Rate the smell of catless DPs

[ikenjoku7]

I've been on the fence about catless dps and don't want to pay for high flow DPs if I don't need to. I've never been close enough to a catless car (at least I'm not sure if I noticed which could be a good thing). If it make a difference I tend to drive with my windows open pretty frequently. How would you rate the smell on catless DPs? From 1(barely noticeable)-10(driving behind a dump truck with your windows open)?

[F10CPROG]

Surely it just smells the same as an older car, In the Uk Pre '92 we didnt have cats. Smells much nicer than a Catted car IMO. Besides you wont get much smell in the cabin unless at a standstill with a tail wind. Do the catless!

[Sabs1815]

Never been around a Catless F10. But back when i had my E46 M3 I swapped out the headers for Euro headers which came Catless. My car was a convertible so whenever i had the top down I smelled it when I came to a stop.

Id say (based on Daily driving my M3 back then) it was a solid 6, you smelled it, knew it was there but your kinda ok with it because you know your getting a little more power and the change in exhaust note is really nice.

That being said, had I had my kids when I had that car I would've reverted back to have cats immediately because the fumes are obviously harmful.

[vafan13]

I spent a few hours driving behind a friend in a catless e92 M3 and if there's any similarity, while you might not smell it, people behind you definitely will. Like riding behind a (Very high performance) lawn mower.

My 2001 Cobra was/is catless, though. In that thing I don't smell it at all while driving, stopped or otherwise. Haven't asked anyone driving behind me what that's like. My guess is they're more bothered by the very loud (but wonderful sounding) exhaust.

[Sophisticated Redneck]

Originally Posted by ikenjoku7

I've been on the fence about catless dps and don't want to pay for high flow DPs if I don't need to. I've never been close enough to a catless car (at least I'm not sure if I noticed which could be a good thing). If it make a difference I tend to drive with my windows open pretty frequently. How would you rate the smell on catless DPs? From 1(barely noticeable)-10(driving behind a dump truck with your windows open)?

You will only notice it when you back out of the garage and when you are at a stop and the wind is blowing behind you. People following you will notice if they don't have recirculate air on or the windows are down....But you are in an M, so people wont be close behind you for long anwyway



On my X5 before I fixed the valve stem seals, the smell was horrific, like an old oil burning dump truck. After the seals were fixed and it was no longer burning oil, that nasty oil burning smell is now gone and it just smells like the muscle cars did before the emissions era....pure unburnt gas, hydrocarbons, and testosterone .

[kerrit]

There's probably going to be subjectivity as well.

When I was 20 I didn't mind catless or strong fuel smells, but at 36 it would definitely be annoying on a DD.

I also have a supercharged catless e90 m3, and if my M5 smelled like that does I would definitely hate it.

[Ickdeep]

It all depends on the person. When I first got my car, it was really bad. So bad that I ended up going to stage 1 tune & OEM downpipes (mainly because wife). But then all my friend's got faster cars so I had to go back to stage two. I went with Fabworx DP this time (AMS ones before) and I also changed out the cabin air filter. The smell is much less now. I mainly smell it in the garage when I start it and more when I come back home. I pretty much always have the windows up and the smell isn't bad inside. Sometimes I can smell it when I'm in heavy traffic (which is rare). Overall I'd say 3.

[rickyf10]

Turbocharged cars are much more friendly with catless dp. For f10 m5, it will be 5. So at stop signs or traffic lights, you will notice the smell more or less if your windows are down.
I had a catless e92 m3 in the past. All I can say is its exhaust gas kills. You cannot stand behind your car with engine on for 10 seconds. lol.

[Bingly]

I did it in my vette and will never again. Raw fuel smell when stopped is a terrible thing

[Noggie]

I'm beginning to question the age of many of the forum users or, the fact that I myself at 43 is getting old.

I've been around since before cat's were put on cars, h€ll we even had leaded fuel back then. When cars with cat's started appearing, THEY where the ones that smelled bad, late 80's/early 90's the catted cars would often have a "rotten egg" smell to them, especially before the cat heated up.

I guess the smell of a non catted car would be "different" to people today, but not bad, there are plenty of old classics on the road still.

I just dont want the noise removing the cats produce, I like my competition pack exhaust, nice and muted when cruising and just loud enough with the flap open.

[F10CPROG]

Originally Posted by Noggie

I'm beginning to question the age of many of the forum users or, the fact that I myself at 43 is getting old.

I've been around since before cat's were put on cars, h€ll we even had leaded fuel back then. When cars with cat's started appearing, THEY where the ones that smelled bad, late 80's/early 90's the catted cars would often have a "rotten egg" smell to them, especially before the cat heated up.

I guess the smell of a non catted car would be "different" to people today, but not bad, there are plenty of old classics on the road still.

I just dont want the noise removing the cats produce, I like my competition pack exhaust, nice and muted when cruising and just loud enough with the flap open.

Ditto this, im 36 and nothing wrong with a decatted car. The smell is hardly strong!? Its just a different smell. Personally i prefer it to the smell of a car running a cat converter.

[M5pnw]

Originally Posted by ikenjoku7

I've been on the fence about catless dps and don't want to pay for high flow DPs if I don't need to. I've never been close enough to a catless car (at least I'm not sure if I noticed which could be a good thing). If it make a difference I tend to drive with my windows open pretty frequently. How would you rate the smell on catless DPs? From 1(barely noticeable)-10(driving behind a dump truck with your windows open)?

I have catless downpipes and I rate it a 5 as well. Only smells when stopped with windows down and backing up with windows down. The sound is worth it to me. I Have catless dp paired with soul exhaust. NO drone.

[OneExtra]

My farts smell worse than a de-catted car, especially for the passenger