I picked up a used Dinan intake from a local E46 M3 owner last month, before the lockdown began. It wasn’t really on my radar to install an intake on this car, but the price was very fair and it goes along nicely with the Dinan strut tower brace on the car. The intake kit was almost entirely complete including the original CARB sticker and instructions, sans a couple of small nuts and bolts.
I found a pdf of the installation instructions (attached) which was a lifesaver compared to the grainy printout from 2005.
The installation was a lot more involved than I imagined. I thought it was going to take an hour or two tops, but it ended up taking me 4-5 hours to get everything to fit properly.
The kit requires two holes to be drilled in the front fender liner, to relocate the headlight igniter. I don’t completely agree with Dinan’s placement of the headlight igniter, and if I had to do it again, I would place the igniter an inch or two lower. The higher placement of the igniter interfered with the placement of the horns, and I barely got everything to fit without touching.
Installation requires removal of the driver’s side headlight. Masking tape protected the top of the bumper, and zip-ties were handy in holding the headlight while I bolted the attached headlight igniter on.
Another gripe I had with the kit is the water solenoid relocation kit. The bracket that Dinan included is not a good design at all, and the water solenoid ended up sliding off before I even had the car fully back together. I ended up returning the solenoid to its stock location, but angling the intake elbow in a strategic way to prevent the two from touching.
I elected to replace the tired looking filter with a new one, which can still be purchased directly from Dinan.
All and all, my impressions of the kit were good. While the install posed a few challenges, it does look nice in the engine bay.
A new //M emblem on the engine cover, and full engine bay degreasing finished off the install.
I also completed a full paint correction on the car, replaced a few tired looking exterior trim pieces, and coated the entire car in Kamikaze Miyabi ceramic coating. Ceramic coatings are a semi-permanent alternative to waxes and sealants that have been gaining popularity in the detailing community in recent years. The BBS wheels were coated in CeramicPro wheel and caliper, which I had professionally installed. Normal ceramic coatings work fine on the car, but cannot withstand the harsher conditions on wheels and brakes.
I took the opportunity to remove the trunk lip spoiler on the car. This piece was most likely repainted, or initially painted and improperly prepped. It had chipped in multiple places, and I finally got tired of touching it up. Eventually, my goal is to replace the entire trunk with an OE CSL unit.
I didn’t realize how faded my hood vent had become after 14 years until I compared it side by side to a new piece.
Installed new kidney grilles to replace the pitted and tarnished original units.
A few pics of the car in my driveway – a better photoshoot will follow when I find the time.
Attached Files
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