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      03-02-2021, 04:46 AM   #1
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Question best catted downpipe?

currently planning to get the CG Precision catted downpipe as I want one that doesn't throw a CEL - the Fabspeed one is really expensive.

What are your thoughts on the CTS Turbo catted downpipe? It is like half the price of the CG Precision one. Anyone know if it throws a CEL? What about the (new?) VRSF? It looks like VRSF doesn't have the extra downpipe brace that the others have.
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      03-02-2021, 07:04 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nitro_boss View Post
currently planning to get the CG Precision catted downpipe as I want one that doesn't throw a CEL - the Fabspeed one is really expensive.

What are your thoughts on the CTS Turbo catted downpipe? It is like half the price of the CG Precision one. Anyone know if it throws a CEL? What about the (new?) VRSF? It looks like VRSF doesn't have the extra downpipe brace that the others have.
I visited their site a few weeks ago and it seems like they did not sell the catted downpipe for the F30 N55 anymore.
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      03-02-2021, 11:09 AM   #3
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Active Autowerke, CG precision and Fabspeed are the top 3. They perform the same, sound very similar, and guarantee no CEL guarantee. All three fit without any issues.

You have a very high chance of getting a CEL with all the other brands.

If your car is not tuned with bm3, I recommend you get one of the three brands mentioned. It won't matter which one.
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      03-02-2021, 11:37 AM   #4
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They are all the same. Some just charge more.
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      03-02-2021, 12:29 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mike@x-ph.com View Post
Active Autowerke, CG precision and Fabspeed are the top 3. They perform the same, sound very similar, and guarantee no CEL guarantee. All three fit without any issues.

You have a very high chance of getting a CEL with all the other brands.

If your car is not tuned with bm3, I recommend you get one of the three brands mentioned. It won't matter which one.
This is the correct answer. I went with fabspeed, but that's before they raised the price even more (although i think some vendors still have it cheaper). I was able to get it on sale for around $1125, but i dont think i could ever recommend someone pay over $1800 for it. As long as you are EWG, AA is probably the way to go.

And yes, every single other brand that i am aware of has been reported to give a CEL. If you don't care about that or the emissions aspect then any catted should reduce the smell. Just depends on what you need to get out of it.
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      03-02-2021, 12:52 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mike@x-ph.com View Post
Active Autowerke, CG precision and Fabspeed are the top 3. They perform the same, sound very similar, and guarantee no CEL guarantee. All three fit without any issues.

You have a very high chance of getting a CEL with all the other brands.

If your car is not tuned with bm3, I recommend you get one of the three brands mentioned. It won't matter which one.
Of those three which ones can you get for PWG 335i's.

Thanks
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      03-02-2021, 05:19 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mike@x-ph.com View Post
Active Autowerke, CG precision and Fabspeed are the top 3. They perform the same, sound very similar, and guarantee no CEL guarantee. All three fit without any issues.

You have a very high chance of getting a CEL with all the other brands.

If your car is not tuned with bm3, I recommend you get one of the three brands mentioned. It won't matter which one.
Is CG precision still available for sale?
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      03-02-2021, 07:05 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by Polo08816 View Post
Is CG precision still available for sale?
Last i inquired about it, it was a built-to-order part, but mike should be able to confirm (he said he could still get it for me, but that was a while back).
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      03-02-2021, 07:12 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mike@x-ph.com View Post
If your car is not tuned with bm3, I recommend you get one of the three brands mentioned. It won't matter which one.
Do you mean that Stage2 is not compatible with a catted downpipe?
After reading about the smelly side of the downpipe, I am leaning towards catted. But I definitively want to run stage 2 in the future at the track.
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      03-02-2021, 07:28 PM   #10
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Quote:
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mike@x-ph.com View Post
If your car is not tuned with bm3, I recommend you get one of the three brands mentioned. It won't matter which one.
Do you mean that Stage2 is not compatible with a catted downpipe?
After reading about the smelly side of the downpipe, I am leaning towards catted. But I definitively want to run stage 2 in the future at the track.
No, that's not what was said. If you don't get the above three then you need a tune to remove the cel from your dash.
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      03-03-2021, 11:51 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by frchdragon View Post
Do you mean that Stage2 is not compatible with a catted downpipe?
After reading about the smelly side of the downpipe, I am leaning towards catted. But I definitively want to run stage 2 in the future at the track.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Logicoeur View Post
No, that's not what was said. If you don't get the above three then you need a tune to remove the cel from your dash.
+1

the catted downpipe is compatible with a stage 2 map. if you are using a flash tune like boootmod3, it won't matter which catted you get as bm3 hides the CEL.

