Here's the symptoms & known issues:

- Resonator rattles (Magnaflow is looking into the warranty)
- Past 3,500RPM (WOT or not) the exhaust sounds LITERALLY like a chain saw
- Under 3,500RPM its loud yet deep (Which is my goal)

Here's the Exhaust combo..

SS/NA 2.4
- Vibrant Header/Downpipe w/ High Flow cat
- Magnaflow 2.5" Cat-Back
- Stock tune

Can a bad resonator cause the poor cobalt to sound like a chainsaw? I have no audio clip. Just look up what a chainsaw sounds like. Has anyone had this issue in the past? I want to know your opinions on the matter. Resonators fault? Or bad combination?

 

/\ Yes, I have dealt with the same issue. The only other thing that can make your car sound a tad ricy is a catless d/p and you dont have that. Bang on the resinator hard with your fist or rubber hammer, you will here the rattling. In my case it was the incorrect positioning of the baffle that caused me to sound like a buzzsaw. However you do have a 4cyl, its always going to sound a bit shitty in my opinion.

 

Yeah I cant avoid the 4 cylinder part of the situation. I've just never listened to a Cobalt with a magnaflow set up that sounded as shitty as mine does. And yes, all i have to do is shake the resonator and it rattles. Lifts ftw

 

the virbrant header/dp combo, while very high quality, DOES sound like a chainsaw. It's the header/dp, not anything "wrong" with the system. The resonator issue with magnaflow is common, I had to have mine replaced as well. It will rattle a little, but other than that won't affect the sound.

 

When I have the resonator replaced, I may consider a different muffler. I've seen great results with the ARK DT-S set up on the Vibrant Header/DP

 

personally, or with sound clips... I have never heard any combination sound "good" with the vibrant setup. Don't change the magnaflow, it's pretty much the best sounding system for the cobalt there is. If you want to change something, change the header/dp.

 

it's the vibrant.. their setup sounds like **** on every car i've heard it on

 

i've installed the vibrant piece on a bunch of cars, and same thing... it never sounds good. Which is a shame because it really is a quality setup.

 

A center/offset muffler might help a bit, too (rather than the center/center configuration that comes with the system). I dropped my GMPP center/center for a Magnaflow center/offset and it improved sound quality A LOT.

 

Any chance for an audio clip?

 

I'll see what I can do, but it's supposed to sleet/snow tonight and I don't know how motivated I'd be to go out and drive in those conditions with summer tires on her still.

Also, I'm supercharged with a ZZP Header/Catless DP (but an extra resonator in place of the cat) and I still have the shitty GMPP resonator in place, so that would mean that all you'd hear at 50%-WOT is the whine of the M62...

 

i have the vibrant header dp and the hahn 3in catback and i love how my car sounds
i did have a 2.5 in corsa sport and it sounded like ass
i know a 3in is to big for the op but i love my vibrant header lol

 

i have that problem, but im pacesetter ,catless , stock exahsut to flowmaster...but the wierd thing is it only sounds bad for inside the car. from the outside its raspy at times , but not nearly as bad as it sounds inside.

 

you have a completely different setup, and can't compare to the op's at all. I think the zzp sounds great, is one of my faves in terms of sound, especially when put with the magnaflow.

 

That's why I was prefacing it with that data.

But even with the ZZP setup, the wife did not like the GMPP catback's sound on the car and sent me to the muffler shop to "get it fixed".

So with a shot in the dark, I tried the Magnaflow muffler along with 2.5" axle-back piping and it now sounds nice and subdued and much better than the center/center GMPP setup (isn't it a magnaflow muffler, too?)

 

but he already has the muffler you're suggesting.... i guess that's why i'm confused.

 

He has a center/center muffler (essentially it's just a straight-thru muffler). I suggested going with a center/offset (forces the exhaust to turn slightly and forces it into the padding to deaden it further).

Center/Center:

Center/Offset:

 

the magnaflow catback comes with the muffler you're suggesting... I know the difference between the 2 lol.

 

Does it? I was under the impression that it was a center/center in an oval shell. If so, then sorry for the confusion.

 

I have the Center/Offset muffler

 

it's all good, but yea it doesn't come with a straight through

 

After a little more digging, it looks like the Magnaflow is one of the only (if not THE ONLY) commercial catback exhaust with a center/offset muffler. May be part of the reason why they sound the best?

 

/\ They dont sound the best imo. My old Corsa Sport got much better props and to me sounded a bit too loud, but to everyone else that heard it, it was teh sexsi. I always had people asking me what setup I was running. Stock LNF exhaust for the win tho, just add a catless downpipe and you'll sound like a cessna when you start up :P