The Internet has certainly made working on your car a lot less scary because you have multiple videos explaining everything from changing a light bulb to installing a new steering wheel. But what is the Sound Symposer, what does it do and why would you want to get rid of it?
Well, if I remember correctly, Ford changing the engine for the Focus ST was kind of a big deal way back in 2012. The old ST famously had 2.5-liter that drank a lot of fuel but sounded great. They changed it to a 2.0-liter EcoBoost which got a power boost from 225 to 252 hp. But the soundtrack wasn't the same.
Most cars produce fake engine sounds using the speakers, but Ford got around this problem with the Symposer thingie. It pipes noise from the induction system into the cabin. Back in the day, this was a controversial move, but we think it's a lot less "fake" than other solutions.
But once you start adding blow-off valves, cold air intake systems and new exhaust systems to that 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine, the Symposer becomes useless. It stops you from hearing those upgrades working. So most people who tune their older Focus ST models delete it.
Doing so requires a bit more work than VW's Soundaktor, which is just a plug and play device. You'll first need to buy another aftermarket component, made by Steeda.
The kit includes a metal plate with a gasket that goes over the hole where the Symposer connected to the engine. It's got a gasket to ensure a tight seal because the last thing you want is to lose boost pressure. After that, you remove the plastic hose that pipes the sound to the cabin and plug the hole with a cap that's also provided with a kit.
Hopefully, even if you don't have a Focus ST, these videos will give you an idea of what it's like to own one and how you can play around with it.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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