# Resonator Delete- Disappointed



## Xshot (May 10, 2018)

I installed the ECS resonator delete pipe on my Atlas over the weekend. There is hardly a difference in sound. I can barely tell a difference at an idle but given any gas whatsoever it sounds exactly the same way it did before. How come when I go on YouTube I hear all of these great sounding VR6 Atlas' but mine is almost no different at all?
Anyone else run into this?


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## chompa1422 (Sep 16, 2013)

Xshot said:


> I installed the ECS resonator delete pipe on my Atlas over the weekend. There is hardly a difference in sound. I can barely tell a difference at an idle but given any gas whatsoever it sounds exactly the same way it did before. How come when I go on YouTube I hear all of these great sounding VR6 Atlas' but mine is almost no different at all?
> Anyone else run into this?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Did you see them actually install it? 

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## Xshot (May 10, 2018)

chompa1422 said:


> Did you see them actually install it?
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk


I installed it myself. And correctly. 


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## bboshart (Aug 6, 2012)

Maybe you accidentally just found out you have the 2.0. 

/s


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## Xshot (May 10, 2018)

bboshart said:


> Maybe you accidentally just found out you have the 2.0.
> 
> /s


Haha my buddy said the same thing.

It IS the VR6. 


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## chompa1422 (Sep 16, 2013)

Xshot said:


> Haha my buddy said the same thing.
> 
> It IS the VR6.
> 
> ...


Got a pic of the engine bay and an exhaust clip 

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## Xshot (May 10, 2018)

chompa1422 said:


> Got a pic of the engine bay and an exhaust clip
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk


I'll make those happen tomorrow. Stay tuned!


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## hasnfefr (Sep 26, 2002)

The resonator makes it's most impact as helping to reduce droning at freeway speeds. Your results are not surprising.


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## Chimera21 (May 10, 2021)

Poser mods, like resonator delete, just add drone at Fwy driving


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## Xshot (May 10, 2018)

Chimera21 said:


> Poser mods, like resonator delete, just add drone at Fwy driving


Poser mods. Interesting. Clearly your a ******. Move along. 


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## Volkswagens-for-life (Jun 24, 2013)

Xshot said:


> I installed the ECS resonator delete pipe on my Atlas over the weekend. There is hardly a difference in sound. I can barely tell a difference at an idle but given any gas whatsoever it sounds exactly the same way it did before. How come when I go on YouTube I hear all of these great sounding VR6 Atlas' but mine is almost no different at all?
> Anyone else run into this?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


2 things

1 - the sound insulation on the atlas is excellent. Have your wife drive down the street. I bet it sounds much better than you think


2 - there are a lot of sound insulation devices on a modern Volkswagen. Keep removing parts until you're satisfied




Chimera21 said:


> Poser mods, like resonator delete, just add drone at Fwy driving


🤦 Run along


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## cardude944 (Nov 2, 2007)

I have the CTS turbo res delete on my 22 CrossSport. I installed it with around 1500 miles on the car. I'm now at a little over 3000 and it has gotten a little louder. It's at a pretty perfect level right now. I also have the ECS tuning intake which adds a bit of noise.


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## Volkswagens-for-life (Jun 24, 2013)

cardude944 said:


> I have the CTS turbo res delete on my 22 CrossSport. I installed it with around 1500 miles on the car. I'm now at a little over 3000 and it has gotten a little louder. It's at a pretty perfect level right now. I also have the ECS tuning intake which adds a bit of noise.


I bet the two of those sound great together. Sound clips?


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## SusPassat (Sep 26, 2021)

Xshot said:


> I installed the ECS resonator delete pipe on my Atlas over the weekend. There is hardly a difference in sound. I can barely tell a difference at an idle but given any gas whatsoever it sounds exactly the same way it did before. How come when I go on YouTube I hear all of these great sounding VR6 Atlas' but mine is almost no different at all?
> Anyone else run into this?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


a lot of the Passat gt channels I follow on YouTube remove the briefcase muffler to get that noise. Also if you drive in “S” mode you should be able to hear it better since you’re allowing the vehicle to go into those higher rpm’s. (This is just how mine works with the borla exhaust)


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## KarstGeo (Jan 19, 2018)

Have you shot a video of it from outside taking off hard? It's going to impact the higher RPM tone is about all.


