While I had the car apart installing my alarm, I went ahead and changed out the microfilter as part of my Inspection II that I am slowly completing.

EDIT: I thought it would be worth noting here that it may not be necessary for you to remove the glovebox. There is significant discussion of this in the thread. I recommend reading the whole thread before starting.

Of course the first step is to remove the glovebox. I have a small no picture write up in my alarm install DIY, and there are many resources out there. If I had thought about it I would have done a writeup with pictures but for now I am not removing that damn glovebox again.

After the glovebox is removed, you will want to remove the plastic air vents that feed the footwell in order to gain better access to the microfilter compartment.

To do this you need to push down on the back of the plastic vents to release a vertical clip holding it up. You can see it in this picture:
Just forward of the purple wire in the clear plastic covering you see a vertical post near where the plastic is coated with insulation.

The second clip can't be seen as it is on the underside of the vents inside the vent right at the center of the car. To remove this press up from the bottom until it pops out and the pull away from the center of the car to release the snap fitting of the vent and then wiggle it out and towards the front of the car to clear the metal frame that it is tightly fitted into.

Now you have to remove this.
There is a release clip at the top center. Pull left in the picture and then push up on the unit to remove it.

Here it is removed and you can see the release clip in the middle and the other two slide clips on either side.

(Some people have another black tray attached to the top of this clip. You will have to remove the top tray first. In order to do this, you slide the top tray back as far as it will go and then lift up. You can see the 3-4 sets of grooves in this picture. Installation is the opposite of removal.)

Here is the console it fits into. You can see how it attaches.

Now this is the access to the microfilter.
Up is the front of the car, right is the floor, left is the hvac core.

Twist this and pull it out to expose the microfilter.
Push the black tab shown on the filter towards the front of the car to release the foam seal. Then pull away from the center of the car to remove it. The frame is broken in three places and will make a bit of a mess...just keep pulling and working at it until it is removed.

here it is. Yuck.

To insert the new one, simply break it in the three obvious place on the plastic frame so that you can carefully feed it in the opening and clear all the components under the dash. When it is in, just press it towards the front of the car to fit the foam seal. Reinstall the cover and twist in the opposite direction to secure it. Then simply reinstall all the pieces of the dash.

Good thread.

How much is a microfilter at the stealership?

wuts the microfilter for?

mike

also, wheres the list for inspection II?

wuts the microfilter for?

mike

also, wheres the list for inspection II?

Its a filter for you central air system.

It is the cabin filter...or pollen filter. It filters the outside air for your hvac.

The filter is like $15 or less if I recall correctly.
There are a number of links to inspection 2 lists...try the bimmerdiy.com

I am going to bump this up for the Monday crowd.

Nice writeup, but I have replaced mine without removing the glovebox. It's a bit tight in there, but it's possible to do. Oh, and I paid $27 at the $tealer.

Soem writeups tell you to remove the metal dash brace/frame as well...honestly the more that is gone the easier it is....however it is obviously possible to do without removing the dash...just not fun. shoot I almost recommend removing the seat when doing this. I hate crawling around upside down in the footwells of the car.

Soem writeups tell you to remove the metal dash brace/frame as well...honestly the more that is gone the easier it is....however it is obviously possible to do without removing the dash...just not fun. shoot I almost recommend removing the seat when doing this. I hate crawling around upside down in the footwells of the car.

How do you remove the metal brace/frame as you mention? I sliced up my hand pretty good when replacing my microfilter. I got so pissed off I pretty much convinced myself that I was going to pay someone else to do it from now on.

Note that I also didn't unhook the black computer piece from the other piece like you suggest. If I had done that, the whole thing would have been much easier. I didn't realize they came apart.

Some people think removing this is easy...I am not so sure. You can see on either end it has a bolt holding it to the side of the car and the center dash support....those are easy to remove, but wiggling it out of there is tough...plus I am not sure you can easily do this with the center shift surround in the way.

I did it too without removing the glovebox, just a duct and some wire. I also didnt break the filter in those three different places it went in with some wriggling around.

