MINI2

roland2003 · Jun 12th, 2007, 03:04 PM

Hi guys, at the back of the engine coming off the main boost hose (R56 turbo MCS) , BMW have installed a 'Sound Generator' . Its a round cannister about 4" diameter with a rigid plastic diaphragm inside it that 'wafts' racey sounds to the area at the base of the windscreen, Its not a valve of any type.
So basically upstream of this you have a silencer for the boosted air to 'shut the thing up' a bit , then further downstream they fit this 'Sound Generator' to re-create the racey sounds!
Why not just leave them both off ,save £50 and about 2Lbs in weight in the process.
Things that make nice sounds as a bi-product of their main function is fine ,but designing things that have no purpose except to make sound...that is truely naff/mad.
Best Regards Roland GTT.
Soon as Ive made a bung that things coming off, oh and a short length of pipe to replace the silencer.
Best Regards Roland GTT

I think I'll take the sound generator home for Wilson to play/chew/ howl down one end of .
(Wilson is my Doberman puppy/youth)

Root Ginger · Jun 12th, 2007, 04:48 PM

How stupid is that. I'm sure there must be a reason for using it though. Can't see BMW using extra parts that aren't needed in this cost cutting age. Maybe some sort of noise regulation thing.

roland2003 · Jun 12th, 2007, 05:02 PM

No, this realy is a 'Sound Generator' (its called this on the BMW parts CD), its sole purpose is to make racey sounds and waft them out the engine bay. I'd prefer they wafted a few £10 notes back at me for opting to not have it!
Best Regards roland GTT

Tonyt3 · Jun 12th, 2007, 05:08 PM

Probably to satsify drive by regulations they have to 'silence' the engine from the outside, but then to satisfy the driver they have to engineer more sound into the cockpit......

Much more expensive cars than Minis have their sound engineered to appear more 'sporty'....

Paul · Jun 12th, 2007, 05:11 PM

I think Tony is spot on in a possible reason for this. Drive by and interior noise regulations maybe conflict, and this is a solution to that issue.

I know they had on early prototypes (first gen), an application to bring sound into the cabin from the engine bay at the touch of a button, to make it sound more "sporty" when you wanted it, more civil for regular driving.

roland2003 · Jun 12th, 2007, 05:16 PM

...OK thats decided then...... Wilson.!!!!...heres your new toy!

They could just leave off some sound insulation material off the bulkhead if they wanted more noise to the cabin only.
Best Regards Roland GTT

Vitesse · Jun 12th, 2007, 05:44 PM

Are these new noise regulations then, that each new model of car has to pass before it can be released into the marketplace? i.e. EU or US regulations?

You can once you bought it, put the biggest pipe you can find on it can't you? Judging by the size of some of the ones I have seen on Corsa etc......

Does the MOT have any limits to noise?

Tonyt3 · Jun 12th, 2007, 05:49 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Vitesse (original)

Are these new noise regulations then, that each new model of car has to pass before it can be released into the marketplace? i.e. EU or US regulations?

You can once you bought it, put the biggest pipe you can find on it can't you? Judging by the size of some of the ones I have seen on Corsa etc......

Does the MOT have any limits to noise?

World wide regulation compliance I would guess.....

And no, there doesnt seem to be a noise reg for the MOT, although there bloody well should be......

(says me that had a playmini box on my first Works.... real noise affair...

) Guess I'm just gettin old....

Parc77 · Jun 12th, 2007, 06:02 PM

Maybe it was to make up for the lack of the whine/supercharger

zyo · Jun 12th, 2007, 06:33 PM

I think that they need a bigger sound generator

cos when I tested the MCS I was a little dissapointed with the sound. The salesman had left the rear seats down to try and get a hint of the sporty exhaust tone in the cabin but that wasn't really working, and I tried it with the windows down but still I couldn't here very much, admittedly when you floor it you can hear it. Before anyone says it I don't want a really noisy car just one that sounds nice and sporty inside like it does on the outside.

Goonery · Jun 12th, 2007, 06:34 PM

The R52 with JCW Airbox had a tube device which opened up to introduce "Aural Sex" to the cabin so I dont know what all the fuss is about

roland2003 · Jun 12th, 2007, 08:22 PM

I think a GTT De-cat 'sound generator '

pipe is urgently needed to give a decent power hike & a bit more zorst note. You never know it may even be UK road legal (mot pass) . I'm certainly going to try it.
Best Regards Roland GTT

jamesbeaumont · Jun 12th, 2007, 11:40 PM

Perhaps this isnt linked in anyway but my R56 MC (non-s) has a whine between 2000 and 4000 rpm, it sounds kinda like a supercharger, I cant work out what it is? Maybe air flow in the engine?

