Cold air intake DIY on a budget. DO THEY WORK? Let's find out! Please put any questions in the comments! LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE DIY'S AND REVIEWS.
Good tips to keep your car running fine for a long time: - 1st off yes - cold air does make a difference because you change the density of air meaning you can press more air into the cylinder even thou the cylinder remains the same size. The ECU then adds more fuel to the mixture and that is the reason you get a bit more power. - Never do a cold air intake that sucks in air from the road, especially when it is raining. The complicated way of letting the air in OEM style is exactly for that reason. Cone and similar filters do not filter water and other miniature crap that comes with it as well as any regular paper filter which works on a dry basis and when a drop hits the paper then it is going to absorb that moisture and dry pretty much two seconds later with new air comming throu. Oiled filters can't do that the same way. Not saying they can't at all but the difference is not negligible - Once you are ready to do a cold air intake mod start considering adding a radiator into the front bumper that will cool air as you drive along. Something diesel engines have but you would have it on your petrol car. That woud cool down air even more adding even more power to your engine. All in a natural and non destructive manner. Just be carefull not to bottle neck your setup by chosing inproper hoses that would limit your intake capability. Also do not oversize them too much because it would limit airflow. Imagine yourself having a regular straw, a vaccum cleaner hose and a collecting duct where you could fit your head in. Now try to imagine yourself trying to suck air so you could hold a ping pong ball on the other side. How much energy would you need to create to hold that ball in place? On a smaller size almost none while on the biggest you wouldn't have a chance to create a vaccuum that strong. And that is pretty much the problem with the intake. But not completely. Because not only the diameter plays a role but the lenght as well. Take a garden hose and cut it...lets say.... 2 meters long and 10 meters long. Leave some water in it and try to blow it out. The short one will take little to no energy while on the long one you will have to push your lungs really hard to get that water moving. In terms of air intake this means creating a vaccuum inside your intake. The bigger the vacuum is the better your power range in the low RPM will be. But the bigger your vaccuum will become the lower your higher RPM will become. For that reason BMW created the DISA valve. To steer the lenght of the intake dynamically :) BMW put some tought into that as well. And not only there. But you'll find out other areas once you get interested into the car enough :) As for now I would suggest to try the easier mod with the cone filter and drive it only on dry and sunny days to keep moisture and road crap off the engine. And if you feel this is something for you start collecting money to get a proper setup for your car and make the most of it. Again - naturally without damaging the car in any way. No chip tuning or else. Just simply cold air. Next thing to consider: tire and rim weight. Rotational weight or also known as unsprung weight will steal your power as well. You won't get that much better power improvement when you remove 10Kg weight off the car as when you remove 1Kg off your wheels. Go and put your rim and tyre on a scale and see how you are doing. If your combo is over 20Kg then it is time to start looking for a change. BTW the higher the size the worse the weight savings. Best savings are in 16'' and 17'' wheels. 18'' and more and you will have a hard time get a good and light set of rims and tires. Oh and the rubber is not the same as well. Check the internet for tire weights before you buy some. The same size can have different weights when the manufacturer is different. But even the same brand can have different weights on different tires. Like Sport Maxx RT2 or just Sport Maxx and you get different weights. Thats all for now :) was it long? Yes. Was it usefull? Definetly.
Great write up. I’ve been looking into the K&N cold air set up as my first performance upgrade (2003 330i). Looking to be able to go to the track on the weekends and also daily drive the thing (wheel and tire advice was highly appreciated). Still deciding between performance pulleys or the cold air intake to do first… I guess I’ll have them both at some point so it doesn’t matter too much :)
I "feel" like my M3 performs much better after I wash and wax it. I can really "feel" a performance increase after I stop and have a shot of Crown and a couple Beers.
He's right! Longer intakes increases low end torque and better midrange. Shorter intake better throttle response and is best for top end. There has been publications on that, one of which I purchased. Here is one that you can purchase online if you care to read but it concluded exactly what I stated. link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40430-013-0074-2
After my cold air modification on an old 2003 530i I took a trip from Houston TX. to Las Vegas NV. and was astounded to see an average mpg of 28. Blew my mind. And I was traveling at the state max MPH speed. I love my old 530i. I work every day to keep it in tip top shape.