I did it too without removing the glovebox, just a duct and some wire. I also didnt break the filter in those three different places it went in with some wriggling around.I just replaced mine tonight without removing the glovebox. I just removed the kick panel and then removed the Y shaped duct. That gave me free access to the filter. Took about 15 minutes to change.

god - this is such a pain in the ass if the filter breaks and you leave a bit in there - what fun...

Why did you break it in 2 places? I installed mine he same way and didn't have to break it.

-Robert

I was thinking that once you get the glove box off it was essentially right there in front of you w/ easy access. It sounds like a hassle. Ah well.

It's always funny to see a common DIY and then the "I had to X" "Well I didn't have to X" "Well you can do it Y way also" "Y?!? That was impossible!"

I know when I did mine there was no way the filter was going in without breaking it at the marked tabs. Under the dash was pretty cramped and there was no way I could have slid that 8+ inches of straight plastic into the housing.

i need to do mine soon...thanks for the write up!

I had originally replaced my cabin filter the hard way--by removing the glove box. Then, I had the car at the stealer for some minor stuff so I asked them to replace the cabin filter since about 40k miles had passed from before. Well, about 40k miles more, I go to replace my cabin filter without removing the glove box and I find that a bunch of the plastic components under the glove are broken (!). The damn stealer just ripped out the plastic vents and replaced the microfilter. It must have taken them about 15 minutes that way.

These get dirty pretty quick. I think the recommended interval is 30k miles for a change.

just did mine today, took about 30 min bc its so cramped under the dashboard. i just took out kickboard and reached in and yanked it out. then just vaccumed it out and its done. very simple.

Can anyone do a write-up for doing it without taking out the glovebox?

just take out the glovebox.. It takes like 5 minutes. It'll take someone longer to write up a diy. Do it for the practice.

Well I have always changed my own filter since the car was new. I have never removed the glove box and it took me about 20 minutes. 45 the first time oh so many years ago.

First off get the idea that yoga would be a good idea. lol Getting upside down in the passenger well is a PIA.

Move te seat back as far as you can,

There is a panel under the glovebox held on with two screws in the front and help in place by metal clips (fingers in the rear.) Unscrew and remove. the panel is press board with insulation. holes are in it for the foot well air.

Next one the aforemention ducts are in the way, It's in two pieces. Unclip and remove. The wiring loom as a junction box in the way as well. Easily unclips. All of this is in the dark so a flashlight ( or florescent lighting so not to burn your ass under there) would aid in seeing what your doing.

After the stuff is gone and hanging, you'll see a rectangular door with a twist knob. Twist remove. Now the filter is ready to pull out. You notice when you do that the filter comes out "hinged" or "broken" this is for clearance so you can slide it out. Slide out and angle towards the open space. Vacuum anything crappy in there. Watch you eyes and where safety goggles if you feel there will be projectiles in there!

Now the new filter will be in once piece but you will see a scoring line on where to break it to get it back in. There is a tab on one end to place it in (and of course pull it out). "break" qand replace.

Assembly of the rest is the reverse. Make sure the rear clips catch the panel though or your going to have a sagging panel. Also make sure the vents (ducting) is aimed out of the panel squarely.

Your done.

-C

I just changed the microfilter in my E36. Without this forum, I wouldn't have known I even had a microfilter, let alone how to change it. It took about 30 minutes, counting four trips back in the house to stare at the computer. Next time it will take 15 minutes. About a pound of leaves and crap fell out onto my floor mat.

BTW I bought my filter at the NAPA store here. It is a Bosch unit and it cost $16.00. The two local BMW shops quoted me $123 and $130 for the job.

I changed mine recently, and it was the original microfilter in a car with 230k miles on it. Needless to say, it was absolutely disgusting, made me sneeze a lot, probably gave me cancer, and well, just plain disgusted me. After getting the new filter in there I hit the fan on, and I'll be damned, E36 HVAC systems don't actually suck! I could feel my EYEBROWS move in the gust of air coming from the vents. I can't wait to test this in the heat with the a/c...

I changed mine recently, and it was the original microfilter in a car with 230k miles on it. Needless to say, it was absolutely disgusting, made me sneeze a lot, probably gave me cancer, and well, just plain disgusted me. After getting the new filter in there I hit the fan on, and I'll be damned, E36 HVAC systems don't actually suck! I could feel my EYEBROWS move in the gust of air coming from the vents. I can't wait to test this in the heat with the a/c...
230,000 miles!?! I've seen some hi mileage cars on this forum but wow.

