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Repair Summary
The following article gives detailed instructions on replacing the air filter in a BMW F30 vehicle with the N20 twin turbo engine. Even though we have used a 2014 BMW 320i to perform this installation, this article can be applied to any 2012-2019 320i or 328i with minor modifications.
See all vehicles this article applies to
F30 3 Series 318d
F30 3 Series Hybrid 3
F30 3 Series 335iX
F30 3 Series 335i
F30 3 Series 335dX
F30 3 Series 330d
F30 3 Series 330dX
F30 3 Series 328i
F30 3 Series 328dX
F30 3 Series 328d
F30 3 Series 328iX
F30 3 Series 320iX
F30 3 Series 325d
F30 3 Series 320i
F30 3 Series 320i ed
F30 3 Series 320dX
F30 3 Series 320d ed
F30 3 Series 320d
F30 3 Series 318dX
F30 3 Series 316i
F30 3 Series 316d
A BMW F30 air filter replacement only takes a few minutes and is one of the simplest maintenance repairs you can perform.
The air filter element is a very important component of your BMW F30 3 series vehicle and should be changed on a regular basis. Its purpose is to filter out air-borne contaminants like dust and sand and prevent them from entering the engine. Not performing a BMW F30 air filter replacement on a regular basis will greatly affect your 3 series' performance and can shorten the life span of its four-cylinder high-performance engine.
The BMW Service and Warranty Book for the F30 3 series recommends changing the air filter every fifth oil change (3rd oil change for sport wagons). Since most owners base their oil change intervals on their vehicle's Conditional Based Service (CBS) system (in other words...they let the car tell them when), it could be 30-50K miles before an air filter gets changed based on BMW's recommendations. That's too long.
The BMW Repair Guide strongly recommends that a BMW F30 air filter replacement is performed in your 2012-2019 320i or 328i every 10,000 miles under normal driving conditions. This is cheap insurance against airborne debris getting caught in your engine and causing more expensive repair issues down the line.
View the detailed parts diagram for this repair.
Includes detailed part diagrams, part numbers and links to purchase all of the required components needed to complete this repair.
Before starting this repair, you must have the following required parts.
BMW F30 320i and 328i
The air filter must clean 8000-9000 gallons of air for each gallon of fuel burned inside the engine, without restricting the air intake. Air filter replacement at recommended intervals lets an engine breathe properly while protecting it from costly damage. Air filters should be inspected and replaced as needed at least once a year, more often if the vehicle is driven in heavily polluted or dusty conditions.
Section 1 - BMW F30 Air Filter Removal and Installation
Removing and installing a new air filter in your 2012-2019 320i or 328i simply requires lifting the lid off of the intake muffler and swapping out the filter.- The BMW F30 air filter is located inside the intake muffler at the front right side of the engine.
- Start by using a flat blade screwdriver to unsnap the four metal locking clips securing the lid of the intake muffler to its base. There are two clips on the front and two on the back of the lid.
- The lid is secured to the base by three rubber bump stops, one on the front and one on each side. You only need to remove the front and right side bump stops to access the air filter. Simply grasp the lid at the bump stops and lift up until it releases.
- You can now access the air filter under the lid. Grasp the air filter and remove it. Note how the rubber lip on the air filter is on top.
- Install a new air filter making sure the rubber lip on the top of it is properly aligned inside the intake muffler. Press it down gently with your fingers around the rubber seal to make sure it is seated correctly.
- Reattach the lid to the base. Use the palm of your hand to push the lid back onto the bump stops.
- Use your fingers to snap the four locking clips back into place.
BMW F30 Air Filter Replacement Finished
