Been thinking about getting a Resonated with exhaust boxes cat-back system, thing is, this is my first diesel car (2015 XE 2.0 Prestige) so what difference, if any, will getting this exhaust mod make?

I'm aware the only difference could be cosmetic (sound wise) therefore is it worth it in the long run? if there is even a slight change in performance or fuel usage then i will go for it. Just need a little advice on this subject if anyone can help!!!

 

Scouse, I would talk with your local dealership before installing the new exhaust system. I have seen where they have voided out a warrantee because an alteration was done to the car. I know what you are going to say "but there are laws that allow me to do modifications to the car as long as they don't hurt it". I hear what you are saying. The dealership's response is going to be, "the after market XXXXX made the motor make more power and therefore, challenged the engine and therefore, puts things in question". It then falls on you to prove that said modification did not hurt the car. Some dealerships are more mod friendly than others. I would hate to see you do something with the intent of doing good and end up in a bad spot later. I would do some looking and questioning before going forth with the mod. Anything that can open up the exhaust and let it flow freer on a diesel can only do good. It doesn't sounds like you are opening up the exhaust so much that you hurt the flow through the turbo and drop the pressure too far.

 

Thermo, thanks for the advice mate, been looking at a few different sites and i'm getting conflicting opinions on the performance aspect, but not seen a single 1 concerning the warranty!

 

Scouse, I am from the USA, so, maybe the rules in your area are a bit more lax. Granted, I still think it is a good thing to ask about. Besides, would a company say "look at all the more power you can get from our product, you will just loose the warrantee on your vehicle"? Most likely not. They are either going to be mum on the subject or will say something loosely to the effect of "will not void warrantee as it is protected under XXXXX law". Either way, if the dealership voids the warrantee, you will be in a long battle to attempt to get it back. All it takes is them making a claim, it is then up to you to prove them wrong.

As for power gains, there are a lot of factors that go into it. Sure, you can make the air go out faster, but you also need to make the air go in faster for it to be really beneficial. So, you need to balance all the mods you do and do some research to find the limiting component and upgrade that so all the other parts will be able to work better.

As for values of what to believe, unless someone has put their car on a dyno (before and after runs), the numbers are just that, numbers. If you look closely, all the numbers a manufacturer states will have an asterisk after them. If you pull the string far enough, you will find that they obtained those numbers under some obscure condition that odds are, you will never hit when driving or you have to put tons of other money into your car to add all that they did as they made that part the most limiting thing. So yes, when you make the upgrade with their part, you will see a big change. The general rule I use is take whatever numbers they are quoting and divide by atleast 5. That will be a more realistic number for what you will see in gains. If you find someone that has gone through the process of putting their car on a dyno, then I would believe those numbers. If you hear the phrase, "I installed XXXXXX and it feels like I gained YY horsepower", just smile and know you are being lied to. Whenever you add something to your car, you will always think it made it better/more powerful. The dyno is the only measure that is reliable. I would somewhat believe the numbers that an app like Torque Pro gives as this is atleast using the vehicle and measuring something. But, there are even a lot of variables there (traction, air temp, altitude, flatness of the road, etc).

 

Thanks for all the advice Thermo, the exhaust was always going be the 1st stage, i was going to change out the air filter myself after the exhaust was fitted. However as i'm not totally convinced the financial outlay is going to be worth it, i think its going to have to go on the back burner for now

 

Scouse, do a little research on the internet about your motor. See if you can find someone who is knowledgable about your engine and see if they have some information that you may find of interest. They may say something to the effect of "XXX item was made with a smaller than ideal diameter to allow the engine to ........". That would be a clue to me that this point is a restriction and if modified, could net more power from the engine. Granted, keep in mind that most power additions add more power at the top end and not so much at the lower end. Only by forcing more air into the engine can you lower the bottom end. I fought this battle when I built my truck as I was using it mainly for off-roading and didn't need 5K RPM power, but instead wanted 2K RPM torque/power. Besides, where does your motor normally run RPM wise? Yes, those redline pulls are always fun. But, you can get more power with better mileage if you look at the lower RPM modifications. Granted, a lot of the easy stuff has already been done by the manufacturer. But, they left out a few things more than likely to make the motor more appealing to the general masses.