BMW E36 Cold Air Intake Installation with ASC Delete – 1990-1998 3 Series

Probably the biggest question that plagues BMW E36 owners is how to gain more horsepower from their engine without spending a fortune. After getting humiliated in our beloved BMW Repair Guide 1996 E36 M3 at a recent track event (by a new Suburu STI nonetheless), we decided it was time to let go of our purist values and start making some engine modifications.

Our goal: how could we produce affordable horsepower using easy-to-install parts that were reversible if we decided to return the vehicle to its original specifications? The quickest solution was to get a higher flow of oxygen to the cylinders by installing a BMW E36 cold air intake and deleting the vehicle's Automatic Stability Control. Adding a new high-volume silicone intake boot would complete the improvements. Sounds difficult? Not at all. It can be easily done in your garage without the need of hiring an expensive mechanic.

The stock airbox and air filter on a BMW E36 3 series car are power-robbing parts that deprive your cylinders of precious oxygen needed to produce power. It's a simple fact that pumping more air into your engine produces more power. But adding a BMW E36 cold air intake is worthless if the increased airflow you are producing is restricted or impeded. That is where the ASC delete comes into play.

The BMW Active Stability Control system was developed as an early stability/traction control for vehicles and has since been replaced by more sophisticated systems. In general terms, BMW's ASC is a secondary throttle body that is controlled independently of the main throttle body. Unlike your main throttle body which is controlled by your foot pressing on the accelerator, the ASC throttle body is controlled by your BMW's DME (your engine's computer module). The ASC is installed so air must first flow through it before it enters the main throttle body. When the car senses a loss of traction the ASC throttle body will close, shutting down power to the engine (regardless of what the driver is doing with their foot on the accelerator) until traction is regained. The problem with the ASC is that it restricts the amount of air entering the engine...even when it is in the open position.

To truly gain the full performance of a BMW E36 cold air intake, the ACS throttle body must be removed and the stock intake boot replaced with a high-performance silicone version. And as stated earlier, all of these changes are completely reversible if you wish to return to your stock configuration...just make sure to keep your parts.

As is with most aftermarket performance parts, that question is dependent on many factors. If you are modifying your car for your own personal driving enjoyment without any intention of entering it into a car show or selling it as a high end restomod, you really only need to answer two questions: how much will my budget allow me to spend, and is the intake manufactured by a reputable company with a history of producing high-performance racing parts.

Since our budget was around $500, our choice without any hesitation was the AFE Power Magnum FORCE Air Intake System with a Mishimoto silicone intake boot. In fact, even if our budget ceiling was $1000, we would have purchased the same system. AFE Power is a proven brand that has been used by many race teams including one of the Repair Guide's favorites...Turner Motorsports. Mishimoto is also a proven brand used on countless race cars around the world. Together they create an awesome setup for about five hundred bucks. AFE makes both an oiled and dry intake filter for the Magnum FORCE Pro...they both work equally well and it's just a matter of personal preference.