For those looking to fab their own intake, a tip about the intake boot. You don't need to force it to an "unnatural" angle. Just loosen the clamp in the middle of the two boots (not the one at the MAF) and you can twist the upper boot around to an angle better suited to your application. Then re-tighten it and you're golden. If you don't like the angle of the MAF harness connector after this, just loosen the MAF clamp and rotate it so it sits better.
I have a 325ci and I fitted a K&N 57I-1000a couple years back and it cost me £200. The reason I opted for that specific one was because it came with a heat shield and it also made use of the factory snorkel to help force fresh cold air into that region. I know companies claim they make power but I wasn't too concerned with if it gained power, I just didn't want to loose power. I will come to why I installed one later. After a drive there definitely is significant temp difference between the inside of the heat shield and outside it so it seems to be doing it's job but stopping hot air getting in. Tbh I don't remember how it drove before the mod. I think it felt like it went through the revs quicker but I just put this down to a placebo. Like I said I didn't buy it for performance. Now, the noise, this is why I bought it. The noise it makes absolutely transforms the car. The induction noise above 3500rpm and all the way red line is intoxicating. You get the straight 6 howl which sounds absolutely amazing and it sounds like a sports car. When I'm in first gear and I take it to the redline it turns heads in any public area because it sounds like a full on sports car and often people just assume it's an M3 because of the sound but again I iterate the noise. With the top down it sounds amazing.
try building an intake box around the cone under your fender properly supported with a small enough entrance or detachable cover to add DRY ICE & u will remember me & be blown away at how much increase in throttle response & HP you gain.
"this is so sofisticated. The air comes in here and goes into this thing, and goes in there, and then there's that other thing down there that does stuff, that I don't understand how it works but it has curves and shapes in it". Holy shit I literaly lol'd!
only came across your channel today, slowly catching up with your videos, I've got a ram air kit with heat shield in the engine bay in my 330ci sport convertible, had a carbon gruppeM in my old e36 328i sport, main reason for why I like them is the roar, specially on the e46, I found my car way to quiet when I put my foot down, I've done the "golf tee" mod to the exhaust, with that coupled to the induction kit I'm now very happy with the sound on the car :) . great videos by the way..... im envious of your alcantara steering wheel.... might get myself one in the future..... there's some nice ones on eBay at the moment although a tad pricey!
I did a cold air intake similar to this one and I painted it with heat resistant paint to keep the heat from the engine away I noticed a little more power but liked more the sound it made at high RPM
Good video, sounds like it's worth the effort. Just wondering how much more difficult (if any) is it to access the filter for changing? Looked like the stock air box was more accessible, seems like it could possibly be a real PIA to have to remove the splash guard in the wheel well each time?
When I bough my E46 325 I replaced the spark plugs, mounted a Mishimoto CAI and in the process also cleaned the MAF sensor. man, the difference it made... Throttle response was on a whole different level and I have to confirm the low-end power gains. Also, the sounds is different, more to my liking now (and fuel consumption is slightly better too) Watching your UUC lightweight flywheel review I can't wait to swap the whole clutch system to the UUC one and give my M54 a decent ECU tune, see what it's made of! 😊
+Bence Kormos there are other brands of lightweight flywheel too! Shop around for the best price. They will all have a similar response to what I talked about in that video.
+TH Yeah, there are a few options out there. On the CAI subject - mine came with a heat shield for the air filter which I think you could add to your setup too. I also got a silicone lower intake boot, not sure about any benefits to it on it's own but the whole system works nicely for me. Btw, make sure you don't move the idle valve control unit otherwise your revs in your engine go nuts!! =)) (learnt the hard way)
Hi! I hope you can respond, could you help direct me to the links to the pipes you used in the video? I can’t seem to find a good long enough elbow pipe similar to yours. I only find a lot shorter ones
Nice video man!! I just have one question because i'm going to do this. How do I find a piping kit with the bracket? None of the ones i found seem to mention having one. I ask because if it doesn't come with a bracket, there will not be any existing place to attach it to the car.
