GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

first, I know a lot of you guys install it by themself, but if you don't have a garage, you were off track. it cost me less that 15 $, canadian, to make it install in a muffler shop, a 15 minutes job. it worth it, if you consider all the trouble it saves me...Sound: awesome, even better than my father's '99 Mustang GT. in city, at low rev and light foot, almost nothing. on highway, just a deep, but not lound, sound coming from it, when talking or listening music, it's not borthering.Fuel consomation: with 91 oct gaz, I made 500 km on highway, less few km to get in and out of town, beofre the yellow light of low gaz turned on. I was driving at 118 km/h (75mph), we were 4 in the car, with no A/C. I think it took me more gazoline that what it takes usually, but I gotta have to do it alone to be sure.Problem: there is a weird smell coming out of the muffler, like if I was buring oil. I changed the filter and the engine oil friday morning, but I think I got the same smell thursday, right after I install the Catback. Is anyone notice the same thing?It's raining now, but at soon the sun will be back, I'll make a video from inside and outside to give people that don'T have it the feeling of it.

Congrats on the Magnaflow! The burning smell is normal. It's just stuff burning off from the manufacturing process. Mine only smelled for about 200miles.

Thanks!!

is there a huge power difference? more low end tq, or higher?

Sounds like you got an awesome deal to get it installed by a shop! I've had mine on for about two weeks now. I have a question for you and anyone else with the Magnaflow. You said:Quote, originally posted by Thewhite »in city, at low rev and light foot, almost nothing. on highway, just a deep, but not lound, sound coming from it, when talking or listening music, it's not borthering.I just wanted to make sure mine is normal in that it does get very loud when you give it gas, especially when cruising around 3k rpm. I went for a drive yesterday with my brothers and some of them thought it was really loud. It is loudest when accelerating, not even real hard, it has a drone sound inside. Cruising at 60 mph is right around 3k rpm and when keeping a constant light pressure on the gas, it's not that bad, but going up an incline or accelerating it gets louder. It is difficult to hear each other talk during acceleration I think. I'm getting used to it, but it is louder than I had anticipated. Now when cruising around 2800 rpm and below, it is quiet, almost as quiet as stock. It actually seems quieter when the engine is cold, the gets a little louder when it warms to it's regular temperature. The idle is also just as quiet as stock. Does all of this sound normal or is it a sign of a leaking exhaust joint? I love the sound when you tap the gas to match revs when down shifting and the low barbling sound when you just tap the gas in neutral from 1-2k rpm.

Power difference? I could not really tell that much of a difference in power. I'm sure there is some since it's dynoed to give another 8 or 9 hp (I think), but no it's not a huge difference. I think the power is gained more in the upper mid to high rpm range. I think I felt more of a difference when I bougt my CAI. That's another thing, now with the exhaust, I cannot hear the intake much. When accelerating with the stock exhaust you hear the cool deep sound of the intake. Now with the Magnaflow, all I hear is the exhaust when accelerating.

welll, not sure if i would put an intake, it might be way too loud, but i do want to put an exhaust...

In my opinion, the exhaust is a lot louder than the CAI.

Quote, originally posted by JustinVGT »In my opinion, the exhaust is a lot louder than the CAI.The main reason for being louder is 2zz vs 1zz. He has a base..

Quote, originally posted by remusrm »is there a huge power difference? more low end tq, or higher?when I bought my CAI, I saw a difference in torque. after installing the catback, I have to say that I expected a lot more. it's almost the same. There is probably a difference, but so small that I don't see it. I doubt it adds 10 HP, and in torque, maybe 10 pd/ft, both with both CAI and cat back. When I'll post my video, you'll see, I will film the RPM and speed meter from inside, while accelerating. you'll me able to compare after that.Oh, and if you don't want a loud sound, go with the CAI. cheaper, the cop won't run after you cause unseeable, and you can remove it if tired of the sound (switch is impossible, but...) a Cat-Back will give you a much louder and deeper sound that the CAI. ya Justin, I remember... the sound of the cold air going trough the tube when push gaz... but now, here we go with an other feeling!!Justin, for the sound, I don't know cause you have a GT. me, in 5th speed at 60mph, I'm at 2.5k, and not even at 3k at 75 mph. on the Cruise at 75 mph, I can barely ear it, and able to have a normal conversation. it the city, when I drive normally, I shift at 2,5k, and I don't push hard on the gaz, that's why I was saying, not loud at low rev. If I give it some gaz, yes, there is a cool deep loud sound.

