E30 Air Filter & Box Replacement

E30 Air Filter & Box Replacement

How-To Credit

This how-to is a Classic Bimmer Bits original, with much credit due to the many members of the community who have helped us learn along the way!

Parts

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Tools

  • 10mm wrench or socket
  • 6mm, 7mm, or 8mm socket wrench (for hose clamps, the size may vary by car or if your clamps are original or not)
  • Flat head screwdriver

Torque Specs (ft-lbs):

  • N/A

Prodedure

Removal

  1. Open the hood and locate the air filter box on the passenger side of the engine bay.
  2. Locate the air flow meter connector. Squeeze the retaining clip against the connector and disconnect it from the box.
  3. Loosen the hose clamp on the intake J boot with the flathead screwdriver or 8mm wrench, and pull the boot off of the air filter box.
  4. With the 10mm wrench, loosen and back off the two nuts circled in yellow, and remove the one circled in blue.
  5. Rotate the cruise control box up around the stud and pull off. Lay it down next to its bracket.
  6. The air filter box is now completely free. Pull it vertically up and out of its mounting slots.
  7. With the filter box out of the car, use your finger or a flathead screwdriver to pop the 4 retaining clips on the sides of the box down and out from the box.
  8. Pull the bottom of the filter box off to expose the filter.
  9. Pull the old filter out of the bottom of the box, and take a look at how much junk your dear filter has been keeping out of your cylinders.

Replacement

  1. Place the new filter in the bottom of the filter box, and reassemble the top and bottom of the air filter box.

  2. Push the retaining clips up and into their places.
  3. Reset the air filter box back into its slots. While it’s still loose, re-attach the J-boot to the box, but don’t tighten the hose clamp yet.
  4. Reinstall the cruise control box and tighten the 3 nuts.
  5. Tighten the hose clamp on the J-boot, and re-connect the AFM connector.

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