Root Ginger · Jun 13th, 2007, 10:33 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Tonyt3 (original)

World wide regulation compliance I would guess.....

And no, there doesnt seem to be a noise reg for the MOT, although there bloody well should be......

(says me that had a playmini box on my first Works.... real noise affair...

) Guess I'm just gettin old....

There is a noise limit but not in figures. It's down to the MOT tester. This is the exact wording from VOSA:

Assess subjectively the effectiveness of the silencer in reducing exhaust noise to a level considered to be average for the vehicle

A silencer in such a condition, or of such a type, that the noise emitted from the vehicle is clearly unreasonably above the level expected from a similar vehicle with a silencer in average condition

popey · Jun 13th, 2007, 11:56 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by roland2003 (original)

I think a GTT De-cat 'sound generator '

pipe is urgently needed to give a decent power hike & a bit more zorst note. You never know it may even be UK road legal (mot pass) . I'm certainly going to try it.
Best Regards Roland GTT

Sounds good to me, but is there a chance it wouldnt pass when the car aint so new?

P.S how does it sound without the sound generator on?

roland2003 · Jun 13th, 2007, 01:08 PM

..Hi, theres a chance it wont pass even when the cars new too

. Upstream sensor is wideband, and its direct injection& turbo too.-We'll try it and see how much limit there is to spare. I dont think emissions will get worse, at least not until its a real old bone.Best Regards Roland GTT

-I think all the power increases people are getting/claiming with sports cats & cat backs comes 98% from the cat change as the cat back is plently big enough diameter & straight through too. Removing the cat altogether should/could give at least as good if not bigger power gains.
-Sound generator is back on at the moment, just need to turn up a bung to blank the pipe off then I'll let you know.

roland2003 · Jun 29th, 2007, 03:37 PM

SOUND GENERATOR REMOVED
Hi, ok we have turned up some nice blanking bungs to plug the boost pipe where the sound Generator was. We've also put a small hosetail in the bung which can be used fas a handy place for connecting a boost guage.

If you dont want a guage you just screw in a small blanking bolt in lieu of the hosetail.
-will put up pics tommorow.
With the SG removed I cant here any difference in sound (so why fit it

) .
The muff and SG together weigh nearly 1kg.
What a load of nonsense these 2 little jokers are.
Best Regards Roland. GTT

J1JPE · Jul 17th, 2007, 07:18 PM

Cooper has a 'resonator' box between the inlet pipe & airbox also

will post pics tomorrow ...

jamesbeaumont · Jul 17th, 2007, 08:14 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by J1JPE (original)

Cooper has a 'resonator' box between the inlet pipe & airbox also

will post pics tomorrow ...

How much difference would it make by replacing this with a straight through pipe?

Just a thought....The R56's are a little over refined for my liking as far as engine noise in the cabin is concerned. Could sound deadening be removed for a more 'raw' drive. I love the engine noise of my cooper and so it would be great if it could be made louder

minicabrio · Jul 18th, 2007, 09:24 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Goonery (original)

The R52 with JCW Airbox had a tube device which opened up to introduce "Aural Sex" to the cabin so I dont know what all the fuss is about

As does the Cooper Sound Kit airbox.... designed to increase aural pleasure in the cabin

Jun 12th, 2007, 03:04 PM	#1
roland2003 MINI 2 Sponsor GT Tuning Join Date: Jan 2004 Local Time: 03:16 AM Posts: 2,738 Offline	MCS 'sound Generator' -how daft is that. Hi guys, at the back of the engine coming off the main boost hose (R56 turbo MCS) , BMW have installed a 'Sound Generator' . Its a round cannister about 4" diameter with a rigid plastic diaphragm inside it that 'wafts' racey sounds to the area at the base of the windscreen, Its not a valve of any type. So basically upstream of this you have a silencer for the boosted air to 'shut the thing up' a bit , then further downstream they fit this 'Sound Generator' to re-create the racey sounds! Why not just leave them both off ,save £50 and about 2Lbs in weight in the process. Things that make nice sounds as a bi-product of their main function is fine ,but designing things that have no purpose except to make sound...that is truely naff/mad. Best Regards Roland GTT. Soon as Ive made a bung that things coming off, oh and a short length of pipe to replace the silencer. Best Regards Roland GTT I think I'll take the sound generator home for Wilson to play/chew/ howl down one end of . (Wilson is my Doberman puppy/youth) www.gttuning.com Last edited by roland2003 : Jun 12th, 2007 at 05:24 PM.