Quote »it the city, when I drive normally, I shift at 2,5k, and I don't push hard on the gaz, that's why I was saying, not loud at low rev. If I give it some gaz, yes, there is a cool deep loud sound.You have to remember that power gains are PEAK, not through the entire powerband. I'm not sure if Magnaflow has a dyno sheet for their cat-back on a base, but if they do, take a look at where the highest peak gain is...then duplicate it by stomping on the gas (WOT) and shifting higher up in the powerband, say 5k I'm sure the base's powerband is still higher up in the range than 2500-3500 RPM's...if you did this when stock, you should feel the gains after the mod.

JustinVGT, the 2zz is inherently noisier than the 1zz that's why we experience more drone and volume during both acceleration and cruising.As far as gains...I didn't really feel anything right after I put it on. I went ahead and reset the ECU a little later and forced it to re-learn the A/F stuff. I felt strong gains immediately after doing that!

Mase, thanks for the confirming that the droning is normal. I'll try resetting my ECU and see if I notice any more power gains. I remember reading that some people reset them, others (like myself) didn't bother.

TheWhite, since you mentioned your rpms at cruising speeds, now I understand. I saw you had a base, but I forgot that my 2ZZ tends to cruise at higher rpms, makes sense.

Quote, originally posted by Mase »As far as gains...I didn't really feel anything right after I put it on. I went ahead and reset the ECU a little later and forced it to re-learn the A/F stuff. I felt strong gains immediately after doing that!how did u reset it? is there a post here about that??

Quote, originally posted by Psychobroker »You have to remember that power gains are PEAK, not through the entire powerband. I'm not sure if Magnaflow has a dyno sheet for their cat-back on a base, but if they do, take a look at where the highest peak gain is...then duplicate it by stomping on the gas (WOT) and shifting higher up in the powerband, say 5k I'm sure the base's powerband is still higher up in the range than 2500-3500 RPM's...if you did this when stock, you should feel the gains after the mod.ya I did, and yes I feel a difference of power when I'm in the 5 ks. I just don't do it all the time, cause1- it spend a lot more gaz2- it calls the cops.usually, when I get on highway, I push it to 130 km/h in 3rd, so I can feel the sound and the power. but thanks, I didn't know that the CAI and the Cat-back won't give more power at all rpm, but just in high rev..

Quote, originally posted by Thewhite »how did u reset it? is there a post here about that??Disconnect your battery for about 1/2 hour. This will reset it. Also works to turn off check engine light.

Quote, originally posted by Thewhite »I didn't know that the CAI and the Cat-back won't give more power at all rpm, but just in high rev..Well, there might be a slight increase at various RPM levels, but the "meat" is usually found within the engine's natural "power band".Looking at Magnaflow's dyno sheet on a Matrix XRS, you can see that there are very slight gains before 6200, but the peak gain is in lift, which is the XRS/GT's very narrow power band or sweet spot Oh, and you don't have to rev to 5k in 5th or anything, just do it through 1st, 2nd, 3rd and you should still be within most speed limits It's fun to push our little 4-bangers

Quote, originally posted by Sunny »Disconnect your battery for about 1/2 hour. This will reset it. Also works to turn off check engine light.I did it. my God, that changed a lot of thing!! the sound is different, more smooth, and the performance are better too!!