflers, not the whole thing (the rest of my exhaust is still AWE).

Also, I kept the AWE mufflers, which are in great shape and for sale. I had the shop cut them off with plenty of pipe left (a couple of feet) for easy swap onto a stock exhaust system. Please PM me if interested. I'm thinking $400.

You have a PM

[doughboy17]

I'm a bit confused. I recently removed the AWE Touring system from my S4 and the rear mufflers didn't have a couple of feet to give. The rear mufflers have relatively short, bent tubes which clamp to the 'intermediate' tubes that clamp to the outlet side of the center resonator. Here is my AWE Touring system as it currently sits in the garage. That said, do your front resonators look like the ones shown to the left in this photo, or are yours much smaller (i.e. are they the OEM resonators)?

I'm glad I am not the only person that has not kept up the coating on his garage floor. I can release my guilt now.