VR6 exhaust note not sounding like a VR6

[st.john smythe 0]

Was wondering if anyone would know why my VR6 (owned for 4 years and 40,000 miles) has never sounded like a VR6? Sounds strange but listening to others in real life and on youtube etc. they all have that audi quattro meets chewbacca exhaust note but mine sounds like most other V6's. It still sounds quite good especially over 3500 rpm but never the same warble like others do. It is totally standard but I dont have any paperwork for before I owned the car as I bought it from a dealer via ebay (car was discussed on this forum at the time - Vr6 on ebay - Anyone know this car?). Previous owner was a guy called Harry Vick who was a corrado club member. Its never bothered me too much but i thought I might as well ask to see if anyone could come up with a reason for it?

[Hofmiester 10]

Was wondering if anyone would know why my VR6 (owned for 4 years and 40,000 miles) has never sounded like a VR6? Sounds strange but listening to others in real life and on youtube etc. they all have that audi quattro meets chewbacca exhaust note but mine sounds like most other V6's. It still sounds quite good especially over 3500 rpm but never the same warble like others do. It is totally standard but I dont have any paperwork for before I owned the car as I bought it from a dealer via ebay (car was discussed on this forum at the time - Vr6 on ebay - Anyone know this car?). Previous owner was a guy called Harry Vick who was a corrado club member. Its never bothered me too much but i thought I might as well ask to see if anyone could come up with a reason for it?

 

I remember reading that the 263 cams change the sound of the VR6 and significantly reduce the warble sound

[g0ldf1ng3r 13]

thats a tough one m8 as there are so many potential variables so as to do a like for like comparison

 

what system is on yours at present? is it the standard VW? pics would help establish any differences

 

most 'standard' VR's are relatively quiet until they really come on cam & then start to roar

 

however, it only takes a BMC CDA to completely change the tone & sound of the VR. I speak from personal experience on this front & adore the grunty burble kind of resembling a V8 when given a touch of throttle at low revs (FYI my VR still has its genuine VW exhaust system)

[g0ldf1ng3r 13]

I remember reading that the 263 cams change the sound of the VR6 and significantly reduce the warble sound

 

not when combined with a BMC hofmiester ;)

 

full on mother hubbard of a roar when at full chat with 263's & BMC but then quiet as a mouse cruising on motorway until you give it some go pedal :D

[Jim Bowen 1]

I think a lot of the youtube cars are decatted or silly exhausts. As standard they don't sound anything like that. Also the miltek exhausts used to have an option of resonated or non-resonated.

 

A BMC CDA air filter makes it much louder

[g0ldf1ng3r 13]

A BMC CDA air filter makes it much louder

 

it dont half m8!!

 

im sure 3 of the guys watching me leave a local car meet last night cricked their necks as they whipped round to see what was making THAT noise lol

[Jim 1]

If your VR6 is bone stock standard (air box, air filter, exhaust) then they're extremely quiet as standard. It's only performance exhausts and air filters that start to make it sound a lot louder!

[robrado974 1]

I was saying to Robbierr32 the other day about CDA's . I have a jetex system ,with a KnN filter . Rob has a miltec with a BMC CDA . Im not that convinced its that much louder ?.

[VAG-hag 0]

I remember reading that the 263 cams change the sound of the VR6 and significantly reduce the warble sound

 

I would despute this all day long. Mine sounds like chewwy standing on a plug with no shoes on!!

 

Likely to be a std exhaust compred with a ss system maybe?

[VAG-hag 0]

If your VR6 is bone stock standard (air box, air filter, exhaust) then they're extremely quiet as standard. It's only performance exhausts and air filters that start to make it sound a lot louder!

 

^^ true story Jim

[seanl82 23]

I don't have cams and my exhaust is very quiet. When I bought the car the bottom half of the airbox had been butchered to death, but I put up with it for a short while because it sounded great! I then fitted a new (old) but good condition standard one, and thought I'd developed a problem as I couldn't hear the v6 burble, and it felt a little underpowered or less responsive to the point I thought it was missing on a Cylinder. It couldn't be anything else, so I put a BMC CDA on and it instantly returned to what I was used to. This way I'm not embarrassed if someone pokes their head in my bay a notices a gaping hole where the bottom of the airbox should be either! But tbf, it rivalled the BMC for sound.

[VW_OwneR_85 1]

I find you can get two different noises from the vr6 Induction & exhaust , if you want sound from the exhaust {on idle and cruzing around } then you need to change the exhaust to something like Miltek etc etc , if you want an awesome sound under throttle {induction}then just change the standard airbox to a K&N style air filter or do like some people have and drill the airbox but theres no going back if you do! change to a k&n style filter as this is easy and cheap but the sound under throttle is very addictive!! I also found with a k&n style filter along with a performance exhaust that you don't really get that awesome induction sound you do with just a filter , think the induction sound just gets blurred but that could just be me? , try just a filter first and see what you think..

[joebloggsVR69 0]

I've got a standard exhaust with 263's fitted and it does sound different, a bit quieter, probably like yours.

When I had the standard cams, it sounded nicer IMO :)

[Ray1965 10]

My car has a Magnex fitted, i had the suitcase back box removed. I didn't drive the car in the video over 3.000 rpm and has the VR sound.

[Jim 1]

I have 263's, stock air box with the snorkel removed and a K&N panel filter, and a stock exhaust. It sounds great to me and significantly more rowdy that standard but not excessive in any way.

[robrado974 1]

I was told , when buying my Jetex , that there were three stages . Quiet , middle and loud . I went with the middle one . Lovely exhaust note .

