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The car will run well without the MAF, though less well than normal. I suggest you remove the MAF from the inlet pipes though leave the electrical plug connected - that way it won't switch on the CEL.
You'll either need a short piece of tube to join between the new filter and the inlet pipe or simply duck tape the two together. Tie the MAF to something convenient so it can't fall about.
If your car has an OBD port underneath the steering column you can reset the CEL with a smartphone app and a 10 quid wifi dongle. I use iOBD on my iPhone which was handy to reset the lamp which came on at full throttle after I test removed my cats and therefore the after-cat oxygen sensors which triggered the lamp (both refitted now due to being very noisy).
I was planning a before and after acceleration test to see if it made any difference. Now I can do a Before, During and After test.
Or just stick to a before and after. The 'middle' is just a quick drive to clear excess oil from the filter. Don't use full throttle for more than a second or two and don't put the motor under excessive load when you do - like going up a hill or using high gears.
It would be interesting to test before, after fitting the new air filter without a heat shield, and a third after fitting a cold air intake and heat shield around the new filter. I planned to use a plastic gallon paint can but its a rigid plastic which wouldn't easily fit the engine bay. The Tesco flowerpot I used is flexible and is proving an excellent CAI.
How do you plan to consistently measure performance? Don't know about you, but my Acceleration Redardation System Evaluator isn't accurate or repeatable enough to measure the small performance changes produced by an air filter change.
I time the acceleration between two speeds, 30mph-55mph in second for example (I think it'll reach an indicated 60 at the red line, so you could use that) using the same piece of level road. Don't measure over a speed range that needs a gear change as it's hard to make changes consistently - though your automatic may be better in that respect).
If you have an Android smartphone or tablet I find the Dynomaster app absolutely fantastic, though I'm unaware of anything as good for iOS.
My car has the bespoke BMW connector rather than the standard obd port. I have a obd dongle and used it to turn off the warning lights on the ML before selling it. Very useful but no good on the BMW.
My performance testing isn't normally that scientific. I roll along at about 10mph with the a camera pointing at the dash and the box in sports mode and then floor it. It then look at the recording to see the time increment between speeds. 20-40, 30-50, 40-60 and 50-70. This gives an indication of the change power across the range.
It may not be that accurate but if you can't get a repeatable and obvious difference this way then there is probably not enough difference to notice it in normal driving. Worth doing the tests with a full tank each time so the car weighs the same.
So three acceleration runs with times averaged for each set up. Standard, air filter and air filter with flowerpot. I will be interested in seeing the results.
When i was 18 my dad bought me a nice e46 3 series, and because i knew best, I put a k&n filter on and the spray suff you get in a can with it fucked up my air flow meter and cost me about £300 for a new 1!
When i was 18 my dad bought me a nice e46 3 series, and because i knew best, I put a k&n filter on and the spray suff you get in a can with it fucked up my air flow meter and cost me about £300 for a new 1!
You over-oiled it which caused your problem. You only need to re-oil after cleaning the filter. This is clearly explained in the instructions. We all know best when we're 18
Hmm... possibly not my best purchase then. We will see.
There's nothing wrong with the filter. K&N is a good choice. It is oiled during production so doesn't need any more to be added. Over-oiling is why people suffer problems. The pre-install I suggest is to ensure you don't suffer similarly, though I've not done that with the K&Ns I've installed and not had a problem.
Your times are unusually repeatable, and your gearbox is far more consistent than I am at changing gears. I notice a flat spot at around 77mph that isn't noticeable in the lower gears. Could you capture the Rev counter next time too.
Well done, look forward to the 'after'. Adding the CAI will give most improvement.
Your car sounds good by the way.
I did try to get the speedo and rev counter. A bit of a challenge when accelerating flat out down a single track lane holding the steering wheel with one hand and a camera phone with the other and a big brick barn approaching really quickly!!!!
:-)
I might clean the MAF and see if that makes any difference. I guess it must be pretty dirty after 100,000 miles and 15 years. Might make a difference but if it doesn't I won't bother posting the results.
i am looking forward to the 'With cone filter' and 'With the cone filter and cold air flowerpot' results. If the two Aussie guys on the earlier link are to be believed then the cone filter alone with either do nothing or actually reduce power (but sound great) but the cold air flowerpot should have a noticeable benefit. Well a purpose built kit for a Honda S2000 improved his power.
I did try to get the speedo and rev counter. A bit of a challenge when accelerating flat out down a single track lane holding the steering wheel with one hand and a camera phone with the other and a big brick barn approaching really quickly!!!!
Then you've done really well
WorldClassAccident wrote:
i am looking forward to the 'With cone filter' and 'With the cone filter and cold air flowerpot' results. If the two Aussie guys on the earlier link are to be believed then the cone filter alone with either do nothing or actually reduce power (but sound great) but the cold air flowerpot should have a noticeable benefit. Well a purpose built kit for a Honda S2000 improved his power.
If you take the top off the OEM filter assembly you'll notice that the air is forced through a couple of 90 degree bends which doesn't help air flow. Also, on the standard Z3, the cold air feed is a small area and again forced through tight curves before being squeezed behind the headlamp and entering the air box. All of this is inefficient and changing airflow to a straighter line will help power and driveability. For this to work, plenty of cold air, and insulation of engine bay heat are musts. Replacing the air box with a cone filter removes obstructions and provides a larger filtering surface. Your K&N filter will flow air at least as well as a brand new OEM filter, and should not suffer obstruction as quickly as the OEM will over time. The Z300 front design should allow you to guide cold air towards the filter in a straighter route than standard towards the flowerpot, which will channel the air to the filter and also protect the intake from engine bay heat. Having said all that, my aim was to introduce a hairy induction note without losing anything else.
Providing warm air will spoil power whatever filter system you use. I remember on my first car the option to direct the air intake straight to the exhaust manifold
in cold weather which quaranteed to remove some of the meagre 48bhp it started with.
Still waiting on the new air filter kit. Grrr. The only thing I had heard from them is the standard email when I placed the order "Thank you for choosing Welcome to ModWorld - the online home of car mods. We want to let you know that your order has been received and will be processed as soon as possible" No phone number and no reply to emails. Not happy. Their registered head office is in Southampton so I might wander down with a persuading stick.
Anyway, decided to clean my MAF while I was waiting.
1) Get some cleaner and locate the MAF. It is the square thing with the wire coming out the right side.
2) Notice which way round it is fitted. Arrow reflecting the direction of air flow towards the engine .
3) Unclip the air box and undo the big jubilee clip clamping the hose at the other side
Remove the section with the MAF not forgetting to twist and release the cable
Look inside but don't touch. There is the clever bit that you need to keep clean
You can clean this side too but don't blow the dirt onto the element behind
Lots of cleaner. Don't use WD40 or Carb Cleaner. This stuff leaves no residue and is specifically for cleaning electronic stuff. I still had the sensor upside down so any dirt dripped off it rather than gathering around the base
After doing that there was absolutely no visible difference at all. It did smell nicer though. I left it to dry and then refitted it. A very easy 5 minute task. I shall now go for a drive and see if the car feels any different (or just smells nicer)
getting a bit too excited about getting the end result. Tidied some of the garage and fitted some shelves. Hopefully I will clear enough room to actually be able to work on the bonnet when it arrives.
Planning a holder to hang whichever bonnet isn't on the car. Bonnet hinges bolted to the top and bonnet dangles down. Locking castors on the base to let me wheel it around easily.
