Stealth. Sleeper. Under the radar. The latest generation Golf R is remarkable not only for its performance, but also for its subtlety. There are no basket handle spoilers or wings. No pavement-scraping splitters. No flared-nostril hood scoops. While I would prefer that the R be more differentiated from the GTI, I’m generally fine with its covert mission, with one exception: the exhaust note. The R is just too soft spoken. But for the few seconds the exhaust valves partially open on cold idle and at higher RPM, the R hums along with a barely distinguishable sonic signature.
Since getting my R last November, I’ve watched dozens of YouTube videos and read countless forum posts on aftermarket exhausts. One day Brand X sounded good to me, the next day it was Brand Y. Between watching the videos and reading the posts (and searching for any mentions of the dreaded “drone”), I couldn’t settle on a system that offered the right balance. Then there was the cost. Granted, most aftermarket exhausts appear to be well made, with aircraft quality stainless steel bits and the like–and they can’t exactly be mass produced since the R is a limited market–but still, $1200-1500 seemed like a lot of dollars for a few more decibels.
Little did I know that the solution was sitting on the Audi parts shelf. Recently, I was looking at some new S3s that had arrived at a dealer and noticed one with an exhaust resonator delete option listed on the sticker. A little Googling revealed that this was an Audi OEM kit (basically a straight pipe with two clamps to replace the resonator) that a lot of R owners were installing since the R and S3 exhausts are nearly identical. A few more YouTube videos confirmed that the kit was a fairly easy install, with results that sounded, at least to my ears, comparable to aftermarket systems. For only about $225.
A chance meeting at an Audi Club social with an S3 owner who had installed the kit sealed the deal for me. Hearing it at idle and revving, I felt it had just the right amount of wrong, as they say.
I bought my kit off of eBay from an Audi dealer for $205. Kits are also available from ECS Tuning and Deutsche Auto Parts, and presumably others. Installation made me a little hesitant because it involved cutting the exhaust pipe at the rear of the resonator (the front inlet pipe is already a butt joint from the factory). So I talked to a couple of shops. One independent German car mechanic seemed kind of unfamiliar with the concept. An Audi dealer, where they had already done an install, was estimating $285 labor. That was about all the convincing I needed to make it a DIY job. And Amazon came through with a set of Rhino ramps and an exhaust pipe cutting tool, eliminating the last excuses.
If you’re thinking of doing the same, watch the YouTube videos as introductory tutorials. The one from ECS Tuning makes the job look like a snap. There’s another from an owner who had a local muffler shop weld in a straight pipe; it’s not as neat looking as the factory kit, but it works. And there’s a third video from an R owner who did the install lying on his back like I did. It’s sort of humorous, in an unintentional way, but gives you a real-world perspective of what’s involved.
I decided to write this in article form to provide a detailed list of the tools you’ll need and step-by-step instructions. Sometimes I learn better from written directions, and there are a couple of hints I discovered along the way that aren’t covered in the videos. Further, the instructions supplied with the kit are wordless pictographs that can leave you scratching your head.
So, here we go. Rummage through your tool box and make sure you have these on hand because you’ll need everyone:
- 3/8” ratchet wrench and extension
- 3/8” 13 mm socket
- 3/8” 13 mm deep drive socket
- 13 mm box end wrench
- exhaust pipe cutter
- 3/8” torque wrench
- flat and triangular metal files
- WD-40, or other penetrant
Next, back your R onto ramps, or use jack stands. I preferred the ramps because they seemed more secure—you’re going to be exerting some force when cutting the exhaust pipe. The ramps give you adequate clearance at the rear, but it’s a stretch to the front clamp. I slithered under the passenger side of my R to reach it. Now follow these steps:
- Spray WD-40 onto the two nuts of the forward exhaust clamp (if your R has been on the road a while, do this a couple of days before the install). While you’re waiting for the WD-40 to penetrate, loosely wire the exhaust pipe forward of the clamp to the drive shaft above (you don’t want the pipe to fall on your head, or flex too much).
- Mark the forward edge of the clamp for later reference, loosen it, and slide it forward onto the exhaust pipe (I used the box end wrench so that I could see the nuts and make sure they were loosening freely). Note the gap between the resonator inlet and the exhaust pipe—mine was about ½”, and you’ll want to maintain that during the install.
- Hold the resonator delete pipe under the resonator, lining up its forward end with the end of the resonator inlet pipe—you’re basically performing a visual check to make sure it’s the right length.
- Slide the exhaust clamp back on and tighten it to keep the exhaust system rigid while cutting the pipe.
- Mark your cut line. In the ECS video, they say 5 ½” from the exhaust hanger. The diagram that comes with the kit shows three mysterious dots on the resonator outlet pipe, with no measurement reference points. I didn’t comprehend this until I looked closely at the outlet pipe. There are three tiny dimples in the pipe that correspond to the dots on the instruction sheet, presumably by design from the factory for this very purpose. The middle dimple marks your cut line, and lo and behold, it’s 5 ½” from the exhaust hanger.
