2018 Active Exhaust Install Guide

[djcwardog]

Hey Sam, I would love to be able to add this feature to my 2018. Have you been able to look into seeing how it would attach to the wiring harness without the option from the factory? I know we could easily add the ability in the cluster modifying the AS Built data but I haven’t been able to figure out how it would connect to the ECU.

I did a few cool mods to my prior car, a 2007 BMW 650i. Many of those required you to find a nearby harness with CANBUS leads - then tap in. Then you flash updated modules if needed and coded the car. Here we don’t flash modules so much as just use FORScan.

Checking out a 2018 with Active Exhaust would help understand for sure, but if there are 4 wires going into each motor, perhaps we have 12v+ on pin 1 (or 4) and ground on pin 4 (or 1)? That would leave the middle two pins perhaps for Can High and Can Low? If so, then you would want to route the same signals to it, even if not directly out of the PCM. CAN is CAN insofar as the car reading all modules on the CANBUS? BMW’s seem to have CAN wiring running all over the car. If that small circuit board in the OEM motor accepts CAN signals then perhaps it shows up as a module in the As Built Data? Lots of questions but this why we enjoy figuring out these things!

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[breeves002]

Very true on the connectors being over priced. My deal is I have an 18. So today Im going to check the wiring all the way to the underside of the vehicle to see if its already pre-wired since mine is a NON active valve set up. I have pin colors and connectors numbers and all that myself. Im wondering if the 18's will be as easy as buying the mufflers, adding the relay and fuse in the battery junction box and doing an as-built with an IDS. But ofcourse I will need a pigtail from the body to the muffler motors.

I need to look at the wiring diagram and I’ll tell you exactly how you need to do it. You shouldn’t need a relay.

I did a few cool mods to my prior car, a 2007 BMW 650i. Many of those required you to find a nearby harness with CANBUS leads - then tap in. Then you flash updated modules if needed and coded the car. Here we don’t flash modules so much as just use FORScan.

Checking out a 2018 with Active Exhaust would help understand for sure, but if there are 4 wires going into each motor, perhaps we have 12v+ on pin 1 (or 4) and ground on pin 4 (or 1)? That would leave the middle two pins perhaps for Can High and Can Low? If so, then you would want to route the same signals to it, even if not directly out of the PCM. CAN is CAN insofar as the car reading all modules on the CANBUS? BMW’s seem to have CAN wiring running all over the car. If that small circuit board in the OEM motor accepts CAN signals then perhaps it shows up as a module in the As Built Data? Lots of questions but this why we enjoy figuring out these things!

We do use FORScan to “flash” the modules but we aren’t changing the software so much as a config file. There is a way to flash the software with FORScan it just isn’t available to the public.

There is no can connection to the exhaust valves. It’s a data connection directly from the PCM...I need to find the wiring diagram again...

 

[breeves002]

Looks like there is a relay to make it so it doesn’t have power unless the PCM has power.

Then there are two data lines direct from the PCM. Likely data TX and RX lines. The pcm tells the motors where it wants them and they reply saying they are working and in the correct position.

 

[djcwardog]

Mike at Autonation just ordered me a pair of these mufflers. Said there were 58 of one and 40 of the other shown in stock at Ford. One was $172 and the other was $173. Don’t know whether right or left for either case above, but no worries, plenty to go around at least for now. Thanks to breeves002 for his great ideas and the how-to. By the way, Mike is ordering me the digital 12” cluster pieces also. Appears that the bezel will be the waited-for piece.

 

[breeves002]

Gonna be expensive to get shipped from MN to KY there. I went to my local dealer and got them for $185 each but no shipping.

Yeah Mike just shipped me 3 clusters for people. Bezels are due April 25th.

I just need to find a rear valance to replace my cut up one that will actually fit. Its driving me nuts... I may get pricing on an 18 bumper and all its assorted pieces. My car is plastidipped so its easy for me to just do one part.

