Hey guys, quick questions here. I'm thinking about adding some aam test pipes to my setup and can't find any threads containing them with my setup. A few things: Will I run lean? I recently added my 5/16 spacer and of course my muffler delete. 2: I've heard some videos of the megan test pipes and they sound too hollow for me. I have heard a 350 with aam but it's only 1 or 2 quick drive-by's. 3: Realistically speaking, how much of an annoyance will the smell be? I know they smell bad but i've driven behind modded subaru's, corvettes, and a bunch of other tuners; my question here is, will it smell like one of those ugly diesel trucks? And lastly, how long-- if I do run lean, can I drive near or at wot before I need to tune?
To be honest, I just like to be loud-- I know I know, it sounds ricey, but i don't want to drive near 3-4k rpm to be at the volume I want to be at. I drive mostly with my windows down and I can BARELY hear my exhaust in the cabin-- not to mention I keep my music on most of the time.

Thanks.

Edit: And before you say my car is trashy, here's a picture. I plan to detail it this coming weekend to restore that nice obsidian black as much as I can.

 

You have to have something really screwed up to ACTUALLY make the engine run lean. The computer has a very large margin of error to compensate for fuel but your check engine light will turn on if that margin exceeds +/- 25% fuel. Test pipes will not make your car smell like a diesel, it won't make it smell rich, it won't change your exhaust smell at all but it might throw a CEL for sensor2 efficiency.

Those vehicles you're talking about that do smell rich is because of the custom tuning of the ECU to hit a target A:F while erring on the side of rich with no catalytic converter. The smell of a rich running gasoline motor is worlds different than a rich running diesel however.

P.S. the only thing trashy about your car is all that stuff hanging from your rearview mirror, other than that it's beauuuuuuutiful :P
P.P.S. Window tint my friend!

 

Ok, thank you. Yea, it still has the factory tint on it. I was really looking to tint it this month eventually. I've just been hounded with constant upgrades , ( muffler delete, spacer, new DD radio, and soon enough, new suspension). I opted for the aam since they're relatively cheap and they're from a reputable company. I can't justify the $580 for the art pipes since i'm a cheap college student.
So, I will most likely throw a cel and I guess for it to go off, i'd need a tune. I think the aam ones come with foulers so they won't throw one.

 

Chances are great, once you install test pipes you'll start throwing the lean error code! I had all my breather mods installed before I got that error code...intake/spacer/hfc/and cat back exhaust. I cleared the code and ran it for a week before making an appointment for the Osiris tune. Like driving with your windows down? You won't enjoy it running test pipes! Between high flow cats (my Berks failed) I ran ART pipes for a week and hated the way the exhaust smelled. I grew up with leaded gas, loved the way it smelled and turned our exhaust tips light gray! Today's engines exhaust stinks!
Gary

 

Wow, the smell is THAT bad? Ugh, why must there be sacrifices for gains :^(

I can't really afford HFC's right now because the cheapest I can find are $300+ and i'm using that for my head unit. If the smell goes away after a while or I get used to it, then I could work with that but, if it's like that 24/7 day and night, cold, hot, or w/e then i'll just have to hold out on them then..
I figured they wouldn't be as bad since I see a crap ton of people running down pipes and what-not on sport cars and super cars.

 

Maybe my sniffer is broken, I can't tell a difference unless someone has a rich tune.

 

I hope not. I'm really digging the sound from test pipes.. I just don't want to ride around in a car that smells like a junkyard-- gotta be classy in the G.

 

IMHO the whole "test pipes are stinky" thought is WAAAAY overblown. Can you smell them a bit, yes but it's not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. Personally I like the smell.

 

Sorry...you lost that when you went with muffler delete, that's a ghetto mod!
Gary

 

#racecar

 

I don't get what you mean by "Ghetto mod" What is the definition of "Ghetto"?

If it's appealing and serves a functional purpose while also being budget friendly, how is that labeled "Ghetto"? The same could be said about turbo and super-charging cheap cars. Why not just buy a lambo or GT-R? It's only ghetto in your perspective as you don't see from other people's perspective.
I couldn't be more happy with what I have so far, and want more. If you redirect your attention from my muffler delete to the people rolling around with legit cheap and discolored rims, you'd retract your statement-- maybe.. Tl;dr i'm more than content with my current setup. At least give me credit for keeping the exterior and interior clean and not looking like a pile of ****.

 

Additional experience/opinions to help you decide....
I have test pipes (megan resonated) and a true dual cat back. No smell of petrol from inside the cabin, AC on/off windows down etc. I only ever smell petrol if I get out the car while it's running just after starting - maybe running rich to warm up, and even then it's hardly anything worth mentioning. Also, no check engine lights for running lean or o2 sensors.

 

Webster's has a definition for the word Ghetto but it doesn't apply to cars! Muffler delete is the cheapest "Bottom of the Barrel" mod you can make when aftermarket exhaust systems can be purchased for just over $300! Yes, you do have a very clean coupe that looks great! Don't down grade what you drive with cheap modifications, our coupes were once a class act, try keeping it that way...or not!
Gary