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      10-14-2013, 12:29 PM   #1
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2011 BMW 135i  [0.00]
BMS Cowl Filters (N55)

I know there is already a review of these by my buddy SFValley335i but he drives an N54 and I drive an N55.

You can read his review here, he actually shows images of the car wet. We had the same exact results so I did not take images of the car wet.

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showt...highlight=Cowl


I picked up a set of Cowl Filters from Terry a few days after they had them available. Took me about 5 minutes to install, cowl easily comes off when you remove a few screws. The filters simply slip on and fit nice and snug. You can use the screws from the OEM filters to hold these down but they are pretty tight in there. For about 2 - 3 weeks now I have been exposing my car to rain and multiple car washes. The engine bay remains dry and the filters do get wet but that does not affect their performance at all. The filters have yellowed a little but it seems like the metal has slightly rusted because of moisture. I am under the impression that BMS will begin to sell them painted black so that should be fixed very soon. Overall, great mod to reduce 10lbs of weight and you can REALLY hear the engine spool and the waste gate working. Turns many heads!

UPDATE: Burger Tuning has the new Black painted filters in stock. These do not rust or yellow, they happily replaced mine with proof of purchase!

You can pick up a set here!
http://www.burgertuning.com/cowl_fil...w_135_335.html



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Last edited by bmw0bsession; 11-05-2013 at 11:00 AM..
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      10-14-2013, 02:00 PM   #2
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Yes the new black ones with revised mesh are on the way and will be free for anyone who got the white ones. White was a great idea in theory but some have had them stained blue or red with washer fluid and others have had some discoloring like you have due to the mesh coating that was used. That will all be resolved with the new black ones.

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      10-14-2013, 03:23 PM   #3
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Any change in oil temps or IAT?
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      10-15-2013, 01:24 PM   #4
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Interesting...

But doesn't that 10lbs of plastic provide some protection for the DME?
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      10-15-2013, 02:12 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Kleen View Post
Interesting...

But doesn't that 10lbs of plastic provide some protection for the DME?
DME is completely protected on its own, it is totally sealed from water aslong as the 2 clips are in the lock position
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      10-15-2013, 02:13 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kleach18 View Post
Any change in oil temps or IAT?
Its the same, I have noticed my hood is not as hot as before though. Not sure if it has to do with better air flow within the engine bay.
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      10-17-2013, 11:36 AM   #7
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As usual top notch products from BMS
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      11-05-2013, 09:58 AM   #8
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any additional reviews on these?
I have a set on the way but am a bit concerned about daily driving with these
also, what's the clean method being used to keep the battery cables and wore harness off the engine cover
I don't really want to use zip ties LOL
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      11-05-2013, 10:59 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ___whoosh___ View Post
any additional reviews on these?
I have a set on the way but am a bit concerned about daily driving with these
also, what's the clean method being used to keep the battery cables and wore harness off the engine cover
I don't really want to use zip ties LOL
I have been daily driving it and no problems at all. Been driving through rain and wind and still same performance and no A/C issues. Opened up the DME cover and everything is perfectly dry =] lol for now zip ties are your best friend!
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      11-05-2013, 11:16 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmw0bsession View Post
I have been daily driving it and no problems at all. Been driving through rain and wind and still same performance and no A/C issues. Opened up the DME cover and everything is perfectly dry =] lol for now zip ties are your best friend!
a set of CF covers for the DME and brake reservoir would be bad ass
maybe Burger could take the mod a step further with a harness and cover solution?
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      11-05-2013, 01:21 PM   #11
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I'd be careful with these on the N55 when you're running a JB4. Most people just have the DME cover sitting on top of the extra JB4 wiring harness so there's no way it's sealed, even if the clips are latched. I made a cut in the factory grommet on the DME box so the harness fits in nicely. Still leery about this product. Have seen people complaining of rusted coils when changing spark plugs possibly from running without the cowl. Nothing seems certain, which is my problem with it.
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      11-06-2013, 09:27 AM   #12
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Are these still working no issues? Installing mine today
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      11-06-2013, 10:23 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Kleen View Post
But doesn't that 10lbs of plastic provide some protection for the DME?
I don't think that is the purpose of the cowl. It's there to hold a nice large air filter for hvac and keep the elements out of your engine bay. Leaves, water, and even air pressure at speed.

The cowl seals the air at the base of your windshield from the engine bay so there is negative pressure in the engine bay, so air will be naturally sucked in through the radiator even without the fan. This is a basic element of how modern cars are designed, and why every modern car has a full plastic shield under the engine (not that splash guarding isn't important), and weather seals along the back edge of the hood.