I had my filter sitting there waiting to go in, and it was nice today so I did it. If you are doing it the first time remove the glove box it goes a lot easier, probably took me 20 minutes. But looking at the old filter it was worth it.

Now to get throught the rest of the inspection II stuff.

I changed mine recently, and it was the original microfilter in a car with 230k miles on it. Needless to say, it was absolutely disgusting, made me sneeze a lot, probably gave me cancer, and well, just plain disgusted me.
:handclap :lol

oh my god trying to get that right two pronged vent back into place is such a bitch. it's leaking air from the bottom where it connects. I think i may have a broken piece, or is everyone else's broken like this? this was so hard to connect. i'l put pics in a bit.

Post up pics and maybe we can figure it out.

http://homepages.wmich.edu/~j3harmal/crack.jpg

that sucks but I am sure a replacement is cheap.

Yeah, I think it's broken, looks like i'll need to make a trip to the stealer

just changed mine- this thread helped me out alot- thanks!
what a difference! Now my air blows nice and strong. My filter was basically completely clogged. My car has 165000 on her and i believe this may have been the original filter :eek:

I should have done this alot earlier :rolleyes

i bought my filter at Autozone.....it was easy to put in...the old one was a problem getting out.......it would get caught and tear and it shot dirt out and when i pulled it out it was like fully extended...i used my car vac to clean inside the area that took it out and on my carpet that it drop dirt, twigs, hair, it looked like a rat nest ...it didnt want to come out...seriously i took the old one out and drop it on the ground and it left a black spot on pavement....i guess the previous owners never changed it so after 134,000 i had to do it......and too me it smells better and seems like the air blows a lot stronger....i can play freeze out with my girlfriend cause my ac blows so cold.....i guess it was just clogged.......

gonna do this weekend...thanks for the DIY

Nice....just did this in my STi, now time for the Bimmer to get some TLC

finally, i've been looking forward for a writeup since bimmerdiy didn't have it...awesome write up, now gotta go get a filter ! thanks a lot old skool

No problem...my other write ups are in my sig. They are all listed in the BFC articles page.

I've got a RHD 3series, when I change the micro filter is it situated in the right footwell or left?

Can anyone do a write-up for doing it without taking out the glovebox?


jonjon i did one on my forum no pictures because i forgot the camera that day but next time i do it (spring ill update with some good useable pictures) its really easy to do. id like to also note that for some who want a bit more comfort you can always take the passenger seat out to make more room, its an extra 10 minutes to take in and out at the most. *use the update in the second post for the quick easy way to do it without the glovebox removal.

http://www.bimmerwerkz.com/forum/maintenance-troubleshooting/e36-6clylinder-microfilter-replacement-552.html




as for the question about why you break your filter into three sections, the reason you do this is to make the job much easier when installing it. it saves time and lots of headache.

jonjon i did one on my forum no pictures because i forgot the camera that day but next time i do it (spring ill update with some good useable pictures) its really easy to do. id like to also note that for some who want a bit more comfort you can always take the passenger seat out to make more room, its an extra 10 minutes to take in and out at the most. *use the update in the second post for the quick easy way to do it without the glovebox removal.

http://www.bimmerwerkz.com/forum/maintenance-troubleshooting/e36-6clylinder-microfilter-replacement-552.html




as for the question about why you break your filter into three sections, the reason you do this is to make the job much easier when installing it. it saves time and lots of headache.

any pics yet? I just noticed mine has never been replaced and its over 200+ miles...me thinks this is the fix to my A/c Problem

If the microfilter is out of stock...can do this..
You can soak it in warm water + detergent + few drops of clothes whitening liquid for a few hours. Don't scrub just soak it upsidedown (intake side facing you)...then wash and let it dry.....you now have a clean and ready to resuse microfilter...my 2c

dont forget to stick a vacuum cleaner in the airbox. There are a lot of big things like leaves and twigs that dont come out with the filter.

There are a lot of big things like leaves and twigs that dont come out with the filter.