 

[DarkHor$e]

All the best bits!, Who needs a 2018? :love:

 

[Ace21]

Hello everyone, I am new to the forum and I just traded my 2016 GT in for a new 2018 with the active exhaust. I have been doing quite a bit of research on the system as I was curious how it operates. It looks like the system is designed to be truly 'active' instead of passive like that found on the GT350, so your wiring could be accounting for pulsewidth modulation which is how an active system would work reliably over a long period of time.

For any 2015-2017 guys want to nab the stock components and make them work in a similar fashoin to OEM, I don't see it being too difficult to run them based off of RPM using an Arduino as the controller. If you get to the point where you would like to go down that road I would be more than happy to help out.

 

[breeves002]

Hello everyone, I am new to the forum and I just traded my 2016 GT in for a new 2018 with the active exhaust. I have been doing quite a bit of research on the system as I was curious how it operates. It looks like the system is designed to be truly 'active' instead of passive like that found on the GT350, so your wiring could be accounting for pulsewidth modulation which is how an active system would work reliably over a long period of time.

For any 2015-2017 guys want to nab the stock components and make them work in a similar fashoin to OEM, I don't see it being too difficult to run them based off of RPM using an Arduino as the controller. If you get to the point where you would like to go down that road I would be more than happy to help out.

Yes they are PWM. You can totally do that but it seems like a waste of time honestly. It is a lot of work to do. I'd rather just flip the switch and be loud when I want to be loud.

Keep in mind you'll need a circuit board in the motor itself. The stock one will likely not take your commands....

 

[Ace21]

I guess my train of thought for keeping it 'active' was for the benefit of giving the ability to run all the modes, quiet mode included, and it not hurt performance.

So you are saying that you don't think the board inside the units will take the pwm signal as is? Or are you suggesting that the board inside each unit is not actual driver boards?

I guess if you just want a passive system then wouldn't just picking up some 2.5in electric cutouts be far cheaper and more form fitting?

 

[breeves002]

You're not gaining any performance with the valves open. Maybe 1-2HP when stock.

No, I think the boards inside are taking a data input from the PCM and then replying with their positions. Maybe I2C. If it just sent PWM it wouldn't know they were in the proper position. Theres a sensor on the board to detect what state the valve is in.

Picking up electric cutouts would be more expensive for sure. Custom exhaust work instead of just cut and clamp with these. Those cutouts are the same price as one of these mufflers or more and the cheapest I've found won't even work with the stock exhaust.

 

[Ace21]

Ah gotcha, I remember looking at e-cuttouts a few years back and I found some for around $240 shipped, probably cheap foriegn made parts, but I also have all the tools to do custom exhaust work myself, minus a pipe bender. I see your points though.

I honestly didn't think that Ford would put that much effort in them. I guess I figured they would have used an inital range swip on ignition and applied the pwm signal directly based off of know values. Then again, I want to say that I remember reading or watching somewhere that if the position is not closed upon ignition then the system does throw and error code, so that just verifies your statements even further that it would have to 'know' the actual position of the valves....

Awesome, well thank you sir for sharing your knowledge!

 

[drabon74]

Looking at an 18, only option I want that’s missing is active exhaust.. It’s a 401a with digital dash. Looking forward to seeing what I need to do to add it.

 

[breeves002]

Looking at an 18, only option I want that’s missing is active exhaust.. It’s a 401a with digital dash. Looking forward to seeing what I need to do to add it.

You'll just need to add pins to a PCM connector and run the wires to it. Then you'll enable it in as built data in the cluster and cross your fingers it works. If it doesn't you'll need a PCM from one with active exhaust or have someone figure out how to enable it with a tune.

 

[BlownGP]

Great info on the exhaust.

My question is. How hard was it too cut the valence? I think I want to do this to add some dual tips.

I want the Roush valence, but with the price and how it seems like a PITA to install.

Thanks
Steven

 

[breeves002]

Roush valance is cheap but I don't think these tips will fit in it.

Cutting the valance is super easy it just doesn't look great.

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