Jun 12th, 2007, 04:48 PM	#2 (permalink)
Root Ginger Amiga 500 to PS3 20 Years Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Slough, Berkshire Local Time: 03:16 AM Posts: 4,673 Offline	How stupid is that. I'm sure there must be a reason for using it though. Can't see BMW using extra parts that aren't needed in this cost cutting age. Maybe some sort of noise regulation thing. It was acceptable in the 80's

Jun 12th, 2007, 05:02 PM	#3 (permalink)
roland2003 MINI 2 Sponsor GT Tuning Join Date: Jan 2004 Local Time: 03:16 AM Posts: 2,738 Offline	No, this realy is a 'Sound Generator' (its called this on the BMW parts CD), its sole purpose is to make racey sounds and waft them out the engine bay. I'd prefer they wafted a few £10 notes back at me for opting to not have it! Best Regards roland GTT www.gttuning.com

Jun 12th, 2007, 05:11 PM	#5 (permalink)
Paul Trained Monkey My Classifieds Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Bedfordshire Local Time: 03:16 AM Posts: 41,220 Offline	I think Tony is spot on in a possible reason for this. Drive by and interior noise regulations maybe conflict, and this is a solution to that issue. I know they had on early prototypes (first gen), an application to bring sound into the cabin from the engine bay at the touch of a button, to make it sound more "sporty" when you wanted it, more civil for regular driving. There aint no party like my nana's tea party

Jun 12th, 2007, 05:16 PM	#6 (permalink)
roland2003 MINI 2 Sponsor GT Tuning Join Date: Jan 2004 Local Time: 03:16 AM Posts: 2,738 Offline	...OK thats decided then...... Wilson.!!!!...heres your new toy! They could just leave off some sound insulation material off the bulkhead if they wanted more noise to the cabin only. Best Regards Roland GTT www.gttuning.com

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Jun 12th, 2007, 05:08 PM	#4 (permalink)
Tonyt3 Track addict Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Hants Local Time: 03:16 AM Posts: 6,260 Offline	Probably to satsify drive by regulations they have to 'silence' the engine from the outside, but then to satisfy the driver they have to engineer more sound into the cockpit...... Much more expensive cars than Minis have their sound engineered to appear more 'sporty'....

Jun 12th, 2007, 05:44 PM	#7 (permalink)
Vitesse MINI2 Senior Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Westerham Local Time: 03:16 AM Posts: 685 Offline	Are these new noise regulations then, that each new model of car has to pass before it can be released into the marketplace? i.e. EU or US regulations? You can once you bought it, put the biggest pipe you can find on it can't you? Judging by the size of some of the ones I have seen on Corsa etc...... Does the MOT have any limits to noise?

Jun 12th, 2007, 05:49 PM	#8 (permalink)
Tonyt3 Track addict Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Hants Local Time: 03:16 AM Posts: 6,260 Offline	Quote: Originally Posted by Vitesse (original) Are these new noise regulations then, that each new model of car has to pass before it can be released into the marketplace? i.e. EU or US regulations? You can once you bought it, put the biggest pipe you can find on it can't you? Judging by the size of some of the ones I have seen on Corsa etc...... Does the MOT have any limits to noise? World wide regulation compliance I would guess..... And no, there doesnt seem to be a noise reg for the MOT, although there bloody well should be...... (says me that had a playmini box on my first Works.... real noise affair... ) Guess I'm just gettin old....

Jun 12th, 2007, 06:02 PM	#9 (permalink)
Parc77 MINI2 Master Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Yorkshire Local Time: 03:16 AM Posts: 2,369 Offline	Maybe it was to make up for the lack of the whine/supercharger

Jun 12th, 2007, 06:33 PM	#10 (permalink)
zyo owt else is just traffic Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: The Edge of Reason Local Time: 03:16 AM Posts: 1,434 Offline	I think that they need a bigger sound generator cos when I tested the MCS I was a little dissapointed with the sound. The salesman had left the rear seats down to try and get a hint of the sporty exhaust tone in the cabin but that wasn't really working, and I tried it with the windows down but still I couldn't here very much, admittedly when you floor it you can hear it. Before anyone says it I don't want a really noisy car just one that sounds nice and sporty inside like it does on the outside.

Jun 12th, 2007, 06:34 PM	#11 (permalink)
Goonery You can put lipstick on.. My Classifieds Join Date: Aug 2003 Local Time: 03:16 AM Posts: 13,694 Offline	The R52 with JCW Airbox had a tube device which opened up to introduce "Aural Sex" to the cabin so I dont know what all the fuss is about

Jun 12th, 2007, 08:22 PM	#12 (permalink)
roland2003 MINI 2 Sponsor GT Tuning Join Date: Jan 2004 Local Time: 03:16 AM Posts: 2,738 Offline	I think a GTT De-cat 'sound generator ' pipe is urgently needed to give a decent power hike & a bit more zorst note. You never know it may even be UK road legal (mot pass) . I'm certainly going to try it. Best Regards Roland GTT www.gttuning.com

Jun 12th, 2007, 11:40 PM	#13 (permalink)
jamesbeaumont Addicted to MINI... Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Edinburgh Local Time: 03:16 AM Posts: 456 Offline	Perhaps this isnt linked in anyway but my R56 MC (non-s) has a whine between 2000 and 4000 rpm, it sounds kinda like a supercharger, I cant work out what it is? Maybe air flow in the engine?

