Evolve CSL Airbox Filter Cleaning / Replacement / Oiling question

[TheDoogan]

Hello gents! I hope you're all well. I'm glad if you've all made your way to this new forum!

It's been 20k miles and I've never had my CSL airbox filter serviced. I've tried at two different places when giving the car a once-over, but neither could "figure it out."

Are these filters washable?

Should they be oiled?

Is there a better CSL filter that I should buy?

Thanks so much, guys.

- Heinz "Riccardo" Erich von Duggenheimer IV

[usdmej]

the forum's collective knowledge appears to be that the OE CSL filter is made by BMC, who oils all of the air filters they sell (which makes them cleanable/re-oilable) EXCEPT for this particular one that they manufacture exclusively for BMW.

the safe play is to just buy a new one when you're due. if you're feeling thrifty, clean it and reoil at your own risk (BMC sells a kit).

[Tbonem3]

Evolve comes with foam ITG filter, not BMC like OE and Karb.

I wash mine just like I washed the foam filters on my dirtbikes, with warm water and dish soap. There was still some oil on it, so I didn't add oil this time, but you should have a light film of "filter" oil (sprayed from the outside). I like maxima brand oils from the motorcycle world; I have some left over. I don't care for K&N, but I presume any brand oil would work.

You could, ofc, buy a new ITG filter from Evolve, but that's OTT imo.

Just realized it's Dooooooog lol you made it we though you died in a fireball after a 153mph hwy run

[TheDoogan]

Roger that! Thank you very much, guys.

And yes, I made it ;D For the first 3 months, I just assumed the forum was having its usual database issues, hahah. "I'll try again next week."

[Da Jemster]

Wait...I thought I saw a "goodbye" on the old M3F and you were selling. You kept M? ...and I don't mean Mandy :-P

[P Swayz]

I had the same thought, even shed a tear with his long goodbye post lol

Wait...I thought I saw a "goodbye" on the old M3F and you were selling. You kept M? ...and I don't mean Mandy :-P

[Icecream]

I had the same thought, even shed a tear with his long goodbye post lol

I built a memorial in my trunk. What am supposed to do now?

[TheDoogan]

Hahaha!!

I did. Get this:


1) I sent it off to my friend who sells on consignment (he owns Garage Kept Motors in Grand Rapids) for 4 months. I listed for $32k, lowered and lowered all the way to $23, just wanting to be done with it - too painful to own and not have.

It never sold! Finally, as the snow thawed this past spring I said: F*** IT! These people don't deserve it - I have more than $23k into PARTS.


2) Then, I decided I had to try ONE more time. So I listed privately. I found a buyer; he came to look and drive and loved it, but (THANKFULLY) said he had to sleep on it. I slept 3 hours that night - miserable night. Finally at 7am I said: "I'm sorry man. I can't do it." (Of course it was a much longer text). He said he understood perfectly and was a cool cucumber about it


I told my wife that morning: I will never sell it. It will rot in a barn or I will wreck it or I'll drive it until it has 350k miles, but I will never - ever - sell it now.

And I mean it! Thank God. Absolute best purchase of my life. It's a gift I'll always treasure now, hahah.

Hilarious, huh??

DGN

[Tbonem3]

You have chosen wisely.

[oceansize]

I'm in to deep to sell as well. When I bought the car I didn't think I would like it all that much so I was pretty thrifty in my approach since I figured I would dump it within a year or two but then as time went along I really started to enjoy the car and off came the purse strings. I DIY everything I can these days as it difficult to own this car and not. This winter the car is going in for a respray to a new color, still undecided on what color, now that I've decided I'm keeping it for a very long time. I'm still looking for the right coupe at the right price and it will come along in time. Just staying patient.

[Obioban]

Ha, I'm glad you kept it! You bring something nobody else does to the table.

You have chosen wisely.

[HassanEido]

doog! you didn't sell ur car!

[TheDoogan]

Thank you so much, guys. And Hassan! I actually was searching Google for you. I'd love, still, for you to take a look at my tune.

