330Ci Sport performance upgrades

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I've just picked up 330Ci Sport Coupe and I wondered if anyone can recommend some obvious performance uprades such as induction and exhaust etc.

I have to say that my biggest motivation is noise as it's so quiet I have to watch the clocks to change up - I can barely hear the engine!! BUT I wouldn't want to just by the cheapest loud exhaust I can find - that would be a bit naff - it needs to actually do something. Also, I don't want stupid loud - just audible!

Thanks

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Interesting - I didn't know there was an exhaust valve on it.

OK, just been to look and the left pipe is valveless but the right pipe has a closed valve (engine switched off) which I can't move at all - is that correct or is it stuck shut?

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Cheers! It's well and truly stuck - just took a bar and a hammer to it and bent the valve (so it's slightly open now!). I've sprayed it with penatrating oil so I'll try again tomorrow.

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RayArm said:

I had a go on mine earlier - was stuck shut too - effectively limiting the car one out of the two exhaust pipes.

Even after going at it with a mallet it wouldn't move. Tried spraying it with WD40 but no joy.

Ended up using a chisel and hammering it until it broke off. I also unplugged the vacuum pipe and stuffed a screw into its end to seal it.

According to that E46 link above a member did the same to his car with no detrimental effects.

Result - car is even better than before (new MAF installed), no hesitation, dips etc. The exhaust note is now deeper, bassier.

Edited by RayArm on Wednesday 30th September 23:34

Yep - I think I'm going to end up doing the same - beem hammering away for a couple of days now and it's about a third open due to bending the flap!!

Why the new MAF?

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AB said:

This valve, is it just the 330 that it appears on? Or does it appear on the Z4 for example?

Probably irrelevant as it would take quite a burley hairdresser to fix the problem anyway

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Dino D said:

Some wise chap on here told me that there was some sort of factory option about removing a plug the firewall to let me induction noise into the cabin.

Can anyone elaborate on this - sounds rather interesting!

Cheers