DIY fake exhaust tone

[onobeka]

I am looking to start a project to add a fake exhaust tone to my truck. I know … I can’t believe I am actually doing this as a purist gearhead myself, yet audis and maserattis have it too.

There is nothing I can do to my small diesel as it has a cat and a DPF with an aftermarket exhaust that would still be compliant in Europe.

I can buy off the shelf systems like Maxhaust that connect to the OBD port to read the RPM, yet I want to build one myself with an arduino, an amplifier and a ported box speaker enclosure.

I need a simple way to read RPM without CAN decoding or … to read the throttle, and I am looking for ideas.

The pedal is a potentiometer, I guess I can read the voltage or resistance, either would work. Any thoughts in this?

The fake noise will be outside, not inside.

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[Grumpaw]

This now tops my "I thought I've heard everything " list !!!

 

[D Fresh]

Get thine self to a Priest most hastily young man. There's something wrong with you and only Jesus can help.

 

[onobeka]

I understand your reaction, sitting behind a petrol turbo, and for sure I would have the same thoughts. Actually I’ve been contemplating for a long time.

I also understand my motivation sitting behind a 4cyl diesel. I’ve tried everything “native”. It simply does not work. So, let’s not hate without understanding. It’s a cool project that may or may not work. If it does not work it was a fun experiment, costly, going into the bin. For me it’s always the trip, not the destination.

Let’s focus on the topic, please.

 

[rydfree]

If I hated the way my vehicle sounded so much I think I would go the opposite direction and try to make it as quite as possible . It would be easier plus as hyped up as the EVs are right now you could put a fake charging port on the fender and raise eyebrows when you are at the gas station .

 

[NotBudule]

I guess it's whatever ?, but if you gona blast fake noise outside and not inside I gotta assume its for others to hear , might as well blast something enjoyable or funny, ... but rpms? Unless it's gona sound comically loud like a blown v8, open headers , then I might see the allure...

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

Hmmm, this reminds me of ski boats with speakers mounted on their roll bar arches - of course, the music is blasted at max volume so the skier/tuber and everyone on the beach can hear their crappy selection.

If you do this, please be gentle with the volume….and the bass. ?

 

[onobeka]

It’s not going to be for “others” to hear. I am not looking to wake up my neighbors. I just want to tune the rattly diesel into a pleasant drone. I do not want to hear turbo blow, pops or anything of that johnycar things. It should also be composed. Decent is the way to go. There will be soft intrusion in the cabin too, as the sound deadening is pretty non existant.

Such that everyone gets a picture of what I am after: an OEM/stock exhaust note of a big petrol engine. And I am talking mustangs or lambos …

Anyway, I will let the hate roll for a while. I was expecting it . Maybe afterwards we can finally focus on the question.

 

[NotBudule]

I didn't see any "hate" , just lots of "why?" And some questioning of your sanity , it's no biggie , mine gets questioned daily, hourly sometimes...

 

[onobeka]

i understand your idea and reasoning, but cant help you find the location to draw your source.

i recall seeing exhaust systems from those Audi like European versions that have the speaker in the exhaust. some people are down right perturbed to know they exist, but whats the alternative when cruising the streets with a John Deere sounding car? No one wants that.

good luck on finding your solution. Sound clips before and after would be great.

these guys are too full of themselves and don't shut up enough....but i think its pretty cool to confuse the diehards.

Thx! I will post all the steps along the way if I embark it, failure too.

 

[Synfulz]

I have a 2.2 diesel also being in SE Asia. Honestly for me I enjoy it as it is. I am now 60 so quiet is good. But when it's idling and I am out of the truck, the diesel (first I ever owned after 52 cars) it sounds kind of cool. Tunes are better if something needs to be heard. Long live rock n roll.
But sounds like you have yourself a project, so enjoy your process.

 

[onobeka]

I didn't see any "hate" , just lots of "why?" And some questioning of your sanity , it's no biggie , mine gets questioned daily, hourly sometimes...

Tomorrow I shall be 45. I am still a software manager in a top NVH company that does the software for Ford and many many other OEMs. So, as far as my sanity goes, thanks for the concern, I am still sane or at least my colleagues think so . I realize this is sitting on the edge project, but it’s still a project.

Soon, when we will all move to EVs, we all shall have fake sounds outside cars for pedestrians and blinds sake. That I know for sure. Pass by noise regulations are already written in ISO standards. EVs make too little noise, Harleys got muffled exhausts done by Porsche .

 

[Jason B]

I am looking to start a project to add a fake exhaust tone to my truck. I know … I can’t believe I am actually doing this as a purist gearhead myself, yet audis and maserattis have it too.

There is nothing I can do to my small diesel as it has a cat and a DPF with an aftermarket exhaust that would still be compliant in Europe.

I can buy off the shelf systems like Maxhaust that connect to the OBD port to read the RPM, yet I want to build one myself with an arduino, an amplifier and a ported box speaker enclosure.

I need a simple way to read RPM without CAN decoding or … to read the throttle, and I am looking for ideas.

The pedal is a potentiometer, I guess I can read the voltage or resistance, either would work. Any thoughts in this?

The fake noise will be outside, not inside.

Old school aftermarket Tachs took the signal from the ignition coil back when there was only one coil. Maybe you could devise and calibrate a way to get a signal from one of the coils. I wouldn't go off the throttle, as the load you induce may cause reading errors to the ECU.

Edit: CRAP, You have a diesel, so no coils. But there's got a be away for the Tach to get its signal. Start there.

 

[txquailguy]

You can wirelessly/bluetooth pickup the RPM from your OBDII port....

 

[Dgc333]

Don't you already have fake noise in the cabin? The US Rangers do and most folks use ForScan to turn it off.

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