Gents: I need your advice, but also I have a story that I forgot about. Let me share this.... it relates to selling my car. And I need to disclose: I am the opposite of someone who goes around looking for "signs", as to whether or not to do something. Confirmation bias in the human mind is too powerful: people, myself included, are too apt to justify doing dumb stuff. But still... let me share this:

An hour after that guy left, who came and drove my car and said, "I love it, but I promised my wife I'd sleep on it - I'll call you in the morning", I told the kids to hop in: "let's go pick some mulberries." As I drove it over there, I was thinking about how much I have loved those times - when my 3 oldest kids and I bomb around, listen to this cheesy "Take a Walk Outside Today" kid's song, and go explore one of the Lake Michigan coast trails.

So, we all load up and hop in. The car won't start! The battery (new 13 months prior) has inexplicably drained within the span of 3 hours since it was driven (he and I had talked cars for a long time after his drive). No problem: I put it on the charger. Charge for 30 minutes: absolutely nothing - I get maybe 2 cranks before it has no power. So.... I pull the battery, take it to Autozone, get a free replacement via their warranty... re-install. vvRROOOmmmmmm - fires right up.

OKAY.... let's finally go, kids!

So, we drove the mile or so to the parking lot nearest the mulberry tree.... we get out, have a blast picking and eating berries... and then we get back in the M3.

I fire it up, and it dies after maybe 20 or 30 rpms - like 1.5 seconds. "WTF?" It's literally never done this before in its life. I fire it again. rrrRMMMmmmmm...dead. Again. Again. Again. I have 3/4 tank of gas - nothing could be the matter. I try the ignition TWENTY TWO times. Same thing every time. So, I text my wife. We're only a mile from home, but the girls came barefooted. "I've got a bad fuel pump I think. Get the Rover and come pick us up, babe!"

Now I'm sitting there thinking: "There goes this deal. This guy would be a fool to buy this car after this incident, no matter what it turns out to be."

As soon as I put the phone down, I try it again. "vvrrrRMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm" - fires and idles perfectly! But still I'm thinking: "I've got to tell that guy, and there's no way he's going to want it."

Well, I ended up deciding to keep it the next morning as I explained, but get this - the car has not had a single further instance of a starting issue. Isn't that so weird??


(And the day before that guy came to drive it, I was cruising on the freeway in a bright, sunny June day, when it started sprinkling. I looked up - there was a single gray cloud out of the entire blue and white sky. Of course, my top is down and I'm going 80mph in traffic. Pretty soon it is POURING rain - still perfectly sunny. I could only turn and look at the black woman smiling at me from the right lane and just grin and shake my head, and stick my hand up above the windshield to catch some of the water. It was over after 15 seconds, but it was a memorable moment.)


Okay, now I'll ask for your advice in a new post, stand by:

[TheDoogan]

Okay my friends, so last night I finally got to the project that originated this thread: cleaning and re-oiling my EVOLVE CSL airbox filter.

The disassembly and removal went just fine, but when I removed the big down-spout and pulled the air filter out......

..... all six of the "trumpets" were lying on the bottom, totally loose, of the big, cavernous carbon fiber box!!

Along with a bunch of pieces of some kind of black glue, originally used to hold them in place.

See attached photos....

Research showed that these are "optional", but that they are intentional parts of the system designed to help maximize high-end torque. (If my research is correct).

Here's where I need your advice....

1) Obviously this car is a powerhouse and sounds great - even with these trumpets literally rattling around inside the airbox. And even though it probably inducted pieces of glue somewhere in the last 20k miles >

How concerned about getting these things re-installed should I be?

2) I would have no idea how to properly align them - based on my limited knowledge, I may very well make airflow even worse by trying.

Should I try to get with Evolve? Or is that likely to go nowhere, given that I bought the thing 3 years ago?


Thanks for your advice, gentlemen.

DGN

[heinzboehmer]

Oh wow how did all six fail? I would absolutely get in contact with Evolve. A failure on all of them sounds like a manufacturing defect to me.

Also, that white-ish spray on the snorkel and oil cooler lines looks exactly like what my failing water pump is spraying all over my engine bay. I'd recommend you check your water pump for seepage past the bearing (unless that's just residue from a previous failure or something).