VILLAGER #1: Bread!
VILLAGER #2: Apples!
VILLAGER #3: Very small rocks!
VILLAGER #1: Cider!
VILLAGER #2: Great gravy!
VILLAGER #1: Cherries!
VILLAGER #2: Mud!
VILLAGER #3: Churches -- churches!
VILLAGER #2: Lead -- lead!

:D

hmmmmm, I think I need to do this.

Thanks for the DIY. This filter hasn't been changed since 92. What a load of leaves and junk.

I also recently chaged my microfilter. In Australian delivered cars the microfilter is on the driver's side.

I found this out after I got the glove box out - which is really not that hard. The dealer had told me it was on the glove box side, but then after another call I was then told try the other side. In hind sight I guess this makes sense. The mirofilter is on the same side, it is just the steering wheel that changes position!!

It was a pain to get out and there was quite a bit a dirt in the slot!!

175281

^^^

LOL I made the same mistake after seeing a DIY on an english board and I thought everything was in mirror image, which of course it's not :)

So there I was staring at the final stage output and no filter to be found!

nice writeup- someone asked why the filter was broken... the filter frame is perforated in a couple spots so it's meant to break in two places like that, i think my new one even had to do this to fit in there.

i wanted to add a note on here that the glove box was fairly easy to get out on my car except the Bently manual says just to remove the 6 screws, but forgets to mention that you have to pop out the glove box light to undo a 10mm bolt before the box can come out.

also look into micronair filters, i was reading something about them before that they were superior to regualr filters because they have 'activated charcoal' i think i got mine for around $12 or so. cheers.

nice writeup- someone asked why the filter was broken... the filter frame is perforated in a couple spots so it's meant to break in two places like that, i think my new one even had to do this to fit in there.

i wanted to add a note on here that the glove box was fairly easy to get out on my car except the Bently manual says just to remove the 6 screws, but forgets to mention that you have to pop out the glove box light to undo a 10mm bolt before the box can come out.

also look into micronair filters, i was reading something about them before that they were superior to regualr filters because they have 'activated charcoal' i think i got mine for around $12 or so. cheers.

Dunno about that activated charcoal (could be the case) the pollenfilters do a better job than normal filters as they block out much more and also finer particles.

If your car is (like mine) equiped with the Climate Control unit extra UAC option, it even has sensors that turn on ReCirc when smoke/odors/polution is sensed.

And yes, glovebox is easy, but it also took me a while before I thought about the nut behind the light! ARGH!

ALSO get the vents+glovebox out as one piece. DO NOT try and remove the vents alone as this is a 100% guarentee to break 2 clips that hold in the vent panel and this is the reason the lid will sag.

But even most BMW mechs don't know that!

...i wanted to add a note on here that the glove box was fairly easy to get out on my car except the Bently manual says just to remove the 6 screws, but forgets to mention that you have to pop out the glove box light to undo a 10mm bolt before the box can come out.


Not all gloveboxes have the bolt. With mine all I had to do was undo the screws.

Nice writeup, someday I will post one like this.
While I had the car apart installing my alarm, I went ahead and changed out the microfilter as part of my Inspection II that I am slowly completing.

Of course the first step is to remove the glovebox. I have a small no picture write up in my alarm install DIY, and there are many resources out there. If I had thought about it I would have done a writeup with pictures but for now I am not removing that damn glovebox again.

After the glovebox is removed, you will want to remove the plastic air vents that feed the footwell in order to gain better access to the microfilter compartment.

To do this you need to push down on the back of the plastic vents to release a vertical clip holding it up. You can see it in this picture:
Just forward of the purple wire in the clear plastic covering you see a vertical post near where the plastic is coated with insulation.

shoot I almost recommend removing the seat when doing this. I hate crawling around upside down in the footwells of the car. same here does my head in

So here's my microfilter story in light of many replies on this thread...

1. "I did mine in 15 minutes" is shite if one hasn't done it before. Not helping matters is #3.

2. I bought mine from bimmerzone.com for $9, (plus shipping though mine was free.) That's the cheapest I found.

3. There are a lot of b.s. articles and advice on the microfilter installation process. ex. Step 1, remove glovebox. Step 2, pull out microfilter... This thread is great and helped a lot.