- Cut the exhaust pipe on the line you’ve measured. This is the most difficult part of the install, especially if you’re lying on your back. Not only does the exhaust pipe cutting tool require a smooth back-and-forth motion, you also have to grip it tightly to do the actual cutting. On your back, you simply don’t have the mechanical leverage you would have standing under the car on a lift. So it’s tedious and tiring, but keep at it and swing the tool in as full an arc as possible. Getting the cutting wheels started in a groove is hard, and mine kept sliding side-to-side. Once the cutter bit, it was slightly off kilter and I ended up with a cut that wasn’t quite perpendicular to the pipe. A few degrees doesn’t make much difference, however, because there’s a little slack in the system. If I had to do the job over again, I would take a small triangular file and scribe a starting groove into the pipe to keep the cutting tool in line. Release the front exhaust clamp.
- The cutting tool may not complete a full 360-degree cut, but leave a little tab connected. If so, you can just carefully twist the resonator off. Use your flat metal file to smooth out any irregularities on the cut. The hard part is over!
- Instead of trying to wrestle the resonator hanger off the rubber donut, just remove the hanger bracket from the car after you finish cutting the pipe. Use your 13 mm socket with a long extension.
- Ease the rubber donut off the resonator with a little WD-40, then slide it onto the delete pipe.
- Slide the larger diameter exhaust clamp onto the rear of the resonator delete. You can also slide the smaller diameter clamp onto the front of the pipe, or reuse the original factory clamp. I used the new one supplied with the kit.
- Position the delete pipe into the space where the resonator was. Butt the rear of the pipe against the muffler inlet pipe. Look forward, and you should see a small gap between the front of the delete pipe and the exhaust pipe from the engine. Re-attach the hanger bracket to the car.
- Begin tightening the clamps while checking the alignment of the delete pipe with the fore and aft exhaust pipes (if you don’t start with your deep drive socket, you’ll certainly want to finish with it). The back edge of the rear clamp should line up with the remaining dimple that’s visible on the muffler pipe; if you have the two pipes butted together, this will ensure that they meet approximately in the center of the clamp. The forward exhaust clamp should be positioned at the mark you made on the exhaust pipe at the beginning, which will allow for the small gap between the pipes that was present from the factory.
- The position of the clamp nut flanges is critical (refer to the factory diagram). Make sure you have enough room to swing your torque wrench with the 13 mm deep drive socket. Even though your car is up on ramps, clearance between the clamp nuts and the ground can get tight with a longer wrench. You don’t want the clamp nut flanges to be totally vertical, either, as they would extend lower than the underbelly of the car, so plot your clamp position carefully with socket and wrench length in mind.
- Complete tightening the nuts, going back and forth between each on the clamps (as you tighten one, the other loosens slightly, and so forth). Once you’re confident about the pipe alignment and clamp positions, torque to specs (17 lb-ft). Don’t cheat here. Use a torque wrench; you’ll need every last lb-ft to ensure a complete exhaust seal. Finally, remove the wire holding the front exhaust pipe to the drive shaft.
- Start your R and give a listen. Nice, huh? Check for exhaust leaks by cautiously moving your hand around the body of the clamps and their ends. Let the car run for a while to get the exhaust system hot, then re-torque the clamp nuts.
Drive off the ramps, and go set off some car alarms in a parking structure! Actually, that won’t happen (even though it’s juvenile fun to contemplate) because your R won’t be loud enough, even with the resonator removed.
A couple of forum posters who have done the delete described their Rs as being about 10-15% louder. From my experience, that’s accurate. Others have said it makes the R sound like it should have from the factory. Exactly. When the exhaust valves are open at idle, the tone is deeper and louder, but not obnoxious. After the valves close, the R settles into a tuneful purr.
Accelerating, there’s a rounder, throatiness to the exhaust note in first gear, with a satisfying “pop” on the upshift if you stay on the throttle. The resonator delete definitely gives the R more growl when you’re going through the gears, but it is as quiet as ever at cruising speed. And don’t worry, your R will not end up sounding like it has a “fart can” muffler.
What the resonator delete won’t do is significantly change the pitch of the exhaust note. It’s still a four-pot engine, and will never trumpet as melodiously as the VR6 in the very first R32. Exhaust sound is very subjective, and some drivers may still prefer an aftermarket system for its fully tuned properties. But for the modest cost involved, I’m completely satisfied with the resonator delete and giving no further consideration to an aftermarket exhaust. Having done the job myself—without an irreparable mistake or any serious blood-letting—adds to the gratification.
The R is a terrific car and the resonator delete gives it that last bit of character it was lacking, from my perspective. With a couple of hours, the right tools, and some basic mechanical skills, it’s a “sound” mod that just about any R owner can make and enjoy.
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