Two questions: 1. Would removing the corresponding foglight be better for flow? It seems like the opening in front of the wheels doesn't have much flow on its own. 2. How would it be if the filter was located way over on the passenger's side? Too low flow rate?
I have the same car and I'm having mass airflow issues I have to unplug it for my car to run so if you know anything about this could you please let me know
doing the intake alone Is ok, doing it along with the exhaust system is the icing on the cake. Very noticeable torque, performance gains at low, mid, and hard throttle.
I have a question about the sound the come when you are revving 6:58 . It sounds like something is opening before the engine builds up the revs, is that normal? I started to get the sound when my engine heated after my expansiontank cracked a while ago. Nice video, keep up the good work! :)
I recently just purchased a Canon short ram intake for my 2002 Honda Civic I've had cold air intakes on my other civics you're right in the sense that it has more of a low in Greenwich but it's up to you what you want if you like more sound like I do in a little bit of performance in Greece like I do then or colder intake could be your best bet if not then that's up to you
I have a K&N on my 2015 taurus SEL. I notice a 2.5mpg increase for fuel. Was it worth the money? To me yes cause I like the sound it has. Does it make my car a performance racing machine? No.
The difference with a CAI are great compared to the stock filter and airbox, but you can also get very good and similar results with a good K&N drop in filter. In a CAI you need to make sure to have a good quality filter and not anythig from ebay, when I bought my car (second hand) the previous owner used to have a cheap ebay filter and it was getting sheredded, falling appart and going into the engine, I inmediately changed it for a K&N cone, and has been perfect since then.
if it feels as if its going flat up high in the power range it sounds like it may need a tune to open it up. id try that. could be leaning out at the top
Okay fair enough, only asked because as you know only a insignificant improvement if any is achieved. Thanks for the answer, because I've have a 330 and thinking of doing the same mod.
Maybe some advice can be given I picked up just a filter from Canadian Tire and slapped it onto the stock intake boot, just before the sensor where the original airbox attaches too I know I'll have troubles with engine bay heat causing hotter air to enter my vehicle thus not getting cold dense air like I would want, I plan on building a clear shroud around the filter so it's visible under the hood but making this shroud attach to the original set up on the grill so that way I get my cold air this way, But curious to know if just leaving it in the engine bay alone will cause loss in power rather then just simply the same to what it would have been, I would like to imagine yes but you seem very educated I would like your input! Same car btw love my 2.5l BMW 3 series, she's a 2004
This might seem like a dumb question but I got my E46 330i a few months back and I'm ready to give it its first oil change. However, I realized that my main jack does not fit through the front of the car to reach the jack point. The car is too low. I was wondering how you could jack it up. I've seen/heard people say to drive up on some 2x4s but I haven't tried it. Thanks.
Yea, you will have to raise the front up a bit to get to the jack point, or go buy a low profile jack (thats what I did, much easier). You could also buy ramps. Dont forget to support it properly before you crawl under!
Nice job! Not really surprising that there is a torque/power gain to be found as the original intake is compromised by noise regulations as well as requirements set by assembling the car originally.
Open a hole in the airbox at the upper part of it. Open a round hole in the hood and make a short "tunnel" between them with a pipe. Install a scoop at the bonnet and here you got a ram air.
I hear alot of talk about these CAI causing heat problems in the hotter months, you know.. becuase its only sucking in hot air... how do you combat that?
