My GTS has the factory installed PSE button to increase the sound of the exhaust. Does anyone know if the installation of the Fabspeed primary muffler X-Pipe will disable the factory installed PSE button?

 

100% sure it will work fine. The PSE pieces are completely independent of the center muffler or X-Pipe. I've tried several exhaust combos and became pretty familiar with how they all hook up.

 

Thank you for the information. If you have installed the center x-pipe, can you tell me about the results? Were you happy? Did you notice any improvement in performance or only acoustics?

 

Sooo.... you might think I'm crazy after you read this, but here goes.

I got the opportunity to buy a Fabspeed X-Pipe right after I bought the car. I tried it with my stock non-PSE mufflers and while it sounded nicer, it was too subtle. Be sure to note that this was with the stock non-PSE muffler though. So then someone posted the Awe Tuning crossovers at a good price (true crossovers, not an X). Regrettably I sold the X-Pipe to pay for the crossovers (same net cost). The volume still wasn't enough and with my car being a PDK, the pure crossover caused my idle to get quite rough (a known problem with crossovers and many but not all PDKs). So then I picked up a used Fabspeed Maxflo cheap and ran with that quite a while and thought things were pretty good. However, I had always had a liking for the PSE after driving in one once but was never willing to pay $4k+ for a new system with full electronics. I finally found a used PSE taken off a GTS for cheap and jumped on it just a couple of months ago. It had no electronics included but did have the nice GTS tips and both PSE mufflers. This works great for me since I don't care about the switch.

I am 95% happy with the PSE mufflers and will leave those on for sure, but I can't help wondering if it wouldn't sound even better with the X-Pipe instead of the factory center. I don't think it will exhibit any of the idle problem that I got with the crossovers, I don't remember it being a problem when I first tried it. I think it would sound great and the next time my cheap butt sees one listed on the forums I might just go for it. (I hate paying full retail for anything!)

I would love to hear how you like yours if you go for it. The installation isn't bad and can be done taking your time in 2 to 3 hours with the car jacked up high on one side to give you elbow room underneath (with safety stand of course). Bumper removal is not required. On the passenger side the topmost bolt of the three is the only big challenge but can be done with two crescent wrenches. This is the only bolt that isn't pressed into the mounting flange on the converter, so you have to use one wrench on the bolt head on the catalyst side and the other on the nut on the muffler side. Some people say they had to use a special arc-shaped wrench but I've done it more than once with normal crescents, you just have to be creative in the angle you come in from and you can get it.

Finally, I never noted a clear performance improvement with my so-called butt-dyno with any of these mods... I'd have to imagine there was something but it clearly wasn't anything stunning.

 

Thanks again for the info. I think I'm gonna go for the center x-pipe and will provide an update in a few weeks.

 

No, it won't! Your PSE button opens your side (or secondary) mufflers. I'm running the x-pipe with my PSE and it is a MUST IMHO. Really wakes up the car properly (4k rpm range is when you get the most exotic sound) and the exhaust burbles/pops on some upshifts. No difference in performance felt on the butt dyno, but I am 100% pleased with the sound. My friend installed it in about 45 mins without taking off any bumpers or tires.

 

nycgenius's comment reminds me of what I forgot to mention... the peak in the 3800 to 4000 RPM range was certainly there. Granted there are lots of other opinions on this, but I actually saw this as the only negative. I tend to hit that spot a lot in my normal driving just before I shift and the notable increase in volume right there, even when not under heavy throttle was more than I would have preferred. Just my opinion though.

To be fair, that was with stock non-PSE cans so the experience may be completely different and it may sound better with the PSE cans... I can't say. In any case it wasn't terrible, just a notable peak. All in all, I still think the x-pipe would be a net positive thing to do it just hard to find what each one of us would consider absolutely perfect.