First mods

[KMIII]

After 4 months of owning my e92, I finally want to start modifying. I am coming from a Corvette C6, so everything is quite different and new for me. What exactly do you guys do for intake? I have heard of the Macht Schnell air filter. I know thats not a full intake system but is it a good place to start? What do you guys do for full intake? Also, I am interested in the RPI scoops even though I have heard that they are a waste, but I just want them because I like the look of the red scoops with the matte black kidneys.

So overall, are these two mods good to start with? If not, any suggestions?

[mixja]

Air filter replacement is fine - you spend a lot of $$$ on full intake systems for none or very negligible gains.

Air scoops - well they seem to work on the dyno, some scepticism as to their real world benefits. They are a cheap modification so I say go for them.

Underdriven Crank Pulley would be the best bang for buck modification and should be one of the first things on your shopping list.

[JCtx]

Originally Posted by mixja

Air scoops - well they seem to work on the dyno, some scepticism as to their real world benefits. They are a cheap modification so I say go for them.

With the bumper intake feeding the airbox more air than it needs, and hood vent allowing airbox NOT to be pressurized, how can those scoops be functional? If anything, they're blocking air to the radiators .

[SUB-ZERO]

Originally Posted by mixja

Air filter replacement is fine - you spend a lot of $$$ on full intake systems for none or very negligible gains.

Air scoops - well they seem to work on the dyno, some scepticism as to their real world benefits. They are a cheap modification so I say go for them.

Underdriven Crank Pulley would be the best bang for buck modification and should be one of the first things on your shopping list.

Won't the UD pulley cause issues with the electrical system? Other possible damage? Won't a lightened pulley work just as well with less risk of damage?

Thanks,
SZ

[anthony @ eas]

Originally Posted by KMIII

What exactly do you guys do for intake? I have heard of the Macht Schnell air filter. I know thats not a full intake system but is it a good place to start?

We have sold plenty of the Macht Schnell air filters and have heard great feedback. The filter will provide a slight increase in power and a slightly louder intake sound. It's a great mod to start with PM me for pricing.

[SV Concepts III]

aFe will be introducing an intake system for the E9X M3, we have already preordered the system and hope to have it this fall.

[KMIII]

Thanks for the feedback. I will be ordering the Macht Schnell filter and the RPI scoops soon. One more concern I have with modifications is the warranty situation. With my corvette, as long as there was bolt-ons only, the warranty was still in effect. How does this work with the M3? Which modifications will void my warranty? I would really like to stay away from any mods which will affect my warranty as it is very important to me.

[SV Concepts III]

BMW cannot void the warranty for just putting on modifications but if one of your modifications contributes to a problem with the car, they can refuse warranty service if they prove that it was the mod that caused the issue.

[KMIII]

Alright, sounds fair. Well that certainly won't change my mind about modifying so hopefully nothing goes wrong.

Any vendor suggestions for RED RPI scoops?

[onefastdoc]

Originally Posted by Nick@Jlevi SW

BMW cannot void the warranty for just putting on modifications but if one of your modifications contributes to a problem with the car, they can refuse warranty service if they prove that it was the mod that caused the issue.

I think that's a little misleading Nick. You should know from the 335i forum (where I used to live prior to my M3) that BMW can and will void your warranty at their discretion whenever they feel like it. There are tons of 335i owners out there that had their warranties voided and their car black flagged in the BMW database, many due to modified ECUs. If you search the forums, there are cases where merely the sight of a modification resulted in a voided warranty. Now, you can quote the Magnuson-Moss Act (car warranty act to protect consumer) until you are blue in the face. The reality is, on a practical level, it doesn't protect you at all. If you are willing and able to (financially) to pursue it legally, you might win in the end. The bottom line is, you have to be willing to pay to play. That is, modify your car at your own risk. I will admit that I have seen far fewer cases of voided warranties on M3s than on the 335 though.

[SV Concepts III]

Originally Posted by onefastdoc

I think that's a little misleading Nick. You should know from the 335i forum (where I used to live prior to my M3) that BMW can and will void your warranty at their discretion whenever they feel like it. There are tons of 335i owners out there that had their warranties voided and their car black flagged in the BMW database, many due to modified ECUs. If you search the forums, there are cases where merely the sight of a modification resulted in a voided warranty. Now, you can quote the Magnuson-Moss Act (car warranty act to protect consumer) until you are blue in the face. The reality is, on a practical level, it doesn't protect you at all. If you are willing and able to (financially) to pursue it legally, you might win in the end. The bottom line is, you have to be willing to pay to play. That is, modify your car at your own risk. I will admit that I have seen far fewer cases of voided warranties on M3s than on the 335 though.

You are right, dealers will err on the side of caution and blame a modification outright. However, they legally cannot void your entire warranty because you have coilovers or an ECU flash. They can flag your car or record these mods if they need that information in the future to prove that a modification caused an issue with the car. My point being that the onus is on the dealer to prove that a modification is causing the problem and thus cannot be covered under warranty. They cannot just refuse to fix your iDrive system because you have downpipes.