4. Its a good idea to take a vacuum to where the microfilter is inserted after removing the old one b/c all kinds of crap came out of mine.

5. I don't see how one wouldn't have to remove the glovebox...I wouldn't have been able to see what I was doing, fit my arms and hands where they needed to be, or remove the plastic y-shaped vent tube necessary to get the filter out. Not to mention the extreme angles I'd have to manuever my spine into in order to work around the glovebox. Just take it out.

6. Whether you snap the new filter into three pieces or not is irrevelant. It's made to be broken, but if you don't have to break it, then don't.

Seeing how I just got done doing mine, if anyone has questions feel free to contact me or reply to my post.

....

6. Whether you snap the new filter into three pieces or not is irrevelant. It's made to be broken, but if you don't have to break it, then don't....

So you got it in without breaking?

So you got it in without breaking?

Let me elaborate on #6 b/c it is easy to be confused by the way I, and many others, have said it.

Microfilters have a plastic border to them. This plastic border has notches in it, so you can snap the plastic border and essentially fold the microfilter into a triangle in order to fit it into the glove box compartment and navigate around the various wires. The filter material itself remains intact. I snapped my plastic border b/c there wouldn't have been enough clearance to manuever around all the wiring and random crap that's shoved up there. Think of it as folding the filter up, then unfolding it as its gradually inserted into the microfilter compartment.

I was messing with this for a while. How do I go about removing the glove box? Ive already removed all the screws and still wont budge, even with a lot of force. There are two gold screws inside the glovebox, upper left. Should I remove those? Dont know if there would be a difference since i have a convertible.. help

I was messing with this for a while. How do I go about removing the glove box? Ive already removed all the screws and still wont budge, even with a lot of force. There are two gold screws inside the glovebox, upper left. Should I remove those? Dont know if there would be a difference since i have a convertible.. help

You can check my alarm install DIY linked in my sig but it doesn't have pictures. You can also do a search or go to the sticky at the top of the forum. There are a number of glove box removal DIYs with pictures. I think you can also go to Pelicanparts.com and check out their DIY.

yea Ive seen all the diys, have followed the steps. All screws are out but Im still not able to get the box out. Question is what are the two gold screws in the top of the box for? Dont know if this is a vert only deal or waht..

In mine, there was a gold screw hidden behind the light for the glovebox. After removing the light, you take out the gold screw which mounts the box to the dash frame. I think the passenger air bag is also mounted to this area.

Maybe you can post pictures?

Ok I got it off. Now the problem is I cant remove the heater duct. On the part where it attaches to the other duct there is something holding it. the only way to get it is by pushing it up I assume, to pull the "stick" out of the hole. But I cant pull up since the box frame is there. how do you remove the duct. sorry

I thought I had a picture of that. I can't find it right now though. Sorry, but I remember doing it but not how.

Thanks, anybody else. I cant really get down and work w it a lot, just got my wisdom teeth out and bleed a lot upside down. Just want to get this done. any help

yea Ive seen all the diys, have followed the steps. All screws are out but Im still not able to get the box out. Question is what are the two gold screws in the top of the box for? Dont know if this is a vert only deal or waht..

The two gold torx screws are attached to a servo that is tied into the locking system. When you lock the car, the servo is thrown and it locks the glovebox as well.

If you have removed the two gold screws, you will want to replace them and make sure that you have the servo housing attached properly BEFORE you replace the glove box. It's easier. Ask me how I know. :rolleyes

See Sapienti's post about an additional hex bolt that is hidden up in the area of the glove box light - behind the light cover. I'm guessing this additional bolt is there to prevent thieves from being able to remove the glove box without unlocking it as the bolt is located inside the glovebox.

As for removing the a/c ducts, I am not sure you need to do this. I did this about a month ago, and I think I may have disconnected the duct and just pushed it down. Focus more on the filter housing and the circular knob used to close off the housing. You are almost there - don't give up!!

Finally got it all off, just pried a flat screwdriver between the plastics on the vent and it just popped off. Was expecting more leaves, but I did get a very dirty filter, and bloody, dirty hands. Thanks for the DIY, now to put this mess back together!

