Muffler delete - 2016 Encore AWD premium?

[Toronto-Encore]

I fully realize that the 1.4 turbo Ecotec motor is no hotrod motor...but, manual-shifting it - it's not THAT bad...it just has no sound...(suppose most Encore owners are NOT interested in more 'sound'!!)

Anyway, there are TWO 'cats'...(one small downpipe cat and one larger one) then a 'resonator' - then, finally, at the back a 'side-to-side' rear muffler with a single exhaust tip.

I know that Chevy Cruze owners with the same Ecotec 1.4 remove the rear mufflet (lots of videos on YouTube!)...but there re NO Encore 'muffler delete' videos!!

Anybody have any experience with rear Encore muffler deletes?

Thanks for any help in advance!

James

 

[HotZ28]

I think we need a nation wide ban in the USA & Canada with decibel inspections on obnoxious/loud exhaust noise. It is getting out of control in my area, with rice burners running without any exhaust system. That is a dumb-ass modification! It does not do anything but make noise, which is dumb & immature!

 

[2007LucerneCXL]

You may have to be the trailblazer on this modification. Then again there could be a reason that there isn't any thing posted on Encore with muffler delete, it's a Encore.

 

[DocBrown]

Why do people want loud 4 bangers? They sound terrible. Get a V8 if you want it to sound tough.

 

[mshultz]

I'm trying to wrap my head around why someone would buy a Buick with QuietTuning, and then want to make it louder.

 

[Smoothsailer717]

I wouldnt go near that but at-least pit a cherry bomb muffler on it, they are only $25 at autozone

 

[Again]

I fully realize that the 1.4 turbo Ecotec motor is no hotrod motor...but, manual-shifting it - it's not THAT bad...it just has no sound...(suppose most Encore owners are NOT interested in more 'sound'!!)

Anyway, there are TWO 'cats'...(one small downpipe cat and one larger one) then a 'resonator' - then, finally, at the back a 'side-to-side' rear muffler with a single exhaust tip.

I know that Chevy Cruze owners with the same Ecotec 1.4 remove the rear mufflet (lots of videos on YouTube!)...but there re NO Encore 'muffler delete' videos!!

Anybody have any experience with rear Encore muffler deletes?

Thanks for any help in advance!

James

For your info that second canister after the 2ⁿᵈ HO² is never referred to as a cat that I know of, more like a flame arrestor for the turbo, the 3ͬ ᵈ is a resonator which I removed ( on the Trax ) because the guts had come apart and was rattling and the last yes is obvious. Removing the resonator didn't make any difference that I can hear inside. Maybe it is slightly louder outside but I can't be at both places at the same time.

 

[asdx1234]

Yha I have to agree with the rest here. I like the buick encore being quiet. At first I thought about messing with the exhaust and intake, but now I like it stock. I would like to add a boost gage to it though maybe someday.

I did take the stock airbox out and put the smallest open cone air filter from autozone they sell on my 2013 chevy spark. That car had these little small tiny tubes coming out of the stock airbox. It is of course louder now, and grunts pretty hard when the rpms are up... but the open cone air filter actually helped that car out quite a bit. It runs much better now, and breathes good. I did retain the sensor that was on the stock air box I just cut it out and put it in the stock tubing off the throttle body.

It only has 84 horsepower. If anyone made a header for the spark 1.2L then I would probably put that on there too, but I have not seen much of anything for that engine. The exhaust manifold on that car is so tiny.

The buick encore is more of a luxury car to me. It is comfortable and rides smooth. It rides real smooth. Heck after having major surgery when I started driving again I could not drive my spark, but I could drive the buick. Being quiet is just part of its thing.

 

[Smoothsailer717]

It seems the encore already has a cold air intake stock, that snorkel that sucks air from behind the grill, the paper filters flow great now and the manual says the filter should last 45,000 miles.. (hard to believe).. so not much point in messing with the intake either..

 

[asdx1234]

It seems the encore already has a cold air intake stock, that snorkel that sucks air from behind the grill, the paper filters flow great now and the manual says the filter should last 45,000 miles.. (hard to believe).. so not much point in messing with the intake either..

Yes I agree. It looks like it would be pretty hard to design a better intake for this car. The engineers put it in a good spot. There is really nothing over there that it is in the way of. It is not covering up anything there. It does not have to be removed to work on the engine. It has little spaces inside it incase water gets sucked up in there from a bad storm it can drain out. All the tubing is large as well.

I don't see much reason to change it.

 

[Toronto-Encore]

I fully realize that the 1.4 turbo Ecotec motor is no hotrod motor...but, manual-shifting it - it's not THAT bad...it just has no sound...(suppose most Encore owners are NOT interested in more 'sound'!!)

