[MDORPHN]

Originally Posted by benzy89

That's a little concerning that it came loose on it's own, but luckily it's a simple fix that you can do in your driveway. Just make sure the FMIC + CP are jammed all the way into each other & tighten accordingly (obviously you don't want to over-tighten & crack the plastic).

BTW: aFe doesn't make a true CAI, they make that sealed Elite intake. But STETT, UR & Dinan

A might OT, but I believe that aFe makes a closed box that draws in air in the same manner as the stock airbox -- which is, of course, a cai.

Neil

[benzy89]

Originally Posted by MDORPHN

A might OT, but I believe that aFe makes a closed box that draws in air in the same manner as the stock airbox -- which is, of course, a cai.

Neil

The Elite aFe has a "sealed" box that isn't 100% airtight & unless you get the all-out Cadillac version of the Elite intake ($840) it won't draw air from the "snorkel"/kidney opening

[Blackhawk55]

Originally Posted by benzy89

That's a little concerning that it came loose on it's own, but luckily it's a simple fix that you can do in your driveway. Just make sure the FMIC + CP are jammed all the way into each other & tighten accordingly (obviously you don't want to over-tighten & crack the plastic).

BTW: aFe doesn't make a true CAI, they make that sealed Elite intake. But STETT, UR & Dinan

Question: Is this not a "true CAI"? http://www.**********s.com/aFe-Stage...ckage-335i.htm. Fill me in please.

It is indeed concerning but googling it uncovered a bunch of folk saying the design on that part/connection is really bad and they seem to come loose often and break "by looking funny at it" when you try and tighten. I can't see using clamp like that around a piece of hard plastic to seal it to rubber inside. Doesn't make sense to me. Those clamps are made to tighten rubber on the outside of a piece of hard plastic IMO. Several folk recommend replacing the charge pipe with a high performance replacement when running a tune. I certainly don't wish to go there if not necessary.

[benzy89]

Originally Posted by Blackhawk55

Question: Is this not a "true CAI"? http://www.**********s.com/aFe-Stage...ckage-335i.htm. Fill me in please.

This certainly, 100% is NOT a CAI. This is an exposed DCI that sucks air from inside the engine bay. There is nothing wrong with this, I have this exact intake & it's an upgrade over the OEM airbox, but if you're buying an intake brand new, you'd be making a better investment getting the STETT CAI for the same price.

I've had zero problems with the install, leaks, or anything so I have no idea what these people you Google'd are talking about. When you start running high boost (Stage 2 boost, talking 15 psi+) some people have seen their DVs leak or the CPs crack/break loose from the Throttle Body. If you're going FBO or intend on running meth, I would recommend you start shopping for a new CP though.

Edit: Here's a picture of the STETT CAI + the Link
http://www.topgearsolutions.com/stpee933coai.html

[MDORPHN]

Originally Posted by benzy89

This certainly, 100% is NOT a CAI. This is an exposed DCI that sucks air from inside the engine bay. There is nothing wrong with this, I have this exact intake & it's an upgrade over the OEM airbox, but if you're buying an intake brand new, you'd be making a better investment getting the STETT CAI for the same price.

I could be wrong, but I thought that the underside of the hood seals against the top of the open box on that intake. If that's the case, wouldn't it be a cai?

Neil

[BMWsky]

Originally Posted by MDORPHN

I could be wrong, but I thought that the underside of the hood seals against the top of the open box on that intake. If that's the case, wouldn't it be a cai?

Neil

Not really, but you can have a true CAI with AFE. Check BuraQ's thread as he made it a true CAI and it didn't cost him $840.

[MDORPHN]

Originally Posted by BMWsky

Not really, but you can have a true CAI with AFE. Check BuraQ's thread as he made it a true CAI and it didn't cost him $840.

OK. I'm happily running a Helix "hybrid" air intakes so I figure that I have the best of both worlds for a relatively modest price!

Neil

[benzy89]

Originally Posted by MDORPHN

I could be wrong, but I thought that the underside of the hood seals against the top of the open box on that intake. If that's the case, wouldn't it be a cai?

Neil

Mmmmm NO..... A true CAI is completely sealed & receives all of it's air from an outside airsource. When the hood is closed, the aFe is not "sealed" in the engine bay (the same as the Injen DCI, ETS DCI, BMS DCI, Vishnu DCI, cP-E DCI, etc etc).

