Hello guys, so like the rest of you, I love my F80. I love the way it drives, the way it looks, the way it sounds –*everything is perfect. Today I took it upon myself to make a little modification to the exhaust that makes a huge difference to the way the car sounds. It costs nothing and takes a little under 5 minutes to do – and no tools are required. Too good to be true right? NO. I thought I would share the steps I took on the forums so you guys can have this little hack too.
Things you'll need:
1. Your hands
2. Your F80/F82
Step 1: Start by turning your engine on and clicking into the M2 mode on your steering wheel.
Make sure you tap the gas pedal so that the exhaust valves open up (You should know if you did it right because the engine will sound louder)
Step 2:
With the car still on and M2 Mode still selected, head to the back of your vehicle and look under the car behind the muffler. You'll find the solenoid responsible for opening and closing your exhaust valves there
Step 3: Going to the solenoid, you'll find an electrical clip/wire. This is what tells the solenoid to open and close when the car modes are changed (M1 and M2 and Efficient). You need to unplug this wire by pressing a small tab with your finger and gently pulling on the plastic connector
*Don't pull from the wire!*. The tab that you need to push is a small one, so make sure you're pushing on that, rather than the whole connector. It should come out with ease.
Step 4: Once disconnected, we need to place this wire in a safe place. Not too far from the solenoid, you'll find a little black plastic bracket that holds the exhaust in place. Insert the solenoid connector in the plastic bracket so that its in a safe place for future use should you chose to go back
Step 5: Repeat these steps for the exhaust solenoid on the other side of the car.
And that's it! By unplugging the exhaust solenoids, you've left them in their open position! Every time you turn on your car, the exhaust valves will be open all the way. Enjoy driving on Efficient mode with the full rumble of your F80/F82's engine. You do get some additional gargles and pops because of the slightly changed dynamics. The main benefit of this hack is to have your exhaust valves open so that your car roars immediately on start and so that you can be loud, even on efficient mode.
Enjoy and Happy hacking!
**NOTE: You can also cover the unplugged connectors with electrical tape to prevent weathering.
Oh, and just to protect myself (although this is a clean and reversible hack), I am not responsible for any damages or warranty voids that may occur to your car. Do this at your own risk.
Here's what it sounds like (Not cold start):