[TheGoodTheBadTheUgly]

Hi,

I just bought a 2011 N55 335xi Sedan and I love it. I would like to start moding it. It's still a 100% stock.

Here is a few things you need to know. I love the sound of turbo spooling and air being sucked in the intake, I live in Canada where temps aren't high for a long time and I am totally new to car moding. Since I didn't know anything I did some research and I landed on intakes like one from BMS and Injen which seems to give a good sound but soak in hot air which is bad for permance if I am right.

Finally I have thought of buying the BMS and making a custom lid for it but then wouldn't the sound be supressed making it similar to the stock?

Thank you all for your time and help.

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

Originally Posted by TheGoodTheBadTheUgly

Hi,

I just bought a 2011 N55 335xi Sedan and I love it. I would like to start moding it. It's still a 100% stock.

Here is a few things you need to know. I love the sound of turbo spooling and air being sucked in the intake, I live in Canada where temps aren't high for a long time and I am totally new to car moding. Since I didn't know anything I did some research and I landed on intakes like one from BMS and Injen which seems to give a good sound but soak in hot air which is bad for permance if I am right.

Finally I have thought of buying the BMS and making a custom lid for it but then wouldn't the sound be supressed making it similar to the stock?

Thank you all for your time and help.

An open style intake will allow for more sound, by no accident a closed box will have less sound but more performance.

Since these cars are turbocharged, air is compressed and heated by the turbos.

You have an intercooler to combat that air temperature increase.

So at the end of the day, the intercooler will be the part that will be the most beneficial from a performance aspect of keeping intake air temperatures down.

Since you want some performance and some intake/turbo sound, I'd recommend starting with a tune upgrade that would increase performance and you'll have the intake to give you that sound.

Also with a tune you'll increase boost pressure which will in turn allow for even more intake and turbo noises. Win/Win

[TheGoodTheBadTheUgly]

I do get that a tune is way more beneficial in many ways, but to go back on the intake, are you saying that a good intercooler would make the open air intake heat soaking negligible?

[Diox]

Originally Posted by TheGoodTheBadTheUgly

I do get that a tune is way more beneficial in many ways, but to go back on the intake, are you saying that a good intercooler would make the open air intake heat soaking negligible?

yes

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

Originally Posted by TheGoodTheBadTheUgly

I do get that a tune is way more beneficial in many ways, but to go back on the intake, are you saying that a good intercooler would make the open air intake heat soaking negligible?

Yep, you're intercooler is the biggest and last defense in getting cooler air into the engine on a turbocharged car.

Originally Posted by Diox

yes

[TheGoodTheBadTheUgly]

Alright thank for everything. Would you have an idea of a good FMIC? I heard about ER and ETS but I don't need to go overkill as well. I would probably like to get a JB4 + MHD BEF so I need a decent FMIC. I don't know the pricings and don't really mind them as long as they are fairly justified.

[Turbod]

If the goal is sound then higher boost (tune), open filter intake (Injen for most sound), turbo inlet (Pure turbo inlet).

[vespa]

Hot air intakes simply increase noise and reduce power, turbo or not, and on modern engines these intakes often cause trouble with airflow sensors due to their amateur design. Remember, BMW has hundreds of Ph.D. specialists with decades of experience and hundreds of millions of dollars worth of testing and analysis equipment. It's hard to imagine that some dude in an industrial unit in Irvine can just download a pirated version of SolidWorks and whip up something that performs better using some scraps of off-the-shelf tubing.

Intercoolers first add lag, second add cooling. On a N/A car, cool air automatically creates power, but on a turbo car the ECU is directly controlling the air quantity so any aftermarket cooling will simply make the engine run safer as the risk of detonation is reduced.

If you increase the boost above stock or somehow drive the car in a way that overloads the stock intercooler then a larger intercooler can increase your safety margin and therefore allow you to tune or track more power for longer periods in warmer weather. If you want power, consider a tune. And if you want more power consider a tune+FMIC. And if you want noise+power, consider exhaust.

[TheGoodTheBadTheUgly]

Originally Posted by vespa

Hot air intakes simply increase noise and reduce power, turbo or not, and on modern engines these intakes often cause trouble with airflow sensors due to their amateur design. Remember, BMW has hundreds of Ph.D. specialists with decades of experience and hundreds of millions of dollars worth of testing and analysis equipment. It's hard to imagine that some dude in an industrial unit in Irvine can just download a pirated version of SolidWorks and whip up something that performs better using some scraps of off-the-shelf tubing.

Intercoolers first add lag, second add cooling. On a N/A car, cool air automatically creates power, but on a turbo car the ECU is directly controlling the air quantity so any aftermarket cooling will simply make the engine run safer as the risk of detonation is reduced.

If you increase the boost above stock or somehow drive the car in a way that overloads the stock intercooler then a larger intercooler can increase your safety margin and therefore allow you to tune or track more power for longer periods in warmer weather. If you want power, consider a tune. And if you want more power consider a tune+FMIC. And if you want noise+power, consider exhaust.

Then why would people bother modding their intakes if they only result in lower performances?

[Diox]

Originally Posted by TheGoodTheBadTheUgly

Then why would people bother modding their intakes if they only result in lower performances?

lol dude you gonna open a can of worms with that 😂😂
you'll get: yes it increases performance and no it's worse because of the hot air blah blah.

get a VRSF, cheap and effective.

i have an injen and it just sounds sexy. love it.

[CurtisP87]

Originally Posted by TheGoodTheBadTheUgly

Then why would people bother modding their intakes if they only result in lower performances?

Open air intakes are good if you're running a big turbo, and simply need more CFM than the stock box can manage. But at that point, you're already running a big intercooler, so it's a wash.

[TheGoodTheBadTheUgly]

Alright so in other words, the best thing to do is to tune the car and put a good intercooler on it so I can mod it correctly.

Now, with some of the FMIC I will need to trim the bumper in most cases. I was looking at the ETS Intercoolers. Has anyone any insight on them? Is it better to take a 5" or 7" one?

I will absolutely not consider the Dinan FMIC as an option but I am open to any other suggestions!

ETS 5" Intercooler: https://www.extremeturbosystems.com/...tercooler.html

ETS 7" Intercooler: https://www.extremeturbosystems.com/...2007-2012.html

[aaron_]

I’m happy with my afe sealed magnum force si 2 (or something like that) intake. Bought from @TopGearSolutions.

Get a mhd custom tune

And buy a VRSF 5” stepped or 7” (I have that) fmic. Haven’t noticed increased lag from large IC

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

Originally Posted by TheGoodTheBadTheUgly

Alright thank for everything. Would you have an idea of a good FMIC? I heard about ER and ETS but I don't need to go overkill as well. I would probably like to get a JB4 + MHD BEF so I need a decent FMIC. I don't know the pricings and don't really mind them as long as they are fairly justified.

I can help but forum rules don't allow me to post pricing here. Feel free to contact us direct for more help. I sent you a PM.

[mike@x-ph.com]

An open intake does not lower performance, at the same time it wont add any noticeable gains.
Getting an open air intake (BMS or Injen) will increase sound

If you are after the woosh sound, get an intake.


If you are after performance, Tune downpipe or intercooler are more beneficial