Like I mentioned before, the STETT, UR, Dinan & Mr5 all are completely sealed intakes that only receive airfrom outside the engine bay, thus making them the only true CAIs.

Even the Helix Hybrid Intake sources some air from inside the engine bay. The aFe Elite "CAI" needs to be modified and to get 100% out of that intake, you need to buy the snorkel upgrade (which runs that kit up to $840)

[Blackhawk55]

Thanks all for the education. As usual, e90post.com rules!

As far as those that I've googled, the consensus is that it was the tune not the intake that was mostly responsible for the boost extreme enough to pop the hose from the CP. My theory though is that it was the new intake that caused the AP tune to really do it's job and for the turbos to really kick in where I had not heard them previously. Theory only.

[Crazylegs]

Originally Posted by Blackhawk55

I see. You are saying that the part to the right of the lowermost clamp (as looking at the picture) is the chargepipe. There's a flexible hose coming from the left that fits into that pipe and there's a clamp around the leftmost portion of the chargepipe that (even thought the pipe is hard plastic) aparently tries to tighted the plastic down on that hose.

My problem is that the hose is now out of the pipe housing. I don't see any evidence of any part of the pipe breaking or cracking. JUst that the hose does not stay inside the pipe so I trust that's where the boost leak is going. FWIW, there's oil coming from the pipe and onto the hose if that sounds right.

If I could get the hose seated correctly, I'd like to think I'm done but I'm hearing you say that the extra boost from the tune is making that pip a weak spot.

if im reading this right your puting it on backwards the soft pipe goes around the hard plastic pipe there are grooves it slides over to keep the clamp from comming loose

[benzy89]

Originally Posted by Blackhawk55

My theory though is that it was the new intake that caused the AP tune to really do it's job and for the turbos to really kick in where I had not heard them previously. Theory only.

+1 to double check that the intake piping was installed correctly. 2nd, which stage are you using. I'm praying for your turbos that you're only running Stage 1 if all you have is the tune + an intake

[Sered]

Originally Posted by Blackhawk55

Thank you. Wish I would have known and checked that as we did indeed pop that off as directed in the CAI instructions. Unfortunately the car is now spending the night at the dealer so they can hopefully fix it in the morning. The FMIC hose was so obvious, I didn't check for any other leaks.

I di get the boost leak code and cleared it but it continually came back as soon as I'd give it some good acceleration. And after lining up the FMIC hose and charge pipe and getting the malfunction, checking would show that the hose had become dislodged from it's place at the pipe. I'll hope the dealer simply reconnects that connection better or, as you suggest, find that the vacuum line is loose. Thanks for your reply, though!

FYI, old turbo-motor mechanic fix for popping pipes is to use hairspray. It works very well in these kinds of situations, I'm not sure how it responds to plastic, but I don't see a problem.

Spray both the connector and the pipe down well, fasten them like normal; tighten the clamp. Let it sit for an hour; then go try it out.

[superjay]

Originally Posted by MDORPHN

I could be wrong, but I thought that the underside of the hood seals against the top of the open box on that intake. If that's the case, wouldn't it be a cai?

Neil

as long as there is ducting to direct air from the outside to the filter, and this is the only source of air for the filter, then, yes, it is a true CAI. When there is just a filter element sitting in the bay sucking hot air you are actually getting less performance from the aftermarket filter than you were the stock filter, since the stock filter is, essentially, CAI. It's a sealed box with ducting directing air from the outside directly to the element.

[MDORPHN]

Originally Posted by superjay

as long as there is ducting to direct air from the outside to the filter, and this is the only source of air for the filter, then, yes, it is a true CAI. When there is just a filter element sitting in the bay sucking hot air you are actually getting less performance from the aftermarket filter than you were the stock filter, since the stock filter is, essentially, CAI. It's a sealed box with ducting directing air from the outside directly to the element.

Quite right.

I was under impression that the hood sealed against the top aFe intake box referenced above, rendering it a cold air intake. If it does not, such that it's like the more common BMS and Vishnu dual cone intakes that are open to the engine compartment, it is not a cai.

I would also note, especially given Benzy89's declarations about "sealed and true"cold air intakes, that Stett, Dinan, etc. place the filter behind the headlight. While they'll primarily get cold air from outside the car in that position, it will also get a small amount of air heated by the engine.

