Best Cold Air Intake 128i

[DSteele41]

What is the Best Cold Air Intake for 2011 128i ?

[desertman123]

Obligatory: make sure you have the 3 stage intake manifold installed before you worry about a cold air intake. BimmerLabs makes a free tune and you'll gain about 35hp from it. If you play your cards right you can have it installed and tuned for ~$300. Cold air intakes do not do much on these cars as BMW as already engineered the snorkel to suck cold air in.

To answer the question, aFe makes a real nice one. My friend has it and it makes all sorts of nice noises. Not sure how IATs are affected.

[chris_flies]

The Injen intake is another option (and one that I'm interested in, if I ever give up on DIY solutions for the sound factor), has a good design, and looks like it pulls the air from behind the headlight.

Again, BMW did a good job (and usually does) engineering the factory intake system, much unlike their job on the exhaust system (headers, specifically)...

[rho123]

Originally Posted by desertman123

Obligatory: make sure you have the 3 stage intake manifold installed before you worry about a cold air intake. BimmerLabs makes a free tune and you'll gain about 35hp from it. If you play your cards right you can have it installed and tuned for ~$300. Cold air intakes do not do much on these cars as BMW as already engineered the snorkel to suck cold air in.

To answer the question, aFe makes a real nice one. My friend has it and it makes all sorts of nice noises. Not sure how IATs are affected.

Is the 3 stage intake manifold the same one installed on n51?
what does IAT mean?

[chris_flies]

Originally Posted by rho123

Is the 3 stage intake manifold the same one installed on n51?
what does IAT mean?

Yes, it's the same manifold.

IAT stands for Intake Air Temperatures. The lower these are, the more power your car can make without pre-igniting fuel...

[desertman123]

Originally Posted by rho123

Is the 3 stage intake manifold the same one installed on n51?
what does IAT mean?

Yes if you have the N51 you already have the 3 stage intake.

IAT = Intake air temperatures

[DSteele41]

desertman123


"Obligatory: make sure you have the 3 stage intake manifold installed before you worry about a cold air intake. BimmerLabs makes a free tune and you'll gain about 35hp from it. If you play your cards right you can have it installed and tuned for ~$300."

Could elaborate on this a bit ; where to buy 3 Stage intake manifold or p/n and getting installed .... also are you referring to the free tune from BimmerLabs apart from 3 Stage Intake Manifold or inclusive

Much Appreciated ; Thanks

DSteele41

[desertman123]

Originally Posted by DSteele41

desertman123


"Obligatory: make sure you have the 3 stage intake manifold installed before you worry about a cold air intake. BimmerLabs makes a free tune and you'll gain about 35hp from it. If you play your cards right you can have it installed and tuned for ~$300."

Could elaborate on this a bit ; where to buy 3 Stage intake manifold or p/n and getting installed .... also are you referring to the free tune from BimmerLabs apart from 3 Stage Intake Manifold or inclusive

Much Appreciated ; Thanks

DSteele41

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37444

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...BoCB1UQAvD_BwE

There's a bunch of info.

Basically you buy the manifold from a crashed BMW: X3, X5 3.0i, Z4 3.0si, 2006 330i, E60 530i, F10 with an N52, etc.

Don't buy it new, it's way too much. You can find them on eBay for like 300-400 sometimes, or in the forsale posts here.

The tune is inclusive, long story short the tune will enable the use of the intake manifold. It's as if you're writing the European 130i tune onto your 128i - the 130i came with this manifold from factory.

I personally sourced my manifold for $80 off Car-Part.com. Had to jump around a few junkyards, but I found it.

[chris_flies]

Originally Posted by desertman123

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37444

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...BoCB1UQAvD_BwE

There's a bunch of info.

Basically you buy the manifold from a crashed BMW: X3, X5 3.0i, Z4 3.0si, 2006 330i, E60 530i, F10 with an N52, etc.

Don't buy it new, it's way too much. You can find them on eBay for like 300-400 sometimes, or in the forsale posts here.

