US I4 (400hp) has fake engine noise pumped through speakers

[Kaz]

So you were able to disable it?

Yes but only because my stock signals are now going to an external amp...I removed fuse for this new amp which means the only speaker working in my car is the center channel driven by the stock amp. No fake engine noises or exhaust is routed to the center speaker, which now sounds like an alarm clock am station.

No fake noises great! No stereo obviously not great, but I couldn't drive with the amplified fake sounds they are very loud and drone-y when amplified.

 

[675430VME]

Yes but only because my stock signals are now going to an external amp...I removed fuse for this new amp which means the only speaker working in my car is the center channel driven by the stock amp. No fake engine noises or exhaust is routed to the center speaker, which now sounds like an alarm clock am station.

No fake noises great! No stereo obviously not great, but I couldn't drive with the amplified fake sounds they are very loud and drone-y when amplified.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[docron]

So you were able to disable it?

not yet... I did reach out to my local MB Service Dept to see if the techs knew how to disable to the fake exhaust sound since there is the same thing on the AMG A35/45. MB forums talk of Audio submenu that only MB service tech can access and decode...there is also rumored talk about secret menu that can be accessed by pressing the steering wheel buttons in a Street Fighter combo pattern...lol. I told the MB Service tech yesterday the i4 does not use the MBUX interface so we cant access Dynamic Sound Control (or Active Sound Design) through the headunit settings menu.

After digging through the Service Manual and Owners manual, there are a couple suspicious fuses that might be the culprit. If anyone has insight, please chime in. IN the passenger footwell fuse box, fuse 7&8 could be potentials (I'm speculating that #7 is the KEF amp since its designated "Premium" and "booster"). These fuses are 25A and are separate from the Infotainment fuse at #10.

 

[Nova]

I don't think there would be a separate fuse for the gateway module. It's very small and may just be a sensor of some sort that feeds the engine speed signal to the audio system.

The Audio Module is the main DSP processor and audio amplifier. The booster the secondary amp for the subwoofer.

It would be great to have the pin out of the main entertainment system, which I am guessing is what's generating the fake noise.

 

[Kaz]

I am really hoping this isn't just something buried in the main entertainment logic and not able to be turned off. So if you have an I4 and you change your mode from Touring to Sport/Track and you hear that louder exhaust inside your car? Completely generated. Without the system running you can kind of hear a slight pitch change and I am sure outside the car it is louder, but inside the cabin there is barely a change. More I realize the differences I can more understand why they did this. Someone test drives the AMG version and is cross shopping other sports cars...they wouldn't want them to think the car sounds like a 4 cylinder Honda Civic (which is does, it's a 2L 4 cylinder). It will actually sound amazing once all the new bits are on the car - I just want a functioning stereo without the generated sounds.

 

[Teshoo Lama]

I am really hoping this isn't just something buried in the main entertainment logic and not able to be turned off. So if you have an I4 and you change your mode from Touring to Sport/Track and you hear that louder exhaust inside your car? Completely generated. Without the system running you can kind of hear a slight pitch change and I am sure outside the car it is louder, but inside the cabin there is barely a change. More I realize the differences I can more understand why they did this. Someone test drives the AMG version and is cross shopping other sports cars...they wouldn't want them to think the car sounds like a 4 cylinder Honda Civic (which is does, it's a 2L 4 cylinder). It will actually sound amazing once all the new bits are on the car - I just want a functioning stereo without the generated sounds.

Is the fake sound played in Tour mode?

Does anyone have any evidence that this also afflicts UK i4s? I dread to think that this will be in our Turbo SEs when they start to be delivered.

 

[Emira Fan]

[ I dread to think that this will be in our Turbo SEs when they start to be delivered.]
Don't dread it the sound adds some character, yes it's fake but the absence of sound might be worse.....

 

[Kaz]

Is the fake sound played in Tour mode?

Does anyone have any evidence that this also afflicts UK i4s? I dread to think that this will be in our Turbo SEs when they start to be delivered.

I would imagine all i4's are doing this because most likely it's all just ported over from AMG - and again, it's such a fringe case of any i4 owners who have amplified the stock system with aftermarket speakers amps and subs to even notice this is happening. So probably not many people have noticed

The sound in stock form isn't terrible it's just very synthetic and doesn't sound anything like what is actually happening. The exhaust increase in volume in the cabin when you switch into Sport/Track is almost entirely the three rear bass speakers (and why your audio is distorting) and the engine noise a growly boxer engine noise, not an M139 sound. I'll record it and post both ways