|
Post Reply |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
05-01-2018, 06:23 PM | #1 |
///Multiple
2992
Rep 4,243
Posts
Drives: M4 Coupe | M3 | Z4M Roadster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: San Diego, CA
iTrader: (1)
Garage List 2006 BMW Z4 M Roadster [8.81]
2016 BMW M4 Coupe ( ... [10.00] 2018 BMW M3 (Euro D ... [0.00] 2011 BMW 335is Coup ... [10.00] |
Sound violations at Weathertech (formerly Mazda) Raceway Laguna Seca
The legendary Laguna Seca track has new ownership, new management, and new rules. The sound limit is now 90 db. I learned this the hard way at an HPDE held this past weekend by the Golden Gate Chapter of the BMW Car Club of America (BMW CCA). I don't know what the old limit was, but I've run here two times previously, the last time in March 2017, with the same M4 with an M Performance Exhaust, and never had a problem running with the throttle in Sport or Sport+ mode.
On Saturday during the first session it is customary for an instructor to drive your car for the first 2 or three laps at about 60-70%, just to see how your car brakes and handles, and to spot any potential safety issues. My instructor, a good friend of mine who also owns a highly modified M4 ZCP, did 3 laps and then handed the car over to me. My M1 button in my Track profile is set to Sport/Sport+/Comfort. I pressed M1 and headed out for my first lap. I was doing a warm-up lap at about 80%, and I came out of Turn 5, powered up the hill to Turn 6, came out of the corner and the flag stand on the left side of the track just past Turn 6 was displaying the black flag with an orange circle, the "Mechanical" flag, commonly known as the "meatball" flag. I came into the hot pits and checked in with the starter and he indicated that I had registered 93 db! My first session was over with less than one full lap! You get three strikes, and after the third strike, you're out...for the rest of the weekend! This was strike 1. At our A group class meeting after the first session, I found out that the two Porsche GT4s in our group were also over the 90 db limit with a stock exhaust. Later, another M4 with an MPE in the D group also exceeded 90 db. There were several M3/M4 Competition Package cars with stock exhausts that didn't exceed the limit. After some discussion with various people, I decided to modify my M1 button to set Throttle to Efficient mode, short shift after Turn 5, and maintain an even throttle until I passed the sound booth, which is on the right side of the track, just past Turn 5. With this strategy I made it through the second session, running up the hill in 4th gear (DCT). During my third session, again on my first lap, I was running up the hill in 4th gear and once I passed the sound booth, I stepped on it before I had to slow down and downshift for Turn 6. The exhaust went "BLAT", I came around Turn 6, and there was the meatball flag again! Apparently, the microphones in the sound booth aren't fixed, and they can scan up the hill as a car passes. Strike 2 and I was done for the third session. My car is Sakhir Orange and it pretty much stands out on the track, so I'm pretty sure that the county employee that was manning the booth was looking for me each session. I made it through the fourth session on Saturday by immediately upshifting all the way to 6th gear even before I reached the track out point for Turn 5. It took most of the fun out of Turns 5 & 6, but at least I lived to run again on Sunday! I made it through all four sessions on Sunday using the same strategy. There was some discussion that there was a different person in the sound booth on Sunday, and that maybe they were being more lax. As we were getting towards the end of the fourth and last session I waited until I was pretty sure that there was only 1 lap left before the checkered flag. As I was coming into Turn 5, I switched to my M2 button which has Throttle set to Sport+, and blasted out of Turn 5, upshifting to 4th, 5th, and 6th. I came around Turn 6 and there was no meatball flag! We got the checkered flag by the time I came around to the start/stop on the main straight so we were done for the weekend. After posting about this on Facebook on Saturday, a friend who runs his Cayman there with the Porsche Club, told me that some of the Porsches that run at Laguna Seca have a arduino-based exhaust control systems that use a GPS shield to determine their position and open/close their exhaust flaps accordingly. This is a brilliant solution and I'm going to look into whether any of the aftermarket M3/M4 exhaust flap controllers can do this or be modified to do this. Has anyone heard of a system that can utilize GPS data to open/close the exhaust flaps?