I wouldn't recommend removing your cowl or the plastic shield under the car, nor adding something like hood risers for that reason.

http://southrnfresh.com/wordpress/wh...e-of-your-car/

http://www.importatlanta.com/forums/...-your-car.html

http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/garag...swer-here.html

I think this is a bad mod. Keep your cowl in place. It only takes a few minutes to remove it once you've done it a few times. This is a mod that will only decrease the overall performance of your car.
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      11-06-2013, 10:56 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Freon View Post
I don't think that is the purpose of the cowl. It's there to hold a nice large air filter for hvac and keep the elements out of your engine bay. Leaves, water, and even air pressure at speed.

The cowl seals the air at the base of your windshield from the engine bay so there is negative pressure in the engine bay, so air will be naturally sucked in through the radiator even without the fan. This is a basic element of how modern cars are designed, and why every modern car has a full plastic shield under the engine (not that splash guarding isn't important), and weather seals along the back edge of the hood.

I wouldn't recommend removing your cowl or the plastic shield under the car, nor adding something like hood risers for that reason.

http://southrnfresh.com/wordpress/wh...e-of-your-car/

http://www.importatlanta.com/forums/...-your-car.html

http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/garag...swer-here.html

I think this is a bad mod. Keep your cowl in place. It only takes a few minutes to remove it once you've done it a few times. This is a mod that will only decrease the overall performance of your car.
This was very interesting! Thank you for this write up, makes perfect sense!
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      11-06-2013, 12:42 PM   #15
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ok, but the cowl filters doesn't raise the hood or "remove" the cowl so to speak...it merely removes the plastic and relocates the filters directly onto the windshield/hood area where the stock filters are anyways...i dont see how this is bad in any way albeit less plastic to protect the filters...
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      11-06-2013, 03:21 PM   #16
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Removing the cowl does exactly the same thing as the risers in terms of screwing up air pressure and airflow in the engine bay. It removes the seal that exists between the base of the windshield and the engine bay that is there by design.

Look at the top front (front in terms of the car) edge of your cowl. There is a weather strip all the way across that seals against the hood so no garbage/leaves can fall from the windshield area into the engine bay, and so there is a decent seal for purposes of maintaining negative air pressure in the engine bay for proper airflow through the radiator and intercooler. If you take the cowl out there is no seal, just a huge hole from the base of the windshield into the engine bay. That weather strip isn't there to be pretty. It's functional...

I don't think this mod makes any sense, and wouldn't recommend anyone doing it. You can spend the 5 minutes it takes to remove the cowl when you really need to get in there, and its not enough weight to make a difference in terms of performance, especially when you're probably negatively affecting radiator performance which will have a more significant impact that the cowl piece that might weigh 8-10 lbs?
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Last edited by Freon; 11-06-2013 at 03:28 PM..
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      11-06-2013, 03:28 PM   #17
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well I'm certainly on the fence now for sure
thanks to all with good posts and feedback
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      11-06-2013, 04:26 PM   #18
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I have been running no cowl on my 135 for year no issues...
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      11-06-2013, 06:01 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Freon View Post
Removing the cowl does exactly the same thing as the risers in terms of screwing up air pressure and airflow in the engine bay. It removes the seal that exists between the base of the windshield and the engine bay that is there by design.

Look at the top front (front in terms of the car) edge of your cowl. There is a weather strip all the way across that seals against the hood so no garbage/leaves can fall from the windshield area into the engine bay, and so there is a decent seal for purposes of maintaining negative air pressure in the engine bay for proper airflow through the radiator and intercooler. If you take the cowl out there is no seal, just a huge hole from the base of the windshield into the engine bay. That weather strip isn't there to be pretty. It's functional...

I don't think this mod makes any sense, and wouldn't recommend anyone doing it. You can spend the 5 minutes it takes to remove the cowl when you really need to get in there, and its not enough weight to make a difference in terms of performance, especially when you're probably negatively affecting radiator performance which will have a more significant impact that the cowl piece that might weigh 8-10 lbs?
thought about this as i just did the install. you can remove the filter and use the BMS filters while still leaving the cowl seal in place. basically remove the OE filter and use BMS. keeps the seal etc.
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      11-06-2013, 07:45 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tommeh View Post
I have been running no cowl on my 135 for year no issues...
says the guy from TX

I wouldn't worry about it either if I wasn't from Pennsyltucky
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      11-06-2013, 07:51 PM   #21
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Also worth noting is that you can't remove the cowl if you have an OEM Alarm. There's a Bonnet (Hood) pressure switch mounted to it.
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      11-06-2013, 07:55 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Harlequin View Post
Also worth noting is that you can't remove the cowl if you have an OEM Alarm. There's a Bonnet (Hood) pressure switch mounted to it.
You just unplug it and the alarm continues to work normally. Without hood protection, of course.

Mike
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