Air Filter change - S2

[xenon]

Clark's Garage pages only cover the easy turbo filter replacement... On the S2 does it involve removing the nose panel between the headlights? Easy job?

 

[zcacogp]

Ian,

Yup, badge panel has to come off.

Not difficult, but don't forget to remove the rubber strips from below the headlights and take the bolts behind them out. The panel itself is a bit wibbly-wobbly when not bolted on as well, so handle with slight care.

Once the panel is off, the filter change is very easy.


Oli.

 

[xenon]

Great, thanks Oli. The rubber strips below the headlamps just unclip (?)

 

[zcacogp]

Procedure for removing rubber bits goes something like this.

1. Grab Rubber bit with a suitable tool (your fingers.)

2. Pull out.

Reffiting is the reverse of removal.

(Always wanted a job as a Haynes Manual author!)



Oli.

 

[xenon]

No doubt the editor would trim down your entry as it contains far too much detail. Haynes would simply say: "remove and replace air filter".....

 

[PJS917]

Is there any benefit to fitting a cone type filter to the S2 rather than the normal panel type?

 

[xenon]

I don't know, but the S2 housing is (apparently) a resonant chamber so the stock device might be preferable to a cone filter. A K&N panel filter might be an improvement but I've heard that oil mist from such a filter can cause problems with hot-film MAFs. The "in-the-know" BMW modders have dropped K&N stuff anyway.

 

[Peter Empson]

I'm running a cone filter and in my opinion you definately need a long intake pipe on the S2 engine, I bought an untrimmed J pipe from Essential Styling and it gave me back a lot more torque compared to the shorter version I improvised before.

I'm also running a MAF and have experienced no problems with the oil, and I've cleaned and reoiled my Green filter at least a couple of times since installation.
There's an interesting bit of PR from K&N here about the MAF problem: http://www.knfilters.com/news/news.aspx?ID=422
Best regards,
Peter

 

[xenon]

That is interesting PR from K&N. I would be interested to hear from an S2 owner who feels he has benefitted (or otherwise) from a K&N panel filter, as opposed to a cone, as I was intending to swap the filter at the weekend. If the K&N panel filter is worth having I might put one in instead.

 

[PJS917]

I had a K&N panel filter in my old S2 and I think it made a little difference, a little more torque lower down. Not a huge amount but enough to make it worth while.

 

[Fen]

I didn't notice any difference with the K&N in my S2 cab.

On removing the badge panel there are two 10mm (or may 8mm) hex-head screws that go through the very ends of the thin bits in front of the lights into the front wing as well as the ones you'll see when you take the rubber bits out.

 

[xenon]

OK, thanks.