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## KarstGeo (Jan 19, 2018)

Chimera21 said:


> Poser mods, like resonator delete, just add drone at Fwy driving


Funny as VW offered a res delete for the R/S3 which to me always showed it was a legit exhaust mod for a little more tone. Run this on my wagon with zero drove even with an aftermarket DP.

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## Xshot (May 10, 2018)

I don't have a audio clip of someone else driving it past me. But I've driven it enough now to notice a difference. Certainly isn't nearly as loud as I anticipated but that's probably not the worst thing in the world since it's my wife's car. 

It has a nice low growl while accelerating and completely disappears while on the highway cruising. Zero drone which is ideal. And in sport mode if I hammer down it will growl a lot louder. Hard to hear it so much in the cab but with the windows down next to s fence or building I can hear it. 

I guess my expectations were set higher than they should of been due to the sound clips I heard, including the one on ECS's website. 


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## KarstGeo (Jan 19, 2018)

Xshot said:


> I don't have a audio clip of someone else driving it past me. But I've driven it enough now to notice a difference. Certainly isn't nearly as loud as I anticipated but that's probably not the worst thing in the world since it's my wife's car.
> 
> It has a nice low growl while accelerating and completely disappears while on the highway cruising. Zero drone which is ideal. And in sport mode if I hammer down it will growl a lot louder. Hard to hear it so much in the cab but with the windows down next to s fence or building I can hear it.
> 
> ...


Sounds about right then. Stock cats and muffler you just won't get a ton of noise which to me is good.

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## speed51133! (Aug 5, 2002)

The clips you hear online are not from inside the car. They are also recorded through a static phone mic, with a passing vehicle (doppler effect) and played on your phone/computer speakers. HARDLY a real-world benchmark to compare to your perceived, in-cabin sound.


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## Volkswagens-for-life (Jun 24, 2013)

speed51133! said:


> The clips you hear online are not from inside the car. They are also recorded through a static phone mic, with a passing vehicle (doppler effect) and played on your phone/computer speakers. HARDLY a real-world benchmark to compare to your perceived, in-cabin sound.


Yep


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## mhjett (Oct 16, 2000)

Put your window down.


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## everydayparadise (Sep 8, 2006)

I installed my ECS res delete over the weekend and noticed a difference. It's suttle in the car, but outside it's a nice OEM+ sound change. In the future, I may have the factory muffler replaced with something more excellent sounding. 

I did start the car after cutting out the resonator, but before installing the delete, and man, I love that raw VR6 sound!


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## cardude944 (Nov 2, 2007)

everydayparadise said:


> I installed my ECS res delete over the weekend and noticed a difference. It's suttle in the car, but outside it's a nice OEM+ sound change. In the future, I may have the factory muffler replaced with something more excellent sounding.
> 
> I did start the car after cutting out the resonator, but before installing the delete, and man, I love that raw VR6 sound!


I took a short video of that while I was installing my CTS res delete.









2022 VW Atlas CrossSport VR6 with resonator and muffler removed during CTS turbo res delete install







youtube.com


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## speed51133! (Aug 5, 2002)

cardude944 said:


> I took a short video of that while I was installing my CTS res delete.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


In a closed garage none the less.....


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## cardude944 (Nov 2, 2007)

speed51133! said:


> In a closed garage none the less.....


Go back to your moms basement troll. I'm in a 3 story garage that homes 9 cars with plenty of ventilation.


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## Volkswagens-for-life (Jun 24, 2013)

cardude944 said:


> Go back to your moms basement troll. I'm in a 3 story garage that homes 9 cars with plenty of ventilation.