I think a bigger k&n filter would also help you out. try cutting the pipe back if it wont fit in this configuration. also be sure that there are no edges internally where the couplers fit together. the turbulence can really hurt performance. I've seen many tests that show k&n filter media is the best out there. its worth the 50 bucks for a nice 3inch cone filter
I have the E34 and I've had these filters on and off more times than I care to remember and I always end up taking them off and the reasons are that they do sound great but yes but the reason I like the straight 6 BMW is for the sound so why change it? Also I felt it takes some of the torque out and that's another thing about the engine that I love not to mention that BMW's air box isn't restrictive so for me it was souly for the noise which as I said for me it wasn't worth it ,nice video though and nicely explained 👍🏻🇬🇧
It realy works, I tested my stock G35 and running stock on quater mile time I used to get 14.8sec but now after installing Cold air intake I do get 13.8sec, it depends on the cars
AFE stage 2 cold air intake and their air scoop highly recommends lets her breath alot better, if i had 2 k id buy the dinan intake that has bigger air meter housing,
How is it better or smarter to put the air breather near the bottom of the car? Won’t it get wet? Have to take off the tire just to get to the filter is crazy. But a great video.
Very good vid. E46 uses a DISA valve to send the intake air through a longer distance to improve the low end torque. This is called the RAM effect. At higher speeds the intake distance is shorten to reduce the air resistance. By lengthening the intake pipe the RAM effect is increased, better low end torque, hence less throttle, hence less consumption. Further more your air filter is away from hot areas, better air density. Best over most cold intake conversions where the intake is still in the hot engine compartment, separated only by a flimsy and not air-tight box. They are almost completely useless, effect could be worse the the original intake.
i reckon your car wasn't running too great before as i have a standard 330ci and it pulls in 5th gear at 30mph/50kph with no problem at all, but i know these cars can vary quite a lot
As much as air boxes can get, drop in filters are ideal for non-turbo cars. Cones are fine for forced induction. Heat wrapped or ceramic exhaust manifold and gold wrapped intake is even better.
Haha I want a cold air intake for my 04’ X3. Between this and the muffler delete I’m hoping for a pretty sweet sound. I have already upgraded the filter in the stock air box. I love the M54 engine.
I know there are differing opinions out there on these...BUT I noticed similar improvements on my Mitsubishi n/a motor. There was a noticeable tone change in the exhaust note and the throttle felt more responsive as well. Thanks for the easy to follow video~
A proper cold air intake will gain power via two ways, lower resistance to air induction through the filter and intake path and colder air temperatures than the previous stock system. A properly designed CAI kit will improve both, in order to do so whats important is to retain the stock MAF diameter (so no reducers or adapters between the MAF and the piping, instead it needs to be tapered, in such a way that the intake path is like a trumpet, where air can stabilize and gain speed before going through the MAF. Most DIY Cold Air Intakes fail to accomplish this and thus end up loosing power in the bottom end, even some "professionally" designed systems lack this feature. Some intake kits will feature this trumpet like shape on the plastic/silicone base of the air filter, like Spectre air filters or ITG, other kits like AFE will incorporate this into the piping, where the diameter goes from say 4" into 3" with a reduction in diameter. Sure the price most CAI kits is ridiculous for the power increase they provide, but a quick search through ebay or BMW forum classifieds, you can buy a used one for half the price and with a new filter you will enjoy a proper kit for less than brand new.
Well I've noticed a nicer engine tone & but I've not noticed any fuel savings except if I'm driving normally/just plodding along.. has there been any opening for the air flow to the filter as I've not seen any such in the vid?!?
+E46 Reviews with T.H. you'd be better off just adding ducting to already existing apatures.... As I've mentioned in another comment below, cut through into the brake duct to allow air to reach the filter. you could also add further ducting from the centre opening compared to my diy hks induction filter set-up your seems pretty quiet
The cold air intakes do work, I've seen a couple hp gains on the dyno...but that's not the whole story because there is no circulating fresh air in most dyno shops. It's definitely noticeable
Try adding a header to get a proper horsepower gain the exhaust manifold with the cold air intake By the way you did a smart job a lot colder intake You're absolutely right those big ones the other cold air intakes are extremely marked up Great job! but like I said if you put a exhaust manifold header on it you will really get your wows!
my concern would be that your filter has less material, and would let in more particulants. Although, the old ring filters were about the same, and the electronics still work, so I guess I'd have to see.
No it doesn't, that random small part he took out of the airbox sits and pulls air from the engine bay, once he dropped his new filter below this piece, instant cooler air.