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o228/mig328/DSCN0979.jpg
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o228/mig328/DSCN0980.jpg

Did anyone of you get any better airflow from the AC after replacing the microfilter?

I really didn't notice any difference.

Did anyone of you get any better airflow from the AC after replacing the microfilter?

I really didn't notice any difference.

Havent really tried it, just ran a quick tester. didnt seem like there was much of a difference. at least now my vents wont be so dirty:redspot

Great write up.
Changed my filter today without glovebox removal.
Filter was quite dirty.
Could not get footwell vent to go in all the way. PITA
Had to make one break in filter to get it in.
Air flow increase is huge!

is there anything you can spray on it to give a long lasting fresh smell through the a/c?

is there anything you can spray on it to give a long lasting fresh smell through the a/c?
Hadn't thought of that.
Drop an air freshener in there?

took me about an hour and a bit but ....mission accomplished! thanks for the great write up!! : )

Just wanted to thank everyone in the thread. Did this for the first time today, took about 30 minutes. The removal of the kick panel, vent, and wiring harness took about 5 minutes. Taking out the old filter, putting in the new one took about 5 more along with vacuuming.

The only hard part was putting the vent back and the kick panel. That was a bit frustrating to get it back on just right but I got it after a bit of hassle. Wasn't nearly as bad as I expected.

hey do you guys get air that blow thought your vents, when you set the fan control to 0? or is mine broken?

hey do you guys get air that blow thought your vents, when you set the fan control to 0? or is mine broken?
I've been driving a '92 Maxima for 10 years so I'm used to being able to have air come through the vents just by having the vent set for outside air. I've only had the BMW for a few weeks and it appears you have to have the air system on for air to come through the vents. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

hummmmmmm so its broken, cuz there is no out side air vent option

hummmmmmm so its broken, cuz there is no out side air vent option
What i meant is if you don't have the recirculate option and don't have AC on and are running the fan I think that's the only way to get outside air to come in. On my maxima I could have the fan setting to "off" and outside air would still come in if I had recirculate off. Hopefully that makes sense.

good write up i didnt even know i had a micro filter

I have to say that pulling the glove box out is not necessary, but it makes the job of putting the filter and Y-shaped duct back in much, much easier. It only took about 3 minutes to take out the glove box (including the screw behind the amber light in my car) and another 3 to re-install it. I believe it saved me much more tha 6 minutes on the total job as well as the frustration of getting that duct back snuggly into it's clips.

Seat removal isn't necessary either but again, it makes things easier and you can also vacuum out all that crap that gets under the seats that you normally can't vacuum without removing the seat.

Finally. My car has 145,000+ miles and this filter has probably not ever been changed. IT FEELS LIKE I HAVE A NEW AIR CONDITIONER. I would definately recommend changing this filter if you have an older car and don't know if it has ever been changed. I thought my AC just sucked, but I get a surplus of cold air now (even enough to share with my passenger).

Good luck.

If its your first time, expect it to take 30-45 minutes.

While I had the car apart installing my alarm, I went ahead and changed out the microfilter as part of my Inspection II that I am slowly completing.

EDIT: I thought it would be worth noting here that it may not be necessary for you to remove the glovebox. There is significant discussion of this in the thread. I recommend reading the whole thread before starting.

Of course the first step is to remove the glovebox. I have a small no picture write up in my alarm install DIY, and there are many resources out there. If I had thought about it I would have done a writeup with pictures but for now I am not removing that damn glovebox again.

After the glovebox is removed, you will want to remove the plastic air vents that feed the footwell in order to gain better access to the microfilter compartment.

To do this you need to push down on the back of the plastic vents to release a vertical clip holding it up. You can see it in this picture:
Just forward of the purple wire in the clear plastic covering you see a vertical post near where the plastic is coated with insulation.
do u ever replace the E36 318i macrofilter if so.. plase send me the pic. & the guide to change it.. tq

how expensive is to do this kind of work at the stealership anyways?

how expensive is to do this kind of work at the stealership anyways?

What is it like $90/hour minimum? Then figure they charge something like 1 hr for it... That is a rough estimate.

do u ever replace the E36 318i macrofilter if so.. plase send me the pic. & the guide to change it.. tq

I haven't. Is it significantly different?

how expensive is to do this kind of work at the stealership anyways?

