Alright, so last year, around February 2012 I added a long tube header to my car, which pretty much did away with the P&B completely. Then in March I put a cam on it. Still, no popping. Didn't drive the car in the summer at all, due to being deployed, so in the fall I started driving it again. I replaced the spark plugs around this time if I remember correctly..

Fast forward to about January, I replaced one spark plug due to the threads being ruined somehow. And got new wires to get rid of a continuous misfire code, which worked.

And now, about 2 weeks ago I seafoamed the car really good, used about 90% of the can on the vacuum lines, because it felt like it was hesitating and jerking on load. It smoked like a chimney..! It seemed to run much better now... However it seems like I have the pop and burble again! It's sporadic, and louder than before too..

So what would be causing the popping to come back all of a sudden?? Is it due to the car apparently being cleaner, or is something breaking? Cat maybe?

 

Wait do you not want the p&b?

 

No it's not that, I just got used to not hearing it, and now it's back all if a sudden

 

I think the p&b is at least in part due to the ecu programming, but normally the cleaner/clearer the exhaust valves/header/etc are, the more pronounced it is..

 

I HATE the childish P&B crap on the R56's!!! During city driving it oft sounds like a backfire and it's not real... It's computer controlled. I'm old enough to know the sound from old muscle cars and the bubbly crap MINI has PROGRAMED into the 2011+ MINIs is a pale imitation.

 

Imagine living in the city with a straight pipe...