__________________
The Coupe: 2016 M4 | Sakhir Orange | Black Full Merino Leather | CF Trim | M-DCT | More | ED 5/13/16
The Sedan: 2018 M3 | San Marino Blue | Black Full Merino Leather | CF Trim | M-DCT | ZCP | ED 7/18/18 The Roadster: 2006 Z4 | Interlagos Blue | Black Extended Nappa Leather | Carbon Leather Trim | Purchased 7/19/12 |
05-01-2018, 11:20 PM | #2 |
Enthusiast
248
Rep 304
Posts |
I'm pretty sure it's always been 90dB, but depending on the time of the day and temperature, the sound may travel a bit more and cause you to blow sound when you normally wouldn't. Pretty easy fix though, either buy an electronic valve controller and close your exhaust valves or if you want to save some money just unplug your valves while they're closed so they will stay that way until you plug them back in.
My catless downpipes + akra evo with valves closed nets around 92dB, so you should definitely be fine with just the MPE and valves closed. I switch back to the stock zcp exhaust + catless downpipes and never have any issues with sound with the valves closed. Sucks to not hear your car as well, but such is the price of Laguna. |
Appreciate
0
|
05-02-2018, 09:44 AM | #3 |
First Lieutenant
36
Rep 394
Posts |
my brother was at that event driving my 18 ZCP in Sport (not sport+), and didn't have any issues going up the hill. it's possible that his instructor just had him keep maintenance throttle going up the hill, then get back on it after turn 6. i thought that the sound meter was pointed perpendicular to the track, so scanning up the hill is new to me.
some tips/tricks from the Hooked On Driving folks for sound: -As you pass under the bridge, go off line a bit towards driver's left -Maintain moderate RPMs going up the hill until clear of the sound booth -Note the weather conditions and drive accordingly (i'm not an acoustics engineer, but apparently overcast, humidity, temp all impact the pressure wave, and you might get some lee way on a day w/ the right conditions). def sorry to hear you got meatballed
__________________
go bears
|
Appreciate
2
ibimmer954137.50 SD ///M42992.00 |
05-02-2018, 11:06 AM | #4 |
Colonel
2712
Rep 2,371
Posts |
Rather than worry about a GPS based exhaust flap control, why not just keep your exhaust flaps closed for the entire session/weekend? Closed exhaust flaps will make little, if any difference in HP/torque, and will keep you from getting flagged.
__________________
2015 Black Sapphire Metallic 6MT M4
|
Appreciate
0
|
05-02-2018, 11:31 AM | #5 |
Brigadier General
4016
Rep 3,539
Posts
Drives: 328d Wagon, M2 Comp, i4 eD35
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Bay Area, CA
|
It's been 90db for some time for "standard" days. The track gets a certain amount of >90db days per year, but it's like more than $15k extra to get one of those slots.
|
Appreciate
0
|
05-04-2018, 07:16 AM | #7 |
Colonel
2712
Rep 2,371
Posts |
I miss it as well. The Monterey Cycling club hosted a monthly cycle (bicycle) around the track. Going around Laguna Seca on a bicycle was pretty weird, but lots of fun. Corkscrew was still crazy, even on a bike.
__________________
2015 Black Sapphire Metallic 6MT M4
|
Appreciate
0
|
05-08-2018, 10:20 PM | #8 |
Second Lieutenant
99
Rep 275
Posts |
Cant you drive on the opposite side of the sensors on the straight? Most people place an exhaust tip pointing the opposite direction which helps.
|
Appreciate
0
|
05-11-2018, 06:11 AM | #9 |
Petrolhead
126
Rep 307
Posts |
[VENTING]
I just came back from the May 9th ETD day at laguna and I must say I'm fucking pissed at the sound bullshit nonsense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! had to lift every time between 4-5 and its just such a sucky, draining feeling.. watching the seconds tick by as you coast through that bullshit sound booth built to please some fat ass richy idiots .. I hope that they have massive irritable bowel syndrome for the rest of their lives! PS - WOT with flaps closed on a remus with mid pipe is still too loud (got meat balled at 92db) .. Why do we have to put up with sound bullshit nonsense at a track day!!! @#*$(#@*$(@#*%@#%@#)$*#@)$*:mad0 259: [END OF VENTING] |
Appreciate
1
SD ///M42992.00 |
05-11-2018, 12:48 PM | #10 | |
First Lieutenant
36
Rep 394
Posts |
Quote:
__________________
go bears
|
|
Appreciate
0
|
05-11-2018, 04:34 PM | #11 |
Petrolhead
126
Rep 307
Posts |
Sweet - yeah that was me .. I got meat-balled in the first session with my valve closed and maintenance throttle because i shifted up from 3 to 4 right at the sound booth and my car "farted" hahahaha.. Then I got meatballed in the last session because I was in a fuck-it-I'm-going-full-throttle mood..
