BMW Cold Air Intakes

Q: Do you have to buy an air filter if you're buying a cold air intake?
A: Cold air intakes are usually sold with all the components needed including the filter and all adapters.

Q: Are cold air intakes offered for every vehicle?
A: Cold air intakes are not offered for every vehicle and are vehicle specific. There are no universal kits available on the market.

Q: What's the difference between a cold air intake and a short ram intake?
A: Cold air intakes are usually placed in the fender well area, which brings in a cooler charged air from beneath the car (outside of the engine bay), which is denser and therefore creates more power. The piping is a lot longer than a short ram which means the power gains are not seen until the mid to higher RPM band. A short ram intake is located inside the engine bay and creates power with better response times than a cold air, however the air is not as dense, which means that it doesn't make as much power in the upper RPM region and makes less power overall.

Q: What do cold air intakes do? Why buy a cold air intake?
A: Cold air intakes bring more air into the engine, which creates more power during combustion. Cold air intakes will generally help with throttle response and higher power gains, adding a pleasing induction sound to your engine under acceleration. A cold air intake also significantly cleans up your under-hood appearance and makes it easier to see and access components of your engine bay.

Q: How do you install a cold air intake?
A: Cold air intakes are a true bolt-on application. The removal of your factory air box and resonator will be needed and the cold air intake installed in its place. Basic hand tools are needed, and the intake installs in minutes.