Which high-performance air filter for the stock intake?

[jeremydgreat]

Hey all. New 135i owner here and had a quick question about air filters.

From what I've heard, replacing the whole intake does little for performance (for a stock 135i) and only increases the "woooooosh" slightly. And when BMW pops the hood on my new car, I don't want a huge distracting intake on staring at them saying "if anything is wrong, just blame me!"

So this leads me to just swapping out the air filter and leaving the stock intake intact.

Assuming I just replace the filter, which filter would you recommend? Here's the ones I'm considering:

K&N Filter - $57
aFe High Performance Filter - $84
Helene Streamline Filter - $? (their store appears to be down)

I'm thinking that a dry filter would be simpler and easier to maintain.

Any thoughts on brands, cost, value, dry-vs-oiled, or just the general topic?

[denial]

What about adding the ITG foam filter to the list too?

[jeremydgreat]

Originally Posted by denial

What about adding the ITG foam filter to the list too?

Give me a link to the product and the price and I'll add it in. Their site was not very helpful.

[denial]

Originally Posted by jeremydgreat

Give me a link to the product and the price and I'll add it in. Their site was not very helpful.

well, this is where I first saw it:

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showt...ght=ITG+filter

[BSM 135i]

i got a practically brand new aFe drop-in for sale used only for about a month, swapped it out for a dual cone intake. It REALLY helped my gas mileage and throttle response, $60 shipped, PM me if interested.

[jeremyc74]

Personally I'd stick with the stock filter.

There are only two ways to increase the flow through an air filter:

A - Add more surface area
B - Make it filter less

BMW uses good factory air filters with very little wicking, so you're not going to gain much surface area, so that means any performance gain is coming from the fact that the holes in the filter material are larger, which means more dirt into the engine. The quality filters aren't going to make any more power, and the filters that make more power aren't going to be good for your engine.

Just my .02

[david @ eas]

Here's another to think of


Macht Schnell - N54B30 High Performance Panel Filter
http://www.europeanautosource.com/pr...oducts_id=2205

Features of the N54B30 High Performance Panel Filter:
- Direct replacement for your original equipment filter panel
- Washable/reusable cotton gauze which allows more airflow
- Sturdy sidewall construction ensures filter will last the life of the vehicle
- Tight leak proof seal with your factory air box
- Deepest multi-layered pleats increase air flow and maintain critical protection levels, while still providing maximum air delivery
- Maintains OEM filter’s 99% debris collection efficiency to meet ISO 5011 standards
- Maintains BMW engineered pressurized air box and OEM appearance

Models Supported:
2008+ 135i
2006+ 335i
2008+ 535i


Let me know if you have any questions.

[135forthewin]

The general consensus is that the Helene filter is the best. I have the Helene filter, and I love it. Looks very sturdy, sounds good, and has excellenet filtraton.
Unfortunately, Helene no longer manufactures their filter for the n54 motor. EAS used to stock the filter, and then mysteriously switched over to an almost identical Macht Schnell filter.
I'd say go with the Macht Schnell product. At $89, it's slightly more expensive than the alternatives but has far superior filtration and provides a noticeable gain in throttle response and turbo spool noise. That is, if it's almost identical to the Helene filter as I believe. That'd be my choice.

[Alext]

Noticeable gain in turbo spool noise? How is this achieved by a simple drop-in filter? Is the stock filter really that muffling?

[HebbNH]

Save your money and stick with the stock filter. There was some dyno testing of numerous filters done quite a while back, and none of them outperformed the stock one. Some actually lost power vs stock. I'll see if I can dig up the link for you.

[HebbNH]

Found the link: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...ht=drop+filter

[135forthewin]

Originally Posted by Alext

Noticeable gain in turbo spool noise? How is this achieved by a simple drop-in filter? Is the stock filter really that muffling?

It IS noticable, however it's not a massive difference. You can also hear a little bit of suck when you get on the throttle while revving the car. It definitely allows more flow.

[jeremydgreat]

Originally Posted by HebbNH

Found the link: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...ht=drop+filter

Very helpful, thank you.

[jibaholic101]

aFe for sure