Neil

[benzy89]

Originally Posted by MDORPHN

I would also note, especially given Benzy89's declarations about "sealed and true"cold air intakes, that Stett, Dinan, etc. place the filter behind the headlight. While they'll primarily get cold air from outside the car in that position, it will also get a small amount of air heated by the engine.

Neil

The intake cones for the CAIs I listed is placed behind the fog light on the driver side in front of the wheel well, NOT behind the headlight, there's zero airflow there and the intake would be useless. While anything installed in the engine bay will suffer from heat dispersion, this location is the coolest place in the engine due to the direct passive airflow that occurs when the car is in motion.

Please consider researching a little bit more next time.

[MDORPHN]

Originally Posted by benzy89

The intake cones for the CAIs I listed is placed behind the fog light on the driver side in front of the wheel well, NOT behind the headlight, there's zero airflow there and the intake would be useless. While anything installed in the engine bay will suffer from heat dispersion, this location is the coolest place in the engine due to the direct passive airflow that occurs when the car is in motion.

Please consider researching a little bit more next time.

I stand corrected -- fog light, NOT headlight!

Really appreciate the certainty with which you voice your opinions about all things...

Neil

[benzy89]

Originally Posted by MDORPHN

I stand corrected -- fog light, NOT headlight!

Really appreciate the certainty with which you voice your opinions about all things...

Neil

It helps spending an unhealthy amount of time on the forums & reading up on everything. Prob be starting from scratch soon since I'm strongly considering jumping ship from the N54 to the S65

[Sered]

Originally Posted by benzy89

It helps spending an unhealthy amount of time on the forums & reading up on everything. Prob be starting from scratch soon since I'm strongly considering jumping ship from the N54 to the S65

I think you missed that. A cold-air intake is one that gets most of its air from outside the engine bay. It doesn't have to be sealed, that's just not the general understanding of what one is. Same way you won't find anyone claiming that a 'true axleback exhaust' must start at the axle when most are glorified muffler replacements.

[benzy89]

Originally Posted by Sered

I think you missed that. A cold-air intake is one that gets most of its air from outside the engine bay.

We're going in circles now. AN open element intake (DCIs) is obviously sucking air in from the engine bay & not an outside source. Meanwhile the sealed CAIs are not taking any air from the inside bay & only taking air from outside of the engine bay.

IF a CAI was unsealed, it would be sucking in air from the engine bay, which would cancel out your definition of a CAI

[Blackhawk55]

Originally Posted by benzy89

+1 to double check that the intake piping was installed correctly. 2nd, which stage are you using. I'm praying for your turbos that you're only running Stage 1 if all you have is the tune + an intake

The car is at the dealer so I can't look at it right now but if you look at the picture I supplied again, are you saying that the hose coming from the left side should be fitted around the pipe coming from the right?

Maybe I misled but the hose is not "soft" like a radiator hose. It's flexible (by that I mean bendable) but my memory says it's not "stretchable" enough to fit over the circumference of the pipe "flange" if that's the right word. While that fitment with a clamp would make more sense your way, I don't think it possible unless you're sure. And I do defer if your sure. The sizes are such that the hose fits just inside the pipe but, like i said, I don't see how th hose could fit over the outside of the pipe or that a clamp could squeeze the hard pipe plastic to seal the hose that way. The point will be made moot if and when the dealer service corrects it and I get it back.

As for the stage I was using, I hoped it was obvious that I was definitely using a stage 1 off-the shelf map from Cobb since, as you said, I added only the intake and have no downpipes which are a required upgrade for running stage 2 tuning maps as I understand it.

[benzy89]

Regarding the Map, you'd be surprised how stupid people are (couple weeks ago some guy was complaining his turbos got burnt out, he was running Stage 2 Maps with the OEM DPs )

I was talking about the aFe intake tubing & if it was installed backwards. Then I thought about it & realized that it's basically impossible to do that because the cones would never be able to be attached if it was installed wrong.

[Blackhawk55]

Reaching closure:

The dealership repaired the charge pipe connection for me. I see that they replaced the old hard plastic accordion-bendable "hose" with something real and rubber (you probably can't see it too well here but):


The dealer did note in the service invoice that they inspected they car and found an "aftermarket intake" but did the work under warranty anyway, thank goodness.

At this point, am I (and all N54 users) OK flashing a map back on using my AP without replacing the charge pipe entirely?. I was previously using Stg1 Aggressive IKC0S IS v401 Stock throttle map. Should I be nervous boosting the performance with the current stock charge pipe with the connection fixed?