The tune is inclusive, long story short the tune will enable the use of the intake manifold. It's as if you're writing the European 130i tune onto your 128i - the 130i came with this manifold from factory.

I personally sourced my manifold for $80 off Car-Part.com. Had to jump around a few junkyards, but I found it.

I wonder if I could try out the BL tune, and then revert back to the AA tune of I didn't like it? Do I HAVE to buy their cable to get access, or is it just out there to download?

[desertman123]

Originally Posted by chris_flies

I wonder if I could try out the BL tune, and then revert back to the AA tune of I didn't like it? Do I HAVE to buy their cable to get access, or is it just out there to download?

You can totally make a backup, just shoot Hassmachine an email on the site. You don't need their cable either, but it's just a consistently a high quality K+DCAN cable

I think your AA tune is better to be honest, Hass can whip you up a custom tune though.

[chris_flies]

Originally Posted by desertman123

You can totally make a backup, just shoot Hassmachine an email on the site. You don't need their cable either, but it's just a consistently a high quality K+DCAN cable

I think your AA tune is better to be honest, Hass can whip you up a custom tune though.

Hmmmm...thanks!

[ArmatageShanks]

Going back to the tune. I researched BimmerLabs but there's no mention of them being able to tune an N51. If I already have the 3-stage intake manifold because of the N51, would my best option be the BPC N51 tune? Is the tune worth it with my current mods, Performance Intake and Performance Exhaust?

[GCB Mark]

What if I am not interested in the Stage 3 upgrade? I would like to simplify the intake and maybe get a little more growl. Seems like they sell a LOT of Injens. Is this intake system proven vis-a-vis the ECM? I also am looking at the Euro air box but wonder how it interfaces with our (USA) MAF sensor.?? Turner Performance also has a good looking system. I would appreciate input from owners with experience.

[Thunderguts]

Originally Posted by GCB Mark

What if I am not interested in the Stage 3 upgrade? I would like to simplify the intake and maybe get a little more growl. Seems like they sell a LOT of Injens. Is this intake system proven vis-a-vis the ECM? I also am looking at the Euro air box but wonder how it interfaces with our (USA) MAF sensor.?? Turner Performance also has a good looking system. I would appreciate input from owners with experience.

If you care mainly about sound, the Mishimoto silicone tube replaces the stock resonator and adds a fair amount of sound for around $70.

The Injen unit isn't even remotely sealed. Given how hot these engines run, you're going to experience heat soak every time the car is stopped. The Turner unit is better shielded, but it's still going to pull in some hot air.

The only two systems I know of that are still sealed are the Euro airbox and the now-NLA BMWP intake. Go with one of those options and the silicone intake tube.

[WDE82]

Originally Posted by GCB Mark

What if I am not interested in the Stage 3 upgrade? I would like to simplify the intake and maybe get a little more growl. Seems like they sell a LOT of Injens. Is this intake system proven vis-a-vis the ECM? I also am looking at the Euro air box but wonder how it interfaces with our (USA) MAF sensor.?? Turner Performance also has a good looking system. I would appreciate input from owners with experience.

I have the AFE intake. It sounds really good and looks really clean.

https://afepower.com/afe-power-51-81...-intake-system

[parameter416]

I picked up a used Euro airbox on kijiji and ordered the Turner silicone intake boot (https://www.ecstuning.com/b-turner-m...6655tms01~tms/).

Objectively there's zero appreciable power gain, but the intake boot adds some nice induction sound especially above 4000 RPM. Also, the Euro airbox has a removable lid, so filter changes are easy - unlike the stock airbox you don't have to remove it to replace the filter.

Search the forums - there are several threads on intake/airbox options for the N52.

[parameter416]

Here's a link to one of the threads: https://www.1addicts.com/forums/show....php?t=1692331

There are several more if you do a search.

[GCB Mark]

Thanks very much! Gives me plenty to consider. Guess I may be leaning toward the Euro air box. Now I wonder where's the best place to purchase. Do they ever show up on American Ebay?