BMW M3 COUPE 2005 E46 Air Filter Replacement

2000-2 006 B M W M 3 A ir F ilt e r R ep la cem en t
Repla cin g th e a ir filt e r o n a 2 000-2 006 B M W M 3 ( E 46). N O TE : T his is fo r th e E N G IN E a ir filt e r,
not th e C ABIN filt e r.
Writ te n B y: A le x D elz e ll
IN TR O DUCTIO N
Regula r m ain te nance o n a 2 000-2 006 ( E 46) B M W M 3 is v ery im porta nt, b ut it c an a ls o b e v ery
expensiv e a t a d eale rs hip o r c ertif ie d te chnic ia n. S o w hy n ot d o s om e o f it y ours elf ? R epla cin g th e
air filt e r in th e e ngin e, fo r in sta nce, is a s im ple , n ot to o in vasiv e, a nd lo w -ris k jo b fo r a nyone lo okin g
to s ave th e $ 100+ th at a d eale r m ig ht c harg e to d o th e jo b.
Note : T his g uid e d oes n ot n ecessarily a pply to th e in sta lla tio n o f a n a fte rm ark et a ir filt e r.
TO OLS :
Fla th ead S cre w driv er
(1 )
Not c o m ple te ly n ece ssa ry , b ut m ig ht c o m e in
handy
PA RTS :
Mann-F ilt e r C 2 5 1 14/1 A ir F ilt e r
(1 )
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S te p 1
—
Engin e A ir F ilt e r

Makin g s ure th e v ehic le is tu rn ed o ff, o pen th e h ood o f th e c ar b y p ullin g th e h ood r e le ase le ver in
th e d riv er's s id e fo ot w ell.
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Walk a ro und to th e fr o nt o f th e c ar a nd p ull u pw ard o n th e la tc h p ro tr u din g fr o m th e g rill.
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Som e e ngin e c om ponents m ay b e H O T! B e s ure to a void to uchin g th e in dic ate d a re as.

S te p 2

Locate th e a ir b ox.
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Id entif y th e tw o m eta l c lip s o n th e le ft s id e o f th e a ir b ox. U nhin ge th ese tw o c lip s b y p re ssin g
th em to th e r ig ht.

They m ig ht b e c lip ped o n p re tty tig ht, s o it m ig ht r e quir e s om e fo rc e.
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S te p 3

Id entif y th e tw o p la stic c lip s o n th e le ft s id e o f th e b ox. T hese c lip s c onsis t o f s m all p la stic h ooks
on th e lid h ooked in to s quare h ole s a tta ched to th e b ase.
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To r e m ove th ese, p re ss th e le ft s id e o f th e lid d ow n a nd p ull u p s lig htly o n th e r ig ht s id e. W hile
doin g th is , g ently s lid e th e lid to th e r ig ht.
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If d one c orre ctly , y ou s hould n ow b e a ble to s ee th e r u bber g asket o f th e a ir filt e r ( m ost lik ely it
will b e b rig ht o ra nge).
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Be c are fu l n ot to lif t o r b end th e lid to o m uch! Y ou w ill b e a ble to lif t th e lid u p to a c erta in
degre e, b ut r e m em ber th at it 's s till a tta ched to th e in ta ke a nd th e a ir flo w s ensor; p uttin g to o
much fo rc e o n e it h er w ill d estr o y th em .
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S te p 4

Gently lif t th e a ir b ox lid u p o n th e r ig ht s id e e nough to r e m ove th e a ir filt e r ( s hould b e a bout 3 -4
in ches).
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Lif t th e a ir filt e r u p b y th e b rig ht o ra nge g asket. If y ou h ave tr o uble p ry in g it u p, y ou c an g ently u se
a fla t h ead s cre w driv er fo r h elp .
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Slid e th e a ir filt e r o ut o f th e b ox.
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S te p 5

Take th e n ew a ir filt e r a nd, w hile g ently lif tin g th e a ir b ox lid , s lid e th e n ew a ir filt e r in u ntil it s eats
fla t in sid e th e b ox.
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Atte m pt to h old th e n ew filt e r b y th e o ra nge g asket o nly ; a void to uchin g th e a ctu al filt e r p art a s
much a s p ossib le .

You m ig ht n otic e th at th e n ew a ir filt e r h ere is s lig htly d if fe re nt fr o m th e o ne r e m oved, a s it h as
a th in c otto n p ad a lo ng th e b otto m a nd th e o ld o ne d oes n ot. B oth s ty le s o f a ir filt e r a re
accepta ble .
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S te p 6

To p ut th e lid b ack in p la ce, p re ss d ow n o n th e le ft s id e o f th e lid a nd p ull u p s lig htly o n th e r ig ht
sid e w hile s lid in g th e h ooks b ack in to th e h ole s.
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This m ig ht ta ke s om e d oin g, a s th e n ew filt e r's g asket m ig ht b e s lig htly la rg er th an th e o ld o ne,
makin g it d if fic ult to s lip th e lid b ack in to p la ce. Y ou m ay n eed to u se th e fla t h ead s cre w driv er
to p re ss th e g asket u nder th e lid . In th e e nd, if th e h ooks a re in p la ce a nd th e g asket is n't
show in g, th e lid is in p la ce.
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T his d ocu m ent w as la st g enera te d o n 2 016-1 1-0 2 0 2:3 9:4 2 P M .
S te p 7
Reatta ch th e m eta l c lip s o n th e r ig ht
sid e o f th e a ir b ox.

Again , th e la rg er g asket m ig ht
make th is a b it d if fic ult s in ce it 's
pushin g u pw ard o n th e lid m ore .
Addit io nal fo rc e m ig ht b e r e quir e d.

S te p 8
Gently c lo se th e h ood.
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