Vorshlag BMW E46: DSP Auto-x Project

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Update for Feb 7, 2010: Since my last update I haven't done much to the 330, except order more parts. Not a very exciting update, or a productive afternoon in the shop, but I re-learned some valuable lessons. I'll share, so maybe someone out there doesn't make the same mistakes.



One of the many parts I ordered in December was a cheap cold air intake kit from a vendor on eBay (that should have been a red flag, right?) It was to be an interim solution until an entirely new intake manifold and throttle body system is procured and installed (at the earliest: late 2010). The stock air filter box and ducting looked pretty hideous, and the one on this car was a bit mangled (one of the retaining clips was missing so it wasn't even sealing 100%). I won't mention the brand name of the cold air kit I bought, as I'm hoping they will RMA this big box of crap - because it doesn't even come close to fitting the "2001-2005 E46 330" as stated in their eBay ad. I knew better than to buy a cheap cold air kit ($55 + $18 shipping) off eBay, but I figured "how bad can it be" and rolled the dice... and lost.



I hadn't had a chance to put the car on the lift in our shop for weeks, other than a brief stint unsuccessfully trying to roll the rear fenders ("its hammer time"), but I finally got it back on the lift this past weekend. Took apart the stock airbox and various ducting from the 2001 330Ci, and it was a dirty mess under the stock bits. Of course I had to clean everything (its a sickness) then spent an hour building this block off plate from sheet aluminum, to cover a big hole in front of the radiator (to keep all of the air stream going to the radiator).



This hole was created because this secondary factory air inlet ducting was removed. This would have left either non-functional ducting or a big gaping hole above the inlet to the radiator. The rest of the inlet air for the factory air box came from a tiny, narrow opening at the bottom of the LF corner, which is where most cold air inlet kits draw from.



Once I got it all clean and finished the aluminum block off panel, which I spent extra time on to make it 100% SCCA/DSP legal (it replaces the factory inlet ducting and mounts with zero mods to the surrounding pieces), I took a look at installing this cold air kit - and quickly realized that this kit doesn't fit. At all.

First issue was the 3" OD steel tubing and 3" ID conical air filter in the kit is smaller than the factory tubing and MAF by 5/8" of an inch in diameter. That's a negative for performance, but I was willing to ignore the undersized tubing for the time being if everything at least fit the MAF, and the tubing routed behind the headlight, as this was only be used temporarily.



I next realized that the 3" to 3.5" OD silicon piping adapter included to attach to the obviously larger MAF doesn't even fit (which is actually 3.625/92mm OD), as shown above. Its off by enough that it would have to be stretched significantly, and even then might never fit. The material used is so stiff I couldn't stretch it enough without possibly marking it up, and I was hoping to send this entire order back for a refund.



Lastly, the steel tubing included in the kit could only route one way (per their poorly translated instructions), and doesn't even come close to fitting the opening behind the factory headlight leveling motors (the tubing might fit on the cars w/o these HID lights, I suppose, but our car came with these headlights, as did many 2003+ E46 models). Its off by inches. This kit was not really made to fit this car and I can't use a single piece of it. Bleh.

I realize this was a super low cost cold air kit, and cost is usually a huge clue as to the fit and finish of anything, but we were hoping that it actually would fit the 2001-2005 E46 330 as their eBay ad stated. Shame on me for thinking that cheap, imported eBay junk would actually work. I'll see what the vendor tells us before I name drop them here, but as it is this cold air kit is never going on this car. I would have had better luck and less frustration from setting fire to $73 in cash. I'll probably just chuck the entire lot in the trash and just make my own air filter solution.


Mock-up with cardboard (left) then final aluminum (right) heat shield for a 9" K&N round filter I made for my E36 M3

I could just acquire a longer conical or round K&N air filter with the proper 3-5/8" inlet diameter, then build a sheet aluminum heat shield around the filter and MAF, which would be semi-sealed to the underside of the hood (it doesn't have to be air tight) and allow air to flow in from behind the headlight and underneath the bumper. I've done this on previous cars (see above pics) and it works great.


More parts to install (left) and to buy (right)

Still had a ton of other parts to install, so after I punted on the cold air I started tackling the two cam sensor replacements next (its been throwing a CIL, and the motor is a complete DOG under 3000 rpm or so), but that quickly bogged down, too. Two cam sensors exist on the car, but I neglected to buy new bolts and O-rings, per the Bently manual instructions - poor planning strikes again! Just put in a big BMW parts order from our favorite BMW dealer, too. Oh well - another order is going to follow that for all sorts of bits and pieces for the 330 (including some E46 M3 fenders - for future use with steel flares - and a new lower K-member brace, to replace the mangled one shown above). Have to remove one of the VANOS solenoids to replace the sensor on the driver's side of the head, and I can't even see the other side. It was approaching SuperBowl kickoff time, so I pushed the install of these until another day.

More soon....