Anyway, there are TWO 'cats'...(one small downpipe cat and one larger one) then a 'resonator' - then, finally, at the back a 'side-to-side' rear muffler with a single exhaust tip.

I know that Chevy Cruze owners with the same Ecotec 1.4 remove the rear mufflet (lots of videos on YouTube!)...but there re NO Encore 'muffler delete' videos!!

Anybody have any experience with rear Encore muffler deletes?

Thanks for any help in advance!

James

OK (he said, replying to himself):

I decided to go to my local muffler shop and pay a few bucks to have the rear transverse muffler deleted with the (EXPENSIVE) OEM muffler cut off so as it could be re-attached.

I have read with interest, the many comments about 'why anyone would want to make an Encore louder/sportier-sounding'. Hey, I get that. However, since I've had the Encore as my daily driver (bought new in 2016), and having a 'garage queen' 2004 six-speed Crossfire - I decided that I'd just see if a minor alteration in the exhaust (muffler delete) would make the little guy sound just a BIT better.

The EcoTec turbo four is found in all sorts of GM cars, as everyone knows - even in 'sportier' cars. I've had lots of experience with opening up the exhausts of other 'four-valve' motors, so what the heck: let's give 'er a try.

By the way, the 2016 has no 'start/stop' nonsense.

I was very pleasantly surprised at the consequence of removing the muffler and running a straight pipe back from the resonator - to a single double-wall tip at the rear.

The sound is almost indistinguishable from the original - both at idle, and with the windows up and the 'air' on at highway speeds. The standard BOSE noise cancellation works just fine.
However, with the windows DOWN...it's way more 'fun'!

The stock 650 RPM idle has a nice low rumble. You can hear it with the windows down, stopped at a light. Noticable, but barely. However, when you put the pedal down, it really growls - especially around 2800 to 3200 RPM. Shifting the six-speed in manual mode, increases the good times. The six speed already is fairly crisp-shifting, and with half throttle - shifting it manually at 3200 RPM ALMOST sounds like you have a 'double-clutch' auto - or at least, mimics a manual tranny. (note that the Chevy TRAX is available with a manual, but only on the lowest trim level)

So, without 'chipping' the engine and with no other modifications - the muffler removal has made my little luxury potato much more fun to drive.

For those naysayers who say 'what's the point'? I would say this: To each his/her own.

I had fun doing this and have no regrets. I retain the original OEM muffler in my garage, just in case I decide to sell the car and the purchaser doesn't share my enthusiasm for the 'improvement'.

By the way, even if it yields little or no performance improvement (maybe a couple of HP with the reduction in restriction) - the weight loss from the removal of the huge stock muffler surely contributes to a tiny bit of MPG gain.

Oh, and I added some extra lettering on the back - just to confuse 'em! Who knew that there was a 1.8 l Turbo Encore? heh heh heh

Let me know what everyone thinks of all of this. (yeah, I know - too much time on my hands!!)

James

 

[Toronto-Encore]

For your info that second canister after the 2ⁿᵈ HO² is never referred to as a cat that I know of, more like a flame arrestor for the turbo, the 3ͬ ᵈ is a resonator which I removed ( on the Trax ) because the guts had come apart and was rattling and the last yes is obvious. Removing the resonator didn't make any difference that I can hear inside. Maybe it is slightly louder outside but I can't be at both places at the same time.

Well, I've been to Magnetic Hill NB...and I DID remove the rear muffler - see my reply and two pics at the end of this thread.

 

[Toronto-Encore]

I wouldnt go near that but at-least pit a cherry bomb muffler on it, they are only $25 at autozone

Hi. Well, I DID delete the rear muffler, and no 'cherry bomb' was needed. See my post at the end of this thread.

 

[Again]

Hi. Well, I DID delete the rear muffler, and no 'cherry bomb' was needed. See my post at the end of this thread.

It is your vehicle, make it yours. I love doing mods.

 

[Toronto-Encore]

Yha I have to agree with the rest here. I like the buick encore being quiet. At first I thought about messing with the exhaust and intake, but now I like it stock. I would like to add a boost gage to it though maybe someday.

I did take the stock airbox out and put the smallest open cone air filter from autozone they sell on my 2013 chevy spark. That car had these little small tiny tubes coming out of the stock airbox. It is of course louder now, and grunts pretty hard when the rpms are up... but the open cone air filter actually helped that car out quite a bit. It runs much better now, and breathes good. I did retain the sensor that was on the stock air box I just cut it out and put it in the stock tubing off the throttle body.

It only has 84 horsepower. If anyone made a header for the spark 1.2L then I would probably put that on there too, but I have not seen much of anything for that engine. The exhaust manifold on that car is so tiny.

