///// Push Button Drone Removal OR how to make your car sound "throatier" ... maybe drone is not caused by what you think /////

Andyinchville1

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2016
Location
Virginia
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI wagon, 5 sp, 226K miles
Hi All,

The other day may car seemed to get loud for no real reason .

I have the mods in my signature and I used to blame the drone on my new (or then new exhaust system exhaust system and or something being not right with the install (maybe loose mounting points something making contact with the frame etc...). and or harder density 034 motor mounts and dogbone.... BUT this was NOT THAT drone (in actuality my exhaust really does not drone per se but the 034 mounts do make a noise from them being stiffer .... kinda drony BUT not the same)...

I thoroughly checked over the entire system and other than just snugging up a few nuts and bolts everything pretty much seemed to be in order so I drove on ....

The noise seemed to go away and actually stayed away for many thousands of miles.... probably upwards of 20K or so miles

Anyways, the other day while just driving around in town the car seemed to get a loud drone loud again .... even oddy at idle and and slow speeds too (higher speeds also),

I pulled over with the engine on and the exhaust was way deeper and drone like even when listening to the exhaust pipe from the outside

At first I thought muffler clamps got loose but then I remembered .... no muffler and why would it be noisier outside the tailpipe too?

I then thought the downpipe sprung a leak BUT the the noise was coming through the tail pipe too and the system is pretty new

I checked over the entire exhaust system again looking for clues as to why the car got "drony"

I could not find anything BUT the next time I drove the car no issues!

The problem later reared its ugly head again BUT this time I was driving faster and I realized I had less power so I looked on my handy dandy scan gauge (permanently attached to the car running as a gauge) for the dreaded P0234 code that pops up on occasion (often times a code can be thrown that does NOT show up as a check engine light .... ).

I used the scan gauge to look at the codes BUT none showed.

I then remembered there was a way to look at "pending" codes on the Scan Gauge (pending codes do not light the check engine light and don't show up under regular codes when scanned).

Anyways, a new code popped up that I had not seen before .... P0106

I googled it but it did not make real sense as to what it was BUT when I cleared that code the engine was less drony and back to normal sounding exhaust wise,

With that , what is the P0106 ?

What causes it to go on or pop up and what is the solution to fixing that ?

In conclusion , IF you think drone is caused by the exhaust it may NOT be .... The P0106 code does it too

If you want more noise / deeper tone maybe intentially CAUSING the P0106 error can get that for you (BUT I think the car may be "weaker" because of it .... I only checked codes because I thought it was another P0234 and was going to reset that but it was this new to me code that popped up so by clearing it out I got less "noise" and maybe back to normal power)
 

burpod

teh stallionz!!1
Joined
Nov 27, 2004
Location
cape cod, ma
TDI
82 rabbit vnt ahu, 98 jetta vnt ahu, 05 parts car, 88 scirocco.. :/
Sounds like n75 isn't working right, like a vacuum leak. Or limp mode.. or sticky vnt vanes. Some people do a "deep idle" mod by changing the n75 map to have it be open rather than closed at idle.
 

ghohouston

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2013
Location
Lewisville, Texas
TDI
2001 Jetta Sedan TDI 5 Speed
Remove the vaccum line from the reservoir with the car idling, I bet it produces the same noise you're speaking of.
 
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