AFE Intake installed in X5 3.0i
 

First of all, I want to let everyone know that Evosport did finally ship the package and it arrived late in my office complex Friday afternoon. However, the package went to the wrong suite somehow and finally my staff got the package. So, Evosport has been forgiven! :thumbup:

So if you want the AFE intake for the 3.0i or 4.4i, definitely order from Evosport!! Tell them you saw it on www.xoutpost.com ;)

Well, it was pretty straightforward installing it. It took me about 30 minutes to do it. It was packed really well.

The AFE Intake for the 3.0i still uses the bottom half of the stock air box. The heat shield is made out of metal and replaces the top half of the OEM airbox and it is held by the same metal spring clips.

There is a rubber coupler to connect the top half of the air box to the air mass sensor.

Then you add the blue cone filter. Then you add the rubber stripping around the top edges of the AFE box.

This setup should increase airflow while shielding itself from the engine heat. Actually, the BMW airbox design is pretty decent to start off with cold air entering from the kidney grill to the air box area. Also, with using this design, you still avoid sucking up water unless you really submerge your X5.

There is just more surface area and free-flowing air with the AFE cone filter.

Driving impressions: no noticeable loss of low end torque. Smoother acceleration through the rpm band. More mid-RPM response for part throttle. A little more throatier intake sound at WOT but not obnoxious. Seems to like to reach redline more readily but our inline-6 engines has been always smooth and responsive. Idling is the same. (No, I didn't reset the adaptive electronic throttle yet).

On the side, I also have the Dinan Stage 3 software which goes with the Dinan Hi-Flow Throttle Body and the Dinan Auto Trans software. Also, as you can see in the pics, I have a Dinan strut bar just like Breyton X5.

So far, no SES light. :D

Enjoy the pics! :)

Removing the top half of the OEM airbox and separating it from the air mass sensor. Remove dirty OEM air filter. Replace top half of the air box with AFE intake heat shield and use the metal spring clips from the bottom half of the airbox.

Putting on the rubber coupler to attach the AFE intake system to the air mass sensor and clamping it together.

Then add AFE blue cone filter and clamp it on...

Add rubber strip on the top edges of AFE intake heat shield.

Then, the top of the hood acts as the top of the AFE airbox.

Voila, AFE intake installed! :wow:

Very Kewl! I think that your driving impressions are promising but me thinks that they are due largely to your Dinan upgrades alone or working in conjunction with the intake. If I drop it in my 3.0 with just the (your used :D) Remus, I doubt I'd feel the same effect as you.

I think the Dinan hi-flow throttle body only really helps with throttle response, but to be honest, it wouldn't hurt to try it out because you do have a more free-flowing exhaust. Air easy-in and easy-out is the key. Just make sure you put the EXIT ONLY sticker on your Remus pipes! :rofl:

The E46 M3 with AFE intake with stock BMW software was producing about 10 extra HP at the rear wheel according to Evosport's dyno.

I don't want to know what you did with the Remus before you sold it to me. That's between you and the Remus. Your urologist might want to know too, though. (Don't make me post that picture of the guy loving his Range Rover too much.)

I just might get this intake for the hell of it. I do want to wait and see how it runs on yours. I know you'll get lots of miles on it in no time.

Very nice Charles! Looks great. :)

Naw, the reference about EXIT ONLY only had to do with your locale of the X5! :rofl:

Anyhow, I think you should get the AFE intake and try to get the special x5World discount!

Heck, I only have 119,xxx miles.


[QUOTE=PersonaNonGrata]

how does it sound??

very KOOL!! we have been waiting for CAI for X5 3.0 for a while!

:) great write up

Good job Doc, looks great :)

Thanks and so does your AFE intake!

How do you like it so far? :dunno:

Not much louder, but at WOT and higher RPM these is a slight more agressive tone with the intake but I've only drive 10 miles with it so far.

Will keep everyone updated....

You should get it.

Nice job, now clean that engine, dawg!

How's the seal with that weatherstripping and the top of the hood as the top of the box?

JV

Yeah, I know, the engine comparment is dirty but that's after 119K miles.

Anyhow, it seems to seal well....It is a tight fit....the hood definitely is on top of the box....

I think they really did a great job of shielding the filter from the engine heat and also getting cold air from the grille. So far so good and will see how it performs over the next little while.

Thanks for the writeup. :thumbup:

Agreed. I checked ZoomTT's white X5 4.4 at Bimmerfest and the heat shield for the 4.4i and 3.0i are made of the same material.

Thanks for the first pics of the AFE intake this past weekend.

The only thing I think the Valvetronic engine needs is a quicker throttle response at the lower RPM speed.....but your mid-range torque is nice and meater and I like how you can cruise at 65 mph with even lower revs vs. the 3.0i automatic.

Very Kewl :thumbup:

Now in "Article" form - http://www.xoutpost.com/articles.php?...icle&artid=207

Thanks Jeff! My very first article for X5World!! :woot: :excited:


Now everyone go :rtfa: :rofl:

P.S. I think my first contribution to X5 World was the famous Art 4.6is Dinan Exhaust vs. SuperGreg's 3.0i Remus exhaust video. PNG's famous quote, "My cat purrs louder than that...." has been immortalized :rofl:

Very nice Doc! Now I gotta ask, are those pictures from the office? Were patients waiting while you were taking these pictures?? :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

How about getting oil on the MAF sensors, are you concerned about that? I know, I know, I'm beating a dead horse, but hey, after hearing about all the hassles the M5 owners went through I gotta ask! I guess we'll see what happens. :dh:

Naw, did it during my lunch hour (I get 1.5 hours) and it only took 0.5 hours to complete the task. Too bad I couldn't bill for it. :D

Well, I used to have 1989 325is with a K&N filter and put it on car when I had 80K miles on it. Granted, the M20 engine had a air flow sensor instead of a mass air sensor, but the engine was running fine at 290K miles before I sold it.