The buick encore is more of a luxury car to me. It is comfortable and rides smooth. It rides real smooth. Heck after having major surgery when I started driving again I could not drive my spark, but I could drive the buick. Being quiet is just part of its thing.

Hi. I've had 'other Buicks' (at one point, I inherited an 87 LeSabre with the 3800 V6). Not sure that I'd agree with you about Buicks needing to necessarily be 'quiet'. If you've ever heard/seen a 1986 Buick Grand National you will hear a REALLY 'loud' Buick. Hey, I'm in my sixties - had just about everything on wheels, and I love that the Encore is quiet (the BOSE noise cancelling REALLY works - and it still works with the muffler delete, the windows up and the air on!). My Encore also rides really well for a 'little' car. It has ALL the 'toys' and all wheel drive. Excellent in the winter! So, I just had my muffler shop do the muffler delete last week - See my post at the end of this thread. All is reversible, if desired. I do have a six-speed Chrysler Crossfire, so there's no need to 'make the Encore' sound sporty...but I did...Too much time on my hands? Nah. I'm a kid at heart. Now, when the 6-speed auto is manually-shifted at around 3200 RPM at half throttle, the Encore actually sounds - well - 'sporty'!

 

[Toronto-Encore]

After a month without the heavy OEM muffler, I'm very happy with the muffler delete. I cut the pipe just ahead of the muffler inlet (so, if needed I can weld it back in).
The car sounds great - especially at 2500 to 3200 rpm, when it has a really nice mellow 'growl'.
To those who disparage me doing this to an 'ENCORE', I would say the following:
1. the sound level is barely noticable inside and the Bose 'quiet tuning' still does its job. With the windows up, and on the highway at 120km/hr, you can barely hear the engine. The Bose noise cancelling seems to be able to adapt easily to the new sound profile.
2. to see what it actually sounded like (from the back!), I drove into a long underpass at night - just me and the road - and it DOES sound mellow. Honestly, if you told me it was some kind of middle-range sports car, and let me hear the sound blindfolded - I'd NEVER think it was an Encore. It ALMOST sounds like a V6 (well, not quite, but almost!!)
3. note that this is on the four cyllinder Encore - NOT the later three-bangers
4. I weighed the OEM muffler and it's HEAVY - at least 35 lbs - so I must be getting a BIT more fuel economy.
5. my comment about manually shifting the car still stands (it shifts pretty crisply, for an automatic) and if you catch the shifts at about 3500 rpm you'd be surprised at the sound - a bit like a dual-clutch outfit in an Audi or Porsche - yes, it shifts that quickly.
6. note that I have never done 'wide open throttle' nonsense with this car - what's the point? The car is never going to be fast, however you drive it. BUT it does sound MUCH better with the simple muffler delete.
7. Finally, just because it's an 'older person's car with no sporty pretentions' does not mean that I (who AM an 'older person') need to live with absolute silence from the motor. I've driven almost everything in my driving career - and this little (cheap) modification has really 'made my day'
More comments welcome!

 

[Smoothsailer717]

Any difference in fuel economy? I don't know much about turbo engines But I wonder if there is any effect on the turbo with the exhaust being more open

 

[Toronto-Encore]

Any difference in fuel economy? I don't know much about turbo engines But I wonder if there is any effect on the turbo with the exhaust being more open

The removal of the transverse OEM muffler has had no effect on the turbo operation. The vehicle idles at the correct RPM, and seemingly - even more smoothly, than when the muffler was in place. The sound of the vehicle with windows up / air on or air off - is nearly the same as when the muffler was in place (ie: it doesn't sound obnoxious). Listening to the car in the famous 'underpass/tunnel' test shows that there is a nice 2600 RPM to 3200 RMP rumble that sounds ALMOST V6-like. There IS a noticable increase in fuel economy (at least 2 MPG) with the removal of the weight and exhaust restriction.
For those 'nay-sayers' who question why anyone would mess with the quiet sound of an Encore, I would say 'to each his own'. I have two other vehicles that have much sportier pretentions, but I have made my little daily-driver 'potato' a little more 'individual' - and more to my tastes. You have the option to like of dislike what I did.
By the way, the Buick/BOSE 'quiet tuning (through the audio system) works fine at elimination of most cabin noise - just as it did when the stock muffler was in place.
I rest my case.

 

[2007LucerneCXL]

Well somebody always needs to take the lead, thanks for the follow up and happy it worked out.

 

[Smoothsailer717]

I saw a first gen Cruze with some kind of fart can on it. Sounded terrible and loud… maybe it was a NA motor and not a turbo, idk