BMW E46 330i tuning

[ettas13]

I just recently bought a e46 330i f/l 5sp manual, m sport individual package. Car has 277k on the clock with full service history and every repair has been documented, she has a fresh new cooling system. The car is in mint condition but has slight surface rust around the windscreen which I'm going to het sorted out firstly. The car is original so no exhaust nothing like that which is nice but when giving her the powder it doesn't sound the best. I'd like to do a decat and maybe just leave on the center resonator? I'm not looking for pops and bangs or a stretching sound, I'd just like a more clear sound and a little louder. I'm from western cape so any shop recommendations would be appreciated! Has anyone done mapping on their 330i? That coupled with a proper intake system would be something for me to look into aswell.

Hope everyone has a lekka weekend🤙🏽

 

[tman]

but when giving her the powder it doesn't sound the best.

 

[Peter@AEW]

I just recently bought a e46 330i f/l 5sp manual, m sport individual package. Car has 277k on the clock with full service history and every repair has been documented, she has a fresh new cooling system. The car is in mint condition but has slight surface rust around the windscreen which I'm going to het sorted out firstly. The car is original so no exhaust nothing like that which is nice but when giving her the powder it doesn't sound the best. I'd like to do a decat and maybe just leave on the center resonator? I'm not looking for pops and bangs or a stretching sound, I'd just like a more clear sound and a little louder. I'm from western cape so any shop recommendations would be appreciated! Has anyone done mapping on their 330i? That coupled with a proper intake system would be something for me to look into aswell.

Hope everyone has a lekka weekend🤙🏽

Do not decat unless the cats are blocked.
Do not change the air intake as it is as close to perfect as you will get in the packaging space available
The air intake is optimised as is the exhaust.

A better bet would be buying an e46 m3

 

[Tinuva]

Perfect advice by @Peter@AEW

If you decat the 330i, get used to the car spitting out shit at the back, leaving black marks all over the place. I have seen this first hand on a decatted e46 330i. Get ready to clean walls, the garage door, and anywhere you park with the exhaust pointing at something.

If you change the resonator boxes at all, the sound changes so much, the car will lose that nice deep rumble and sound like a golf. Might as well have saved the money and bought a cheap golf.

As for tuning, no point, its just money down the drain. The 330i is already a very high pressure engine, there is no more performance to gain. Unless you add a turbo, that can be tuned, but again, why do this to a mint e46 330.

If you really feel the car do lack performance, then I recommend you redo a full service. Replace every filter on the car possible. Makes a bigger difference than you can imagine. A well serviced e46 330 have plenty enough power. I just drove mine this weekend from cape town to worcester and it was only a pleasure, with plenty power to overtake and just enjoy the passes up and down. Its not a 335 and its not a 340 of the later model cars, its an early 2000 330, and for that era, its a perfect car.

 

[KPM3_30]

I have an E46 330i that has a full stainless steel free flow exhaust and headers from Viper (Abel). Absolute magic and the best mod I ever did to the car. Car has slight pops and burbles that are very characteristic on the overrun, sounds awesome. Anyone that has heard the car would agree, definitely worth the money spent.

I also did an Xcede tune to the car sometime back and while it will not yield crazy FI gains, it did smooth out the slight flat spot that you find around 4k rpm. Butt dyno seems happy with the results and that's all that matters.

@Riaad also had an exhaust and tune on his 30i.

 

[individj]

have a look at a diff swop albeit yours is a 5 speed

 

[ettas13]

Do not decat unless the cats are blocked.
Do not change the air intake as it is as close to perfect as you will get in the packaging space available
The air intake is optimised as is the exhaust.

A better bet would be buying an e

Perfect advice by @Peter@AEW

If you decat the 330i, get used to the car spitting out shit at the back, leaving black marks all over the place. I have seen this first hand on a decatted e46 330i. Get ready to clean walls, the garage door, and anywhere you park with the exhaust pointing at something.

If you change the resonator boxes at all, the sound changes so much, the car will lose that nice deep rumble and sound like a golf. Might as well have saved the money and bought a cheap golf.

As for tuning, no point, its just money down the drain. The 330i is already a very high pressure engine, there is no more performance to gain. Unless you add a turbo, that can be tuned, but again, why do this to a mint e46 330.