Only time will tell. In the future, I may be lazy and just order another cone filter instead of re-oiling the original one. I think the problem is putting too much oil on the filter. :tsk:

Oh well, if you can afford a X5, you can afford a MAS. Right? :rolleyes:

Good point, it ain't gonna kill ya, plus the current one has served you 120k.

Let us know how it all works out. So what mods do you have so far on the engine? Dinan did software for the 3.0 as well didn't they?

I stated this on the first post of the thread.....

I also have the Dinan Stage 3 software which goes with the Dinan Hi-Flow Throttle Body and the Dinan Auto Trans software. Also, as you can see in the pics, I have a Dinan strut bar just like Breyton X5

Also, I don't know if it helps or hinders, but the X5 also has the 4.6iS muffler.

Great to see someone bought the intake! I can't wait to get mine, not sure if I should do this, or get the Auto tranny software first.

Don't know how much the Dinan Auto trans software helped....It little quicker, more firmer shifting, especially the sports mode which is more aggressive than the OEM programming.

I assume you have the Dinan Hi-Flow Throttle body and Stage 3 software....the aFe Intake is what I would do next. Maybe we can get a group buy going with Evosport. Their price is much cheaper than the AFE's retail listing.

Where Is Monkeyboy?
 

I wonder what happened to x5Monkey? :dunno:

Anyhow, x5Monkey, why don't you show your Dinan CAI with the cover off for comparison to BreytonX5's AFE intake! :D

just placed an order for X5 3.0 :thumbup:

can't wait til next Monday :rolleyes:

Great. Post some pics and your review.... :thumbup:

BTW, did you get it from Evosport? :dunno:

Very cool, doc! And, great write-up. (I write instructions and end-user manuals for a living; I should know a good write-up when I see one :))

Juan

When I posted the pics, I never meant it to be an "official" write-up. Just a summary on how it was installed....but thanks for compliment. :D

It really was easy to install and so far AFE intakes have been popular among some of the E46 M3 owners.

yes Doc, I got it from Evosport.
I told them I saw it from "X5world". :thumbup:
I will take pix once the weather is nice in Seattle. (It is gonna rain for the next 7 days. sux!!!)

CAN'T WAIT!!!

btw, I am going away for the summer.(4 months) and my X5 has to stay at an underground garage(apartment). Should I get the car cover with lock?? is it worthy? :dunno:

Just got my AFE intake...
 

but the kit shipped with a plastic adapter instead of a billet adapter (as specified by the instructions for a 4.4).

Evosport is working on a remedy as we speak..I can't wait :thumbup:

AFE install question for 4.4
 

The install went relatively smoothly however there are two issues left unresolved...
One (less important) - the underside bracket does not mate up to the headlight bracket (as it's supposed to), so it's just left dangling. :rolleyes:
Two (much more important) - when disconnecting the stock intake, two pieces of piping had to come out. The hard plastic (coming from the front grill) and a rubber hose (coming off what seems to be a vacuum pump). Without the rubber hose, that vacuum pump is screaming (since it's not hooked into anything). I'm not sure if it's supposed to be capped or the relay disconnected or whether I should have not taken this piece of hose off in the first place? :dunno: The instructions aren't very clear....
I attached a picture of the hose to show you guys what I'm talking about. I'm afraid that without that hose in place, the vacuum could suck something up into the engine..it's a pretty powerful little sucker.

What do you guys think?

What year is your 4.4i? Sounds like you have a non-valvetronic V8 (i.e. X5 4.4i 2000-2003 model year).

Can't really help you since the 3.0i has a different intake/airbox system.

BreytonX5 installed his AFE intake in a Valvetronic 4.4i.

You might have to call up AFE in the morning!

http://www.afefilters.com/Homepage4.asp

Telephone:
951-493-7100

got my CAI installed today!
 

it took me about 20 minutes to install the intake.
Pretty easy; however, with the black rubber around the "air box", the hood can't close completely :dunno: ,
so I didn't put the rubber around it. Does it matter?

I took the X5 out for a 30minute ride. The sound is definitely different :thumbup:
I drove with windows open just to hear the sound. It is very obvious when the rev is high. I could hear some mid-low tone even with windows closed. Somehow I feel the engine is more responsive with CAI installed. (even though it is not true)

anywayz, pretty kewl mode! :)
Thanks for the info Doc

p.s.I took some pix of the CAI and my sound system but donno how to upload it.

CalvinX5

This should help 'ya post some pics, calvinx5:
How to post pics.

some pix
 

thanks to Verbalkint, finally got the pix uploaded. :)
(I thought I need image linked from another site)

pix of aFe CAI on X5 3.0, Icelink adapter for ipod, Infinity Amp for subwoofer, and JL 10W3 with proWedge box.

I think the sound is good with the stock speakers plus a subwoofer.
IMO, adding the subwoofer was the best mod I have done so far. (with ipod) :thumbup:
Icelink works pretty well, and ipod can fit in the ashtray.

;)

CalvinX5

Good Job! :thumbup: Glad to see more and more aftermarket stuffs are available for the X5. I have to agree that the subwoofer is the best mod anyone can do to the standard sound system. I have the same JL proWedge box and I'm amazed at how hard and tight that little box hit!