[Thomas118i]

I test-drove a 116i with manual gearbox at my local dealer and just loved the sound of the 3 cylinder engine. I wanted an automatic, so I also tried a 318iA. To my surprise, the 318iA didn't have the sound of the 116i at all. It was dead silent. The dealer didn't seem to be aware of the different sound, but supposed it would have to be a result of more soundproofing in the 3-series. After finding several videos on the net showing the 118i with automatic and the same awesome sound I experienced in the 116i, I ordered a 118iA.

After 8 weeks my new car arrived, and my dissappointment was hard to hide when the car had the same total lack of engine noise as the 3-series I had tested.

The dealer says the different sounds must be a consequence of the different gearboxes, but that sounds odd to me, especially after watching the videos on the net.

I have driven the i8 hybrid which has the same engine, and the sund in this car is very much like the sound in the 116i. The i8 uses ASD, and therefore I suspect the 116i which I tested, and the cars from the videos, to also be equipped with ASD. But if this is correct, then why doesn't my car have the same ASD module?? And if the ASD-theory is false, then the question still is; Why does my car totally lack the great purring sound of the 3 cylinder engine which sits under the bonnet..???

[Weiman]

Anything below the M135i lacks the ASD module, so it has to be something else..

[AusF20/F48]

The three cylinder is their base power plant (excluding the i8) and primarily designed for frugal people who mostly drive in the city or commute to the city, so economy, emissions and noise are high on the priority for the engineers.
Like all engines, you can modify the exhaust system to create a more desirable note by changing the pipes and exhaust components with tuned ones to meet your desire. (this can also increase the power)
I would suggest that you look for an exhaust specialist who can custom a system for you.

[ovekvam]

It sounds pretty good in the Mini Cooper as well. More silent in our 118i.

[1SolidF20]

Completely silent in the 118i I am afraid and it is not tunable. I don't really like to puffs it does on idling when I am outside of the car.

[Thomas118i]

What makes me confused are the videos showing the 118iA with the same nice sound that I experienced in the 116i I test-drove. Some examples:

(at 5.20)

(from 1.00)

(116i)

So the sound in my car (and obviously others) are not at all like this. I have to watch the rev-meter to know when to change gears when gearing manually.... Does anyone else find it strange that different examples of the same car sounds so different...??

[N116i]

Hi Thomas118i,

Which audio/navi system you have?

Maybe that's the difference between your 118i and others you've seen.

[ovekvam]

Or could it have to do with the driving mode? I have only been driving around in Comfort Mode so far, as the car is not run in yet.

[Thomas118i]

I have Harman Kardon audio and business navi. I have seen the possibility of the audio-system beeing the reason for the different engine sounds, but that would mean that the cars with "regular" hifi or just standard audio system have some kind of ASD. If this is the case, then this would be very interesting information which the dealers should be very aware of.

And yes; the sound is just the same in every driving mode.

[1SolidF20]

My 118i with base audio is the same. You can't hear anything of the engine noise with your ears. With a camera you can hear more of the sound of the engine because the mic is in the front of the camera. It's normal.

[Thomas118i]

It would be interesting to know if anyone on the forum have a b38 engined car with the sound as in the videos above, and how their cars are specced.

[ovekvam]

I have a rental car now that sounds like in the videos, or even better. Unfortunately it is Ford Fiesta with a naturally aspirated 3 cylinder 1 liter engine. 80 hp and 105 Nm.

[Jack_Frost]

Originally Posted by Thomas118i

It would be interesting to know if anyone on the forum have a b38 engined car with the sound as in the videos above, and how their cars are specced.

Hi Thomas, registered just for this. I'm uploading a clip from a little roadtrip I did yesterday, so you can hear the sound I'm getting. I think it matches the sounds posted above, but i'll let you decide.

My specs are as follows:
118i M-sport
6-speed manual
B38 3 cylinder
Hifi system
Around 4000 km's
Conti Sportcontact 5 SSR

The sound insulation of the cabin and engine compartment are pretty effective, but once you get above 4k revs, it starts to come alive in a nice way. I'm not sure if you're still breaking in the engine, which could mean you're not hitting the revs required to make her sing, but I'm probably wrong.

Some notes for those interested:

1st clip: Windows completely open, with the tunnel reflecting tons of sound, what you hear is exaggerated.
2nd clip (behind the bikes): starts off with half opened windows. At about 00:35 in I close them. This shows just how good the sound insulation really is: I do shift up, and lay off the gas, but it's very quiet when driven normally. It isn't until the downshift blip that the engine is clearly audible.
3rd clip: Just enjoying the scenery. Windows closed, air conditioning off - for eh, environmental purposes.

[dreier]

Drive the car in sport mode.

[ovekvam]

Originally Posted by dreier

Drive the car in sport mode.

It only changes the pedal mapping, not the sound or power.

[jonesy236]

I have a late 2015 218i M Sport, manual, nav, standard audio. This also has the 3 cylinder engine. I definitely have the noisier engine. I really can't explain why yours doesn't sound right.

My husband works for BMW and he seems to think it might be something to do with the auto box, but thats just his opinion.