|
Appreciate
1
SD ///M42992.00 |
05-11-2018, 09:12 PM | #12 | |
First Lieutenant
36
Rep 394
Posts |
Quote:
first time in a RWD car, i was def off the pace. hopefully more practice and i get used to the F80 and i can keep up w/ you guys!
__________________
go bears
|
|
Appreciate
1
trackm4126.00 |
05-12-2018, 11:57 PM | #14 | |
Petrolhead
126
Rep 307
Posts |
Quote:
I'm going back on the 25th.. I figure take one second out of my lap-time to calculate my laptime if I'd stayed wide open. I figure I lose about a second going up that hill on maintenance throttle. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
05-13-2018, 06:33 PM | #15 |
Colonel
2146
Rep 2,527
Posts
Drives: 2011 M3/Porsche 992 GT3RS
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Bay Area, CA
iTrader: (0)
Garage List 2024 Porsche 911 GT3RS [0.00]
2021 Porsche 718 Sp ... [0.00] 2021 Mazda Miata MX-5 [0.00] 2006 BMW M3 [0.00] 2011 BMW M3 [10.00] |
Exclusive Track Days has a 105 dB day on July 16th.
90 dB is the cheapest option, and a track organizer can pay extra to get that bumped up to 92 dB. I never had a problem with my stock ZCP muffler on my F82, even at the top of 3rd. 105 dB sounds like an unlimited day right, but they still measure, lol. In my E46, I was blowing 107 dB! I had to short shift to 4th to avoid the meatball.
__________________
'06 BMW M3 ZCP 6MT | JRZ RS Pro + Hyperco 650/750 | Epic Tune | Brembo 355mm BBK | too many to list
'11 BMW M3 ZCP DCT | Akra Evolution | Eventuri intake | MCS 3-way | 4.6L Carbahn S65 | Zebulon Aero | AP Racing Radi-CAL BBK by Essex | 305/645-18 Pirelli DHB Porsche 992 GT3, 991.2 GT3RS, 718 Spyder instagram.com/titomanlio |
Appreciate
0
|
05-16-2018, 12:26 PM | #16 |
Enlisted Member
18
Rep 33
Posts |
[QUOTE=redpriest;23187719]I never had a problem with my stock ZCP muffler on my F82, even at the top of 3rd.
QUOTE] Do you know of anyone having success with stock ZCP muffler and AA mid-pipe? I was talking to guy who said he runs fast advance at LS flat out everywhere in stock ZCP with no issues at all and always passes 92DB limit. |
Appreciate
0
|
05-16-2018, 01:15 PM | #17 | |
Enthusiast
248
Rep 304
Posts |
Quote:
Downpipes, full Akra Evo, valves closed - 92-93dB. Running WOT in Sport+ hugging the right hand side closest to sound station. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
05-16-2018, 01:47 PM | #18 | |
Enlisted Member
18
Rep 33
Posts |
Quote:
Just to clarify, how do you run valve closed and be in sport+ WOT? I cant imagine M performance exhaust is louder than downpipes with akro so if this works, how comes OP got flagged with M performance exhaust. I am sure I missing something. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
05-16-2018, 03:42 PM | #20 |
Petrolhead
126
Rep 307
Posts |
|
Appreciate
0
|
05-16-2018, 06:09 PM | #21 | |
Enlisted Member
18
Rep 33
Posts |
Quote:
The weekend after that PCA have a 92DB weekend. The weekend after is also 92DB. Then first week of August Porsche owners club also 92DB. Skip into October then another 92DB weekend with Alfa Romeo club. |
|
Appreciate
1
Mook20.00 |
05-16-2018, 06:36 PM | #22 | |
Petrolhead
126
Rep 307
Posts |
Quote:
|
|
Appreciate
0
|
Post Reply |
Bookmarks |
|
|