Dang! 2 cats, 1 muffler and 2 resonators?

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JimsMazda3

6/2/2007 8:32:54 AM

I had a different exhaust tip intalled on my 07 Mazda3 today so I looked under the car while it was on the lift. No wonder the car is so quiet! Two cats, Two resonators and one muffler. I asked Mike (muffler shop owner) about replacing what looks like a conventional oval muffler with a Magnaflow muffler to get a touch more noise out of the car. It's to dang quiet!! I don't want a Honda, fart can, ricer exhaust but a little noise would be nice. I let Mike drive the car, he's been thinking about getting a commuter too. When he left the shop and went down the street, I heard ZERO, ZIPPO exhaust nosie from the stock exhaust. He suggested instead of installing another muffler, just replace the oval muffler between the first and tailpipe end resonator with a piece of pipe. He thought that the other stock exhaust components (two cats and two resonators) would still keep it pretty quiet and give me the little bit of noise I'm looking for. Anyone done this?
Jim

virgin1

6/2/2007 11:18:11 AM

Two resonators, Jim? My '04 only has one, just behind the second cat.
As you already know, I haven't done this, but I think it's a good idea. I complained about the same thing from the time I brought mine home nearly three years ago and wanted just a bit more sound to help w/shifting.
It's not easy to make these engines sound ricey, like many Honda's. It's not really where their sound dynamics lie. But if you are looking to keep away from that ricier sound Magnaflow may not be your best choice, as in the upper rpms they do tend to be more on the buzzy side. It's not terrible, again like Hondas can be, but it is there.
Perhaps just a std Flowmaster muff could be fit to it?

Lupae3s

6/2/2007 11:18:51 AM

get a catback system...imo just replacing the muffler would be a waste of money.

dentinger

6/2/2007 1:20:26 PM

agreed.
i just got my magnaflow catback in yesterday...
IMO, $500 cdn for a catback isnt too bad

JimsMazda3

6/2/2007 3:01:37 PM

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z60/crazydap/26499cb5.jpg
Here's a pic of a Mazda3 system from another site. It has a cat, then resonator, then a big muffler and nothing else until the stainless tip. On mine, I have the same cat and the same resonator after it, then mine changes. Where the big ribbed muffler is in the pic, I have a smaller more conventional looking oval muffler. Then just before the stainless tip, under the bumper, there's another small ribbed looking resonator but I guess it could be another muffler. I was told on another site that the PZEV (?) engines have this exhaust in green states. I guess it's a low poluting engine for really smog restrictive states? All I know is that it makes my 3 darn quiet. I'm going to remove the small oval muffler and have a straight pipe put in. That will still leave a cat, a resonator and another resonator/muffler to keep things quiet. If I don't like it, I'll put in a small Magnaflow muffler.
Jim

virgin1

6/2/2007 3:17:41 PM

Yup! That's was like my system before the change out all right. That big, dumb stupid looking muffler. Ford's influence I believe?
WOW!! So for '07 they added ANOTHER resonator?? What are they thinking?

No wonder you can't hear the car. Very stealthy!

JimsMazda3

6/2/2007 3:27:48 PM

quote:

ORIGINAL: virgin1
Yup! That's was like my system before the change out all right. That big, dumb stupid looking muffler. Ford's influence I believe?
WOW!! So for '07 they added ANOTHER resonator?? What are they thinking?

No wonder you can't hear the car. Very stealthy!

Instead of one big dumb looking muffler, I have a smaller dumb looking muffler and a tailpipe resonator. It's VERY QUIET! TO QUIET! There's no exhaust feedback at all to help out with engine rpm's. The K&N filter helped some with the engine noise but I need more feedback. I'm not looking for a performance gain, not turning the car into a racer. I just want a little noise to help when I have the trans in manual mode so I can get some engine rpm feedback without having to look at the tach. The other day I was playing with the manual mode and bounced off the rev limiter because I couldn't tell the engine was reving that high, couldn't hear it. Startled me to say the least! I figure removing one muffler in the system should free up a little noise.
Jim

virgin1

6/2/2007 3:35:21 PM

Oh I understand what you're after, believe me. I was concerned about making mine too loud w/ the Vib... and @ times it can be more than I wanted. but as I'd said, it's controllable w/the go pedal.

Lupae3s

6/2/2007 3:58:02 PM

just a suggestion to lighten-up and breathe better: consider removal of resonator.

sstlaure

6/3/2007 7:58:21 AM

quote:

ORIGINAL: virgin1
That big, dumb stupid looking muffler. Ford's influence I believe?

And what makes you think that virgin1?...(as a Ford Engineer, I take offense to that statement.)

FYI...Mazda does their own engineering on their cars. They design their own cars, and determine what can fit in their cars (including a muffler). Especially one designed, built and exported from Japan.

virgin1

6/3/2007 11:09:51 AM

Oops! Sorry SS. I say that though because I have seen similar looking cans on several other Ford models, including the Taurus and Focus and some aren't even hidden underneath as well as the Mazda3 muffler is.

I do applaud Ford for trying many new things over the years though. But again, they've had as many failures as winners among them, maybe more.
One of my favorites was the electric front windshield defroster, which I thought a good idea at the time. What happened to that? Also, the double laminated windscreen?
Then there are the real bombs, starting with: The Pinto/Bobcat; the Festiva; the early Escort 1.6L. Mazda bailed them out of that one; The twin I-Beam suspension and it's 30 rubber bushings; the Tempo; sealed (ungreasable) ball joints and tie rod ends. Those things needed changing nearly as often as the oil did.
My sister owned a Sable 3.8L, alum oil pan that corroded away in about 4 years. Ford didn't cover that, and before you ask yes she did have the car serviced and the oil changed regularly. That cost her some bucks to have replaced.
I worked in the business back in the '80's and all the techs (mechanics back then) would run if a Ford showed up for service or repairs. "Oh! Must be time for lunch! I gotta' go home. My wife called and ...."

As a parts guy, I always got a chuckle out of that.

virgin1

6/3/2007 11:13:55 AM

And, if what you say is true about Mazdas exported to America from Japan, why do so many of the parts on the car specifically say "FoMoCo" on them?

dentinger

6/3/2007 3:35:12 PM

ok, i have an '07 (sedan) i have (in order)
-cat (headers)
-flex pipe
-cat
-resonator
-muffler.....

so i guess it's different on the hatchbacks, or maybe its just for where you live.. i dunno

sstlaure

6/4/2007 5:50:38 PM

quote:

ORIGINAL: virgin1

And, if what you say is true about Mazdas exported to America from Japan, why do so many of the parts on the car specifically say "FoMoCo" on them?

It's called economies of scale. Because of stiff competition from overseas, we now have to make some parts overseas for our cars, so there are FoMoCo parts plants located all over the world. Mazda takes advantage of some of those facilities to help lower their manufacturing costs rather than setting up facilities of their own (thus providing a better value to the consumer). We all use the same product development systems, and all use the same quality methods (as do all Automotive OEM's)

I readily admit we (the entire US auto ind) had serious issues with our cars 20 years ago. It's now 2007, not 1984.

dentinger

6/4/2007 6:46:18 PM

lol
so far, ive spotted the FoMoCo on the brakes, dipstick, struts, and i believe a couple other places....

oh, sstlaure, and virgin1!!
go post some pics of your ride on the ROTM section!!
we need more participants!! so far this thread isnt going anywhere... ugh

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