Jun 13th, 2007, 10:33 AM	#14 (permalink)
Root Ginger Amiga 500 to PS3 20 Years Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Slough, Berkshire Local Time: 03:16 AM Posts: 4,673 Offline	Quote: Originally Posted by Tonyt3 (original) World wide regulation compliance I would guess..... And no, there doesnt seem to be a noise reg for the MOT, although there bloody well should be...... (says me that had a playmini box on my first Works.... real noise affair... ) Guess I'm just gettin old.... There is a noise limit but not in figures. It's down to the MOT tester. This is the exact wording from VOSA: Assess subjectively the effectiveness of the silencer in reducing exhaust noise to a level considered to be average for the vehicle A silencer in such a condition, or of such a type, that the noise emitted from the vehicle is clearly unreasonably above the level expected from a similar vehicle with a silencer in average condition It was acceptable in the 80's

Jun 13th, 2007, 11:56 AM	#15 (permalink)
popey Wants an Audi My Classifieds Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Blackpool Local Time: 03:16 AM Posts: 1,429 Offline	Quote: Originally Posted by roland2003 (original) I think a GTT De-cat 'sound generator ' pipe is urgently needed to give a decent power hike & a bit more zorst note. You never know it may even be UK road legal (mot pass) . I'm certainly going to try it. Best Regards Roland GTT Sounds good to me, but is there a chance it wouldnt pass when the car aint so new? P.S how does it sound without the sound generator on? Now With Toyo Rubber!!

Jun 13th, 2007, 01:08 PM	#16 (permalink)
roland2003 MINI 2 Sponsor GT Tuning Join Date: Jan 2004 Local Time: 03:16 AM Posts: 2,738 Offline	..Hi, theres a chance it wont pass even when the cars new too. Upstream sensor is wideband, and its direct injection& turbo too.-We'll try it and see how much limit there is to spare. I dont think emissions will get worse, at least not until its a real old bone.Best Regards Roland GTT -I think all the power increases people are getting/claiming with sports cats & cat backs comes 98% from the cat change as the cat back is plently big enough diameter & straight through too. Removing the cat altogether should/could give at least as good if not bigger power gains. -Sound generator is back on at the moment, just need to turn up a bung to blank the pipe off then I'll let you know. www.gttuning.com

Jun 29th, 2007, 03:37 PM	#17 (permalink)
roland2003 MINI 2 Sponsor GT Tuning Join Date: Jan 2004 Local Time: 03:16 AM Posts: 2,738 Offline	SOUND GENERATOR REMOVED Hi, ok we have turned up some nice blanking bungs to plug the boost pipe where the sound Generator was. We've also put a small hosetail in the bung which can be used fas a handy place for connecting a boost guage. If you dont want a guage you just screw in a small blanking bolt in lieu of the hosetail. -will put up pics tommorow. With the SG removed I cant here any difference in sound (so why fit it) . The muff and SG together weigh nearly 1kg. What a load of nonsense these 2 little jokers are. Best Regards Roland. GTT www.gttuning.com

Jul 17th, 2007, 07:18 PM	#18 (permalink)
J1JPE New Job = $£€ +STRESS :o{ Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: MANCHESTER ;} Local Time: 03:16 AM Posts: 1,492 Offline	Cooper has a 'resonator' box between the inlet pipe & airbox also will post pics tomorrow ... Vote MINI - http://uktv.co.uk/dave/caroftheyear/...page/sid/6216/

Jul 17th, 2007, 08:14 PM	#19 (permalink)
jamesbeaumont Addicted to MINI... Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Edinburgh Local Time: 03:16 AM Posts: 456 Offline	Quote: Originally Posted by J1JPE (original) Cooper has a 'resonator' box between the inlet pipe & airbox also will post pics tomorrow ... How much difference would it make by replacing this with a straight through pipe? Just a thought....The R56's are a little over refined for my liking as far as engine noise in the cabin is concerned. Could sound deadening be removed for a more 'raw' drive. I love the engine noise of my cooper and so it would be great if it could be made louder

Jul 18th, 2007, 09:24 AM	#20 (permalink)
minicabrio sick note Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Hampshire Local Time: 03:16 AM Posts: 15,717 Offline	Quote: Originally Posted by Goonery (original) The R52 with JCW Airbox had a tube device which opened up to introduce "Aural Sex" to the cabin so I dont know what all the fuss is about As does the Cooper Sound Kit airbox.... designed to increase aural pleasure in the cabin
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