aFe air intake

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spinny
Posts: 30
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2012 1:20 pm

aFe air intake

Post by spinny »

Board is thin on opinion lately, but perhaps someone has a comment on the usefulness of an aFe air intake on the 528i.

pictorians
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2014 1:31 pm

Re: aFe air intake

Post by pictorians »


spinny
Posts: 30
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2012 1:20 pm

Re: aFe air intake

Post by spinny »

No work, and waste of $$, apparently.

sgoatley2001e46
Posts: 391
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 4:49 pm

Re: aFe air intake

Post by sgoatley2001e46 »

On the negative side of things, I had an aFe filter on my prior e46. It was handy because you could literally wash it, re-oil and use again. The downside comes in when over time, too much oil gets pulled in and can damage your mass airflow sensor... which happened to me. (They now offer a dry filter system)

On the positive and theoretical side, cold air is denser, allowing for more air in, and ultimately helping the performance of the car. I am of the mindset that a cold air intake by itself isn't necessarily going to make huge horsepower gains. For all that air in, you need to let it out, so.... it's not just a cold air system. If you want to see moderate performance gains, start with software. Look and see what options are out there for your car, but avoid looking at garbage. Stick with places like Dinan, Turner Motorsports, Active Autowerk, etc. If you're just looking for a quicker off the line performance, maybe a sprint booster from Bavarian Autosport is all you need.

However, if you want to go all out, maybe look for an aFe dry kit, but get the whole housing, not just the filter. Stick with the plastic one, the carbon fiber is a waste of money. I also believe they sell a scoop that feeds the air more directly into the system through the grill. I'd also combine with software updates, exhaust, etc. Then and only then, you might see an additional 12-15 horsepower.

With that in mind, figure out what you want the car to do before spending all that cash. I'm assuming you're talking about a current generation 528i, and not something older. If so, what are you trying to make the car do? What are the reasons for seeking the performance gains? Do you have an early 6 cylinder that you want some extra oomph out of, or are you trying to make a newer 4 cylinder turbo feel like a big 6?

jnscaldwell
Posts: 1102
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: Millstone Twp., NJ

Re: aFe air intake

Post by jnscaldwell »

Useless waste of money. It's a decoration, not an upgrade.
17 F15 X5 40e
17 F25 X3 28i MSport
11 E92 M3 ZCP
04 E46 325cic
93 E36 325is - JS #172
12 Ford F350 King Ranch dually

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