[st.john smythe 0]

Cheers for all the interesting ideas/feedback. I've been mulling over a k&n filter for literally years but never bothered as I'd heard mixed reviews. I'll give one a go tho if some of you say they make a noticeable difference. In regards to 263 cams i'd say it's fairly unlikely these were fitted at any time since as I understand it the previous owner was a real stickler for standard and he owned the car for 11 years. Out of interest what difference in power delivery do they make? Everyone has their own way of bettering power delivery/output/torque which they swear to as being the best way of going about it! I'd like to give the engine some serious tlc soonish as its on 143k at mo and that goes up by 12.5k per year as its my daily. When it goes in for a play I wouldn't mind a bit more power or a better torque spread for as little money as possible (probably rules out 263's).

[Jim 1]

They make quite a difference actually. Along with a remap they're good for between 20-30BHP (if you're lucky!) but give a much more grunty feel with more power available lower in the rev range. Just makes the motor feel more eager. A worthwhile modification though obviously difficult to justify as the cost of the cams + fitting + remap isn't an inconsiderable sum.

[st.john smythe 0]

After searching a bit more on the forum I stumbled across several posts suggesting the removal of the airbox snorkel as a quick/cheap way of beefing up the Vr6 sound (one of jim's posts put me on the scent)! Having now done so I would recommend it as it's exactly what I was after sound-wise. Why didn't anyone think to suggest this straight away! ;). Over 3.5k rpm it now howls/growls nicely under hard acceleration but still sounds standard with light throttle inputs. Still mulling over k&n panel filter. What puts me off is they sound like they are really low density compared to original paper filters so wont keep out ALL the c*#p etc. I'm not overly OCD or anything but I'd like to put off the inevitable rebuild for as long as possible! Also do they really go 50k miles before they need a clean?

[seanl82 23]

Theyre not quite as good at filtering as a standard paper, but still good enough provided they are cleaned properly - which isn't anywhere near as much as 50k! If you do get one, clean it as often as you'd change a paper filter, I'd say 2 years or 20k max. Try to get the oil-less one as well which most new k&N's are, as the oiled ones are known to kill MAFs.

[VW_OwneR_85 1]

Still mulling over k&n panel filter.

when I said k&n style filter I didn't mean to replace your current panel filter with a k&n panel filter as that I would of thought wouldn't make any difference, I should of said cone filter http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RAMAIR-UNIVERSAL-INDUCTION-AIR-FILTER-VOLKSWAGEN-GOLF-VR6-/390488499892?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item5aeaeda6b4

ebay search vr6 cone filter , you can pick them up for as little as a tenner , just to try them out before commiting to a better quality one, if I remember rightly even with a cone filter it still doesn't give the VR purr under light throttle , its only when you hoof it, so changing to a cone would probably just enhance the sound your already getting, idd say if your not happy with that then look more towards the exhaust side,

[sexybourbon 0]

What tou want is a decat and a straight through piece of pipe to a back box !! Sounds pretty good through the old twistys when you have grass verge and bushes holding all the sound in , it also come in handy for scaring old women ! If your in to that kind of thing

 

Seriouse though , a bmc will get you the sound you need and the filtration you want if a k and n doesent do what you want , dave16v does a nice stainless bracket and im pretty sure that the bmc is about the only filter that is tried and tested to give more power , i think stealth did a rolling road test but i could be wrong

[g0ldf1ng3r 13]

What tou want is a decat and a straight through piece of pipe to a back box !! Sounds pretty good through the old twistys when you have grass verge and bushes holding all the sound in , it also come in handy for scaring old women ! If your in to that kind of thing

 

Seriouse though , a bmc will get you the sound you need and the filtration you want if a k and n doesent do what you want , dave16v does a nice stainless bracket and im pretty sure that the bmc is about the only filter that is tried and tested to give more power , i think stealth did a rolling road test but i could be wrong

 

you are quite correct redborbet - there are quite a few threads on here about air feeds & do's & dont's & pro's & con's

 

IIRC Kev Bacon had done some rolling road output tests with stealth to compare stock air box, stock air box with snorkel removed & BMC - with the BMC being the only one which gave an increase in power output

 

again IIRC with regard to the snorkel, i believe they are there for a specific reason, IE to increase the air flow entering the standard air box, & though it can change the sound it 'could' have a detrimental effect to performance if removed

 

my only other input would be to consider the 'heat soak' effect which i think can make a K&N a worse preformer than standard air box - & this is the reason the BMC is designed as it is with the carbon fiber canister to avoid sucking in hot air

 

oh & one final thing which ive previously mentioned....the BMC sound is just awesome at all revs & looks gorgeous with one of daves16v brackets!!!! :D

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Ah the good old snorkel, or 'Helmholtz resonator' to give it it's proper name :) It's job is to adjust the pitch of the intake sound and aid cylinder filling, but people just chuck it in the bin, thinking VW put it there for fun.

 

When mine was a daily, and standard, there was a noticeable drop in bottom end response from removing the snorkel, but nobody ever tells you that. All you hear is "Whoo hoo, it sounds awesome". Yeah, for about day, and then it gets bloody irritating.

 

The BMC is the only filter I've personally seen make a tangible difference to power and isn't obnoxiously loud.

 

As for a standard VR6 not sounding like a VR6, just press the throttle down more at lower revs to get the engine working harder.

 

Cams can indeed alter the pitch of the intake noise. Some subtly, some very noticeably. Depends how the changed profiles bounce intake pulses back to the airbox.

 

K&Ns don't filter anywhere near as effectively as the standard paper, but the dirt they let through is usually small enough to pass through the intake valves without harming anything.

[g0ldf1ng3r 13]

'Helmholtz resonator'

 

i hoped you would pop up here Kev - great input & love the technical name for the snorkel!