Like many of you guys, I am always contemplating buying some sort of improvement (ok lets be real, modification) for my car. I love seeing what vendors try to sell to us all the time. Do they actually work? I know in the past I have spent money on all sorts of things. I am the type of person who goes to the “AS SEEN ON TV” store just to try something. If nothing else pure entertainment value is worth it for me.
I had been intrigued by the AFE Throttle Body Spacer that was being sold for awhile on their website. This was something that I had been looking at for awhile. My car is a 2001 325ci. Only with a drop in K&N air filter. While I would love to sell and upgrade, right now it makes no sense. I have went through in the last 15k complete cooling system, Mass air flow sensor, Suspension, Battery, Fuel Pump, Power Steering Pump and hoses, front and rear M Tech Bumpers, M3 sides skirts, Matter shadow window trim, and a bunch of other mods that nickel and dime you. You know the kinds where you spend countless hours searching and researching for over the forums and vendors.
Needless to say I like the look of my car. Sure I need to put on a hole new interior headliner along with the Pillars, but those can wait. I added a BMW Performance short throw shifter when I had the chance. While it didn’t make my car faster, I shift everyday so it was better to me. It was one of the best products I put on my car that really made me smile.
I was looking to add a little something to the power. Curiosity got the best of me in adding the spacer. I love driving ZHP’s but not in a position to dish out the money for another car. Nor do I want the problems of not knowing the maintenance history of another car.
Lets just say the power bug is biting me, so much to where I ordered up the spacer. The product looked just as advertised (I know I didn’t take any pictures). I wont give a valid reason why I didn’t take pictures, it just never occurred to me. The other part is that I didn’t run real numbers on a DYNO. If you want those I am accepting donations to put it on a dyno = ).
The install sucked. While it was easy and straight forward for the most part. The designers at BMW had other ideas. I had to pull out the stock air box and keep working my way back to the throttle body. Nothing was that difficult up to that point. Until I got to 2 clamps holding the hose and ICV hose connect. After an hour or so working my hands in position to loosen the two clamps that hold the hose. It was time to install spacer.
The spacer sits behind the throttle body. I added the spacer which wasn’t hard. Since everything was apart I took off DISA Valve and cleaned that while I was there. I cleaned to all hoses just because it was all out as well.
I put everything back together and started up the car. I missed one clip that caused SES light. I went back under the hood looked around found the missing plug and connected. I let the car cycle back through. The light is off once again and my world is good again.
I think it actually did add something to my car. It was slick outside as there was a mist going on all day and the occasional rain. My car seems to get through the RPM’s a lot better. I let another ZHP Mafia member take my car out for a test drive too. He thought it gets through the gears really quick. I thought it made some improvement. How much 10 hp and 14lbs of torque as claimed? I know it doesn’t feel as it did before. It does have a little more pep to the car.
I think it was worth it. I do have the drop in K&N filter. I don’t have any other mods on the car pretty stock. This is just the way I wanted the car. So far it seems to have done the trick though. Once the rpms get up to 3400 it really starts to pick up. I think for the money it added some life to the engine.
I say if you have a 2.5l engine the product is worth the money. I know it is hard to tell improvements, but just as many of you I notice a change in the way my car rides or handles. When I drive my car everyday and add something that changes the way it drives. I notice the difference. The car gained some much needed pep to it. I would add this mod to another car without hesitation.
Ill have another member on the forum drive the car and post their feedback to the forum.
I apologize in again for no pictures for you guys (next time).
The roads are dry today so Ill get out and playing around the power band to see if I can really feeling. Yesterday was really hard to tell with slick roads.
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Originally Posted by 328ioc