If you're not comfortable in Do It Yourself tasks, this is a good one to try.

Just did mine. I removed the glove box, it was only eight screws (two on the very bottom underneath) and the one 10mm under the glove box light. The plastic vent was easy to remove, but mine had two push type pins that I had to put back in just right. If you can do it without removing the glove box, the better. I did mine because I just bought the car and wanted to vaccuum out the filter box from the inside. My filter didn't look that dirty, but it made a big difference in volume and temperature. My setting three is now like my setting four used to be. I think I paid about $15 including shipping. I did have to snap it in two places, I don't see how you would be able to slide it in without bending it.

Also, it's not just for pollen. This is the second one I've done, both had small leaves and large junks of debris. Unless pollen comes that large, then I sit corrected :)

Yes, there was a big difference in airflow and temp. Maybe yours wasn't that bad, mine didn't look that bad. I would recommend removing the glovebox if you've never done it before. It really gives you a better idea of what's down there. Also, I did have a 10mm hex underneath (which is above) the light.

Is there any difference in ease of installation of the filter by year model? I have a 328i sedan how different is my filter swap from say a '93 325i ?

Is there any difference in ease of installation of the filter by year model? I have a 328i sedan how different is my filter swap from say a '93 325i ?

I believe they're the same in all E36s.


BTW am I the only person that does this without breaking the filter first? There's enough room to get it in without breaking it, if you are patient.. :)

I think it's also worth noting that this is NOT for the TI models. I got fooled w/ this DIY before I checked over at 318ti.org knowledge base.

trunk impaired owner: pwned.

Such a dissapointment. Mine looked brand new... I guess that is good, now I have an extra filter.

Either the air in Canada is way to damn clean, or they replaced the filter when they recharged my AC. I'd like to think it was the first one :p

I gained like 50+ hp from changing my filter! :)

Good DIY, just did mine for the first time and I thought it was pretty easy. I took my glovebox out as I was regluing the door and checking the latch and decided to do the filter at the same time. I did break mine just cause well it was easier that way. Seems to flow better, I don't think I got the Y-floor vents connect right though.

As for the filters, if there was a charcoal filter available I would like to know where you can find it. Charcoal should help filter organic odors.

Is there any difference from filter to filter? I'm looking at bimmerpartswholesale and they have five different ones listed, ranging from 10.95 to $23.95. I don't mind spending more if one is better, but the site doesn't exactly give much of a description.

TIA!

Where would I find the Microfilter in my 1998 RHD E36 BMW 318is.

Is it on the Driver's side or passenger with it being RHD? As I have removed the neccessary components from the passenger side and cannot find it.

Where would I find the Microfilter in my 1998 RHD E36 BMW 318is.

Is it on the Driver's side or passenger with it being RHD? As I have removed the neccessary components from the passenger side and cannot find it.

it's not on the side, it's sort of behind the OBC on the transmission hump. You do need to remove paneling from the sides to get to it.

Yeah, I checked the posts too and just because I live down under (sunny oz) I pulled out the passenger side under dash components and then the penny (or should I say the nickel) dropped...should be looking in the drivers side for RHD. Found it straight away. From your clutch spindle to the left you should see a narrow rectangular cover with a round locking clip. Turn the clip and pull towards you. The filter is underneath. Five minute job...with about 90 minutes of wasted time....best of luck.

I'm getting confused about the cabin filter.
I have a BMW 320i (E36 model, year 1996) but it does not have a AC installed from the factory. Later the owner has installed AC but not from BMW.
I followed the instructions here but could not find it. I have 2 questions:

If the model is without AC, does it have a cabin filter or not?
If not is there any way to reduce the amount of dust that gets inside?I'm having problems now in the winter, because in the summer when AC is on the quality of air is very good.
If anybody can help would be great.

Thanxx

Hey Dublediff - sorry to appear obtuse but what's a clutch spindle? I have a '98 318is RHD and need to change my filter - all the diy tips are for LHD lol. Cheers, Jan

I gained like 50+ hp from changing my filter!

Classic. Do you have the microfilter turbo chip I saw on ebay.

Scan from Mann filter manual.