Burbles/Pop&Bang
BURBLES/POP&BANG
ECM Titanium Tuning Tips
The “Burbles” or “Pop&Bang” is a highly sought-after sound effect among sports car owners.
These are generally popping and crackling sounds produced during overrun, resulting from a combination of retarded ignition timing and a delay in the cut-off activation.
This phenomenon can be managed at various engine speeds, especially on vehicles with modified exhaust systems, through specific adjustments to the engine control unit (ECU) parameters. Many sports car enthusiasts love the aggressive and sporty sound that “Burbles/Pop&Bang” gives to their vehicles.
This sound has become a hallmark of high-performance cars, so much so that some manufacturers have started to include it as a standard feature on certain models.
How is the modification achieved?
The Burbles/Pop&Bang effect is obtained through a series of modifications to the ECU maps:
- Fuel cut-off modification
- Ignition advance modification
To achieve the popping sounds, ignition timing needs to be retarded. This ensures that part of the combustion occurs with opened exhaust valves, producing the characteristic pops and crackles in the exhaust system.
Please note that this effect generates high backpressures and EGT in the exhaust during lift off conditions: if the car is equipped with a stock catalyst it will be necessary to work with low increments on maps otherwise you can damage some engine components (turbocharger, valve seats, etc) or the catalytic converter.
The maps that manage the fuel cut-off during throttle release must be adjusted. This includes the overrun fuel cut-off delay maps and its switch.
The maps that manage the base, optimal and minimum spark advance have to be modded to obtain the desired effect.