If you really feel the car do lack performance, then I recommend you redo a full service. Replace every filter on the car possible. Makes a bigger difference than you can imagine. A well serviced e46 330 have plenty enough power. I just drove mine this weekend from cape town to worcester and it was only a pleasure, with plenty power to overtake and just enjoy the passes up and down. Its not a 335 and its not a 340 of the later model cars, its an early 2000 330, and for that era, its a perfect car.

I hear you, the car is very much muted inside even with open windows it doesnt have the nice grunt sound a inline 6 should have, im not wanting to straight pipe, just want that nice deep growl. My mechanic also agreed on software, told me that 10kw gain wouldnt be worth the +-6k price. Like you said to turbo a mint 330i would be a waste, id only turbo a e36.

 

[ettas13]

I have an E46 330i that has a full stainless steel free flow exhaust and headers from Viper (Abel). Absolute magic and the best mod I ever did to the car. Car has slight pops and burbles that are very characteristic on the overrun, sounds awesome. Anyone that has heard the car would agree, definitely worth the money spent.

I also did an Xcede tune to the car sometime back and while it will not yield crazy FI gains, it did smooth out the slight flat spot that you find around 4k rpm. Butt dyno seems happy with the results and that's all that matters.

@Riaad also had an exhaust and tune on his 30i.

Saw a add from viper, sent them a message waiting for a reply. Any clips you have that I could listen to perhaps? Also what did they do regarding your setup, resonator delete?

 

[evnmopwr]

Regarding the exhaust Note here is What i done to mine:

Front cats intact
Middle Cats removed
Stock mini resonator still in
SPEED branded Rear box.

Made the car sound deeper and with the odd pops.
I made a video of what mine sounds like but will make a better 1 and share as the vid i made sounded to crap.

Regarding the tuning:
Pity you have a 5speed. If you want to wake it up abit, do the "poor mans Supercharger" mod on it.
Find yourself a 3:38ratio diff and install.
Works better with the 6speed manual though.

 

[ettas13]

Regarding the exhaust Note here is What i done to mine:

Front cats intact
Middle Cats removed
Stock mini resonator still in
SPEED branded Rear box.

Made the car sound deeper and with the odd pops.
I made a video of what mine sounds like but will make a better 1 and share as the vid i made sounded to crap.

Regarding the tuning:
Pity you have a 5speed. If you want to wake it up abit, do the "poor mans Supercharger" mod on it.
Find yourself a 3:38ratio diff and install.
Works better with the 6speed manual though.

do you have the clip on socials or somewhere I can look at it?

 

[evnmopwr]

Will record something Afterwork and Post on Youtube. then will share the link

 

[KPM3_30]

Saw a add from viper, sent them a message waiting for a reply. Any clips you have that I could listen to perhaps? Also what did they do regarding your setup, resonator delete?

Contact Abel directly and have a chat, prices have really sky rocketed since I did mine. I've been meaning to have the sound recorded for the longest time, but just haven't got around to it.

It's a completely custom setup by Abel - branches into dual 50", into dual 57" with 2 boxes.

 

[//M SPORT]

I'd love to hear a 330i with the viper exhaust..Been contemplating this since I got my car

 

[Powerhouse71]

Contact Abel directly and have a chat, prices have really sky rocketed since I did mine. I've been meaning to have the sound recorded for the longest time, but just haven't got around to it.

It's a completely custom setup by Abel - branches into dual 50", into dual 57" with 2 boxes.

Interesting ! When I spoke to him recently he mentioned that a dual 57" into 63" would be best for power and torque on my 320 e46 . I guess its different strokes for different folks then.

 

[KPM3_30]

Interesting ! When I spoke to him recently he mentioned that a dual 57" into 63" would be best for power and torque on my 320 e46 . I guess its different strokes for different folks then.

When I was doing my system, he mentioned going too large in diameter will result in lower back pressure which will equate to poorer performance, hence the system he designed then was smaller diameter dual piping.

He has since changed the design and seems that 57" into single 63" is to make sure there's still optimal back pressure. Regardless, he is a master at his craft and one of the few, if not only, exhaust fabricators with a university degree in harmonics...

 

[Tinuva]

When I was doing my system, he mentioned going too large in diameter will result in lower back pressure which will equate to poorer performance, hence the system he designed then was smaller diameter dual piping.

He has since changed the design and seems that 57" into single 63" is to make sure there's still optimal back pressure. Regardless, he is a master at his craft and one of the few, if not only, exhaust fabricators with a university degree in harmonics...

Also, wouldn't a 320 require a slightly different amount of back pressure compared to the 330? Or is the exhausts he make for both the same.