Pop & bang is an onomatopoeic term used to describe the sounds let off from the exhaust of some supercars when they are decelerating. However, our engineers have developed pop & bang modifications for many ‘regular’ cars. Pop & bang is now available to a wider public and it is gaining popularity rapidly, so it is important to know what it is and how to enjoy it safely.

Aside from this most common term, pop & bang is also known as crackle map, decelaration map, anti-lag system, popcorn, pop on overrun and in some countries as schubblubbern or schubabschaltung. All of these names reveal a part of its nature. Crackle map is another term inspired by onomatopoeia, deceleration map tells about when most of pops and bangs occur and anti-lag system reveals a performance-related benefit for cars with turbochargers.

If done properly, kept under control, well tested and not taken too far it is completely safe. In fact, many manufacturers offer pop & bang sounds as a stock feature for their cars and they come with regular warranty and safety claims. These include some of the most famous manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz (especially for AMG cars), BMW and VW and other VAG models. So, yes, pop & bang, if done right, is completely safe. Otherwise, they would hardly find their place in regular production cars.

 

We have already emphasized the importance of control for safety of pop & bang modification. This is why it is of the highest importance that you understand how pop & bang is created and how it works.

The flame front that creates the sound during the regular combustion process is also present here, but alteration of its location and time results in the sound that we hear.

Combustion usually happens only inside the cylinders. This ensures top performance and also safety. 

Well, for pop & bang the flame front is delayed so that a part of it also happens in the exhaust. This gives us the desired pop and bang sound.

However, if the delayed combustion happened all the time, performance would be hampered significantly, since good timing is essential for performance. This is why the delay is programmed in order to happen only when you lift your foot off the accelerator pedal. This way the pop & bang is present but it by no means reduces the performance abilities of your car. In fact, for turbocharged cars, it even improves performance. We’ll talk about that in a minute.

First let’s see what gives us the sound.

 

Generally speaking, when you lift your foot off the pedal, the fuel is cut off. You do not need it at that moment. However, for pop & bang we let the fuel flow for a bit longer, i.e. we delay the fuel cut off. This means that some of the fuel keeps flowing even when the foot is off the pedal and the exhaust valves open, so a certain amount of fuel ends up in the exhaust.

The delay in fuel cut is accompanied by a delay/retardation in ignition timing. 

These two changes give room for the mentioned performance improvement, even though it might seem that the delayed explosion can have no influence on performance since it happens when the throttle pedal is not pressed. However, the increased flow through the exhaust even when the pedal is not pressed means that the turbo keeps working, instead of decreasing its revs. This means that the next time you press the pedal you will not experience the all too familiar and hated turbo lag, since the exhaust side of the turbo keeps spinning, giving the compressor side the opportunity to provide instant boost once the pedal is pressed again and the throttle valve opens to let the air into the engine. This is why pop & bang is also called anti-lag system (ALS).

Mind you, turbo is not necessary for pop & bang, since the most important segments are the delays in ignition and fuel cutoff. The only difference between cars with and without turbo is that the turbocharged cars will benefit from the anti-lag feature.

Moreover, pops and bangs can also occur when the car is standing still. The mechanism is fairly similar, but the sounds are of noticeably lower intensity.

 

Yes, but there are a few things to consider.

Most people who aim for custom tailored pop & bang require more intensive sound. Going too far with the modifications can be very detrimental to the valves, exhaust and even turbo. Most parts are not designed to withstand extreme temperatures and pressures which are inevitably created during the most aggressive pops and bangs.

In order to provide our customers with safety, but also allow some level of customization, we have created two stages of pop & bang tuning.

Stage 1 pop & bang offers moderate pop & bang levels. It is sufficient for most customers and it also comes with other benefits. For example, for stage 1 you don’t need any aftermarket parts or other hardware changes. The pops and bangs are designed to provide the amazing sound, but also ensure safety of all parts including the most vulnerable ones such as catalyst.

However, some people want the extreme and for them we offer stage 2 pop & bang. The stage 2 actually includes a number of different upgrades which help us tailor the tuning according to what the customer wants.

The initial requirements for the stage 2 include an aftermarket or sports exhaust and exclusion of the stock catalytic converter. These stock parts are not of sufficient capability to deal with the severe pops and bangs, so they need to be removed.

Other changes depend on what the customer desires. We have a dedicated team of experts which can perform all of the necessary calculations and tests and provide the best advice for each particular case. However, due to the varying requirements of our customers, the most hardcore alterations are done on their own responsibility.

 

Yes, diesels can also have the sound. Due to the inherent differences in the operation of the diesels, the process is a bit different and it includes delaying the fuel injection at the times when the rpms and throttle pedal are at their very maximum level. 

 

There are two ways pop & bang can damage the car. The first one is already mentioned in this text in the part about stage 2 pop & bang. In this case the damage can come when pops and bangs are too extreme. However, well trained and experienced experts can help you to not cross the line of safety.

The second way pops and bangs can seriously damage your car regardless of the level of the modification is having it tuned by people who do not have the necessary knowledge, experience or equipment. Bear in mind that you are modifying the operation of your engine and putting far more stress on some of its parts. Not controlling every part of the process can be detrimental even if you opt for lower intensity pops and bangs.

In order to achieve safety to go with the amazing sound all you need to do is entrust the tuning to top experts and stop before you go too far. This way your pop & bang modification will be safe. And whatever you may hear, complete safety is possible. Just remember OEM pop & bang that we have already mentioned.

At the moment we have developed pop & bang modifications for some of the most common and most revered ECUs on the market. This enables us to provide tuning for cars produced by manufacturers such as Mercedes Benz, Porsche, BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, Skoda, Seat, Renault, Peugeot, Citroen, Mini, Volvo, Fiat, Lancia, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Ford and many more.

Moreover, our list of available pop & bang tunings is constantly expanding so make sure you contact us even if the manufacturer of your car is not on this list. So far we can provide pop & bang for numerous ECUs made by Bosch, Siemens, Delphi, Denso, etc.

Aside from pop & bang we also offer  other performance and sound improvement services such as performance tuning stages 1, 2 and 3, flat shift (No-Lift Shift) which enables faster shifting and improved turbo reaction, hardcut limiter, launch control, map switching and many more.

Make sure you contact us and see what we can do for you.

 

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