If your car is using a piggyback or stock, you need to get one of these 3 brands mentioned for a no CEL guarantee.
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      03-03-2021, 05:11 PM   #12
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I understand, thank you for the clarification.
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      03-04-2021, 09:37 AM   #13
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Fwiw I have had the AA catted installed for about 2 months no tune and no cel. Performance has been great sounds about 10-20% louder than stock. The up shift fart sounds are a bit more defined. I highly recommend it. I got mine from Mike at Xph
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      03-04-2021, 10:09 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by superherorockstar View Post
Fwiw I have had the AA catted installed for about 2 months no tune and no cel. Performance has been great sounds about 10-20% louder than stock. The up shift fart sounds are a bit more defined. I highly recommend it. I got mine from Mike at Xph
Im glad you are happy with it

we use the Active's catted downpipe on the shop's 340 as well, one of the best mods we have gotten so far
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      03-05-2021, 02:49 AM   #15
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Thanks everyone that responded - I am tuned stage 1 with bootmod3 right now. Would it be crazy to spend $1k for an AA or CG Precision downpipe? I would like less smell & emissions. And I think they would also lengthen the life of the secondary O2 sensor?

If they're both the same I'll get AA since it's $30 cheaper. Maybe mike@x-ph.com can give me a little discount code?

Last edited by nitro_boss; 03-05-2021 at 03:03 AM.. Reason: more info
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      03-05-2021, 10:45 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nitro_boss View Post
Thanks everyone that responded - I am tuned stage 1 with bootmod3 right now. Would it be crazy to spend $1k for an AA or CG Precision downpipe? I would like less smell & emissions. And I think they would also lengthen the life of the secondary O2 sensor?

If they're both the same I'll get AA since it's $30 cheaper. Maybe mike@x-ph.com can give me a little discount code?
I spent ~1125 on fabspeed with a big sale. Many people paid $1500 for that. IMO its worth it to spend the $1k for a DP that is guaranteed to fit, pass emissions, and offer all the performance with essentially no drawbacks. Do it once and do it right.
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      03-05-2021, 10:45 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nitro_boss View Post
Thanks everyone that responded - I am tuned stage 1 with bootmod3 right now. Would it be crazy to spend $1k for an AA or CG Precision downpipe? I would like less smell & emissions. And I think they would also lengthen the life of the secondary O2 sensor?

If they're both the same I'll get AA since it's $30 cheaper. Maybe mike@x-ph.com can give me a little discount code?
We added the MAD intercooler and charge pipe to shop's 335 + the active autowerke catted downpipe, The car sounds so much better now, with no fuel smell, and no CEL.

Check your inbox
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      03-05-2021, 01:46 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thejeremyman9 View Post
I spent ~1125 on fabspeed with a big sale. Many people paid $1500 for that. IMO its worth it to spend the $1k for a DP that is guaranteed to fit, pass emissions, and offer all the performance with essentially no drawbacks. Do it once and do it right.
What this guy said^

I believe AA does not have any in stock currently, probably because HJS cats are hard to come by because of the pandemic.
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      03-05-2021, 02:21 PM   #19
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You get what you pay for with catted downpipes. Not only do you risk having to deal with constant check engine lights, cheaper catted downpipes run cheap cats. Those cats don't live long behind a turbo generating a ton of heat, especially one that has overrun (i.e., pops/burble/crackles). If the overrun is set to an aggressive setting, it will melt the cats very quickly, even the cats used in the higher quality catted downpipes.

Expect to pay $1,000+ for a quality catted downpipe. If you go cheap, you'll end up spending more in the long run.
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      03-05-2021, 02:48 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Boostedphil698 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by thejeremyman9 View Post
I spent ~1125 on fabspeed with a big sale. Many people paid $1500 for that. IMO its worth it to spend the $1k for a DP that is guaranteed to fit, pass emissions, and offer all the performance with essentially no drawbacks. Do it once and do it right.
What this guy said^

I believe AA does not have any in stock currently, probably because HJS cats are hard to come by because of the pandemic.
I know Fabspeed uses HJS cats but I thought that Active Autowerke uses a different brand. 🤷🏻*♂️
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      03-05-2021, 02:55 PM   #21
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I know Fabspeed uses HJS cats but I thought that Active Autowerke uses a different brand. ����*♂️
GESI maybe, which is high quality as well
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      03-05-2021, 03:58 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mike@x-ph.com View Post
We added the MAD intercooler and charge pipe to shop's 335 + the active autowerke catted downpipe, The car sounds so much better now, with no fuel smell, and no CEL.

Check your inbox
Is the AA downpipe available for PWG 335i's?

Thanks
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