Perhaps I took it in a different way, but I was assuming he meant that it would alter the acoustics in the recording


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## Hedgehodge (Nov 7, 2008)

I was looking at that valve they install BEFORE the cat for "race mode" ....is that what you did? Anything done after the cat will make zero difference really


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## Sugar Bear (Jul 17, 2016)

get yourself an intake (diy preferred because its all the same and for barely $50-60$). 
sounds much better of a mod than the wookie pipe.


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## chompa1422 (Sep 16, 2013)

Sugar Bear said:


> get yourself an intake (diy preferred because its all the same and for barely $50-60$).
> sounds much better of a mod than the wookie pipe.


How do you put the sensor in a diy

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## KWH (11 mo ago)

KarstGeo said:


> Funny as VW offered a res delete for the R/S3 which to me always showed it was a legit exhaust mod for a little more tone. Run this on my wagon with zero drove even with an aftermarket DP.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk


Good to know


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## cardude944 (Nov 2, 2007)

Finally got around to taking a cold start video.


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## Volkswagens-for-life (Jun 24, 2013)

Sounds great! Any rev clips or drive by?


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## tmoe (Mar 23, 2008)

I you want to improve the exhaust take a look at the AFE catback exhaust, yes it's expensive but not by VW standards. It even worked on my 2.0T atlas but it really needs the VR6 to sound the best!

MACH Force-Xp 3" 304 Stainless Steel Cat-Back Exhaust System

Sound clip


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## cardude944 (Nov 2, 2007)

tmoe said:


> I you want to improve the exhaust take a look at the AFE catback exhaust, yes it's expensive but not by VW standards. It even worked on my 2.0T atlas but it really needs the VR6 to sound the best!
> 
> MACH Force-Xp 3" 304 Stainless Steel Cat-Back Exhaust System
> 
> Sound clip


So I looked at that before I did the Res delete. The videos didn't impress me. IMO it didn't seem like the AFE catback was worth it when comparing the price of the two for the quality/volume of sound from the catback.


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## Chimera21 (May 10, 2021)

For those who just want a "sound" change (read more exhaust note) than just the resonator delete will provide that. IMHO if looking for a deeper, more aggressive, exhaust sound than improved performance should be the reason vs just the "sound". Mandrel bent aftermarket CAT back exhaust systems have been a primary go to for both sound AND performance improvements in many vehicle platforms with the addition of a cold air intake, which also contributes to the engine and exhaust note.

The Mach Force XP does not publish any B/A dyno results....Typically there is a HP improvement in higher RPM's and slightly less TQ at low RPM but still higher TQ further up in RPM band with larger pipe exhausts

For the CAT back system + the CAI cost of $1300+, it would be great if the manufacturer had dyno # improvement to justify if the juice is worth the squeeze relative to any performance gains as if no real improvement that is a lot of $ for just an exhaust note change that is close to just a resonator delete if that's your thing. My $.02 is the more aggressive sound should also be accompanied by more performance


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## tmoe (Mar 23, 2008)

cardude944 said:


> So I looked at that before I did the Res delete. The videos didn't impress me. IMO it didn't seem like the AFE catback was worth it when comparing the price of the two for the quality/volume of sound from the catback.


I agree the exhaust note is not aggressive, definitely not my MK5 R32 that has Milltek headers, HFC and Corsa catback but I can say that even with the 2.0t it made a difference in exhaust depth and sound level. I think you combine this with the IE CAI and you'd have a nice combination of induction and exhaust sounds, improved throttle response and yes some increases in HP and Torque. AFE also runs some pretty aggressive sales where the prices comes down. 
IE Performance Intake System For VW Atlas VR6


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## Sugar Bear (Jul 17, 2016)

chompa1422 said:


> How do you put the sensor in a diy
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk











Made an intake to get that VR6 sound


Naturally I made a video for you to see/hear it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1jksnHb00w Not sure about gains, but I love that VR6 sound. Everything cost me about $40 to make it.




www.vwvortex.com


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