What is this junk in my airbox

[iammemares]

So recently picked up this 96 TI and am doing the routine checks. Open the airbox and find that there is some sort of acoustic foam that is clearly factory that is lining both the base and the lid of the airbox. Problem is its old and decomposing badly. My filter is clogged with this junk, it is sitting in piles in the base of the airbox, and, the really neat thing is, that it is in the lid also which is post filter. That means as this thing was decomposing, it was getting drawn directly in the engine. WHAT??

So, I took all that out, including the little internal baffles and the grate holding it all in place. If you havent checked the condition of this stuff lately, I STRONGLY recommnend you check to make sure this junk isnt deomposing and getting into your engine. Better yet, remove it before it does!!

[1996 328ti]

You can remove it. I believe it deadens the sound of the intake.
Some people actually like a quiet intake. No one around here though.

There was something about this mention at
http://www.318ti.org/forum/showthread.php?t=3133

[ddiorio1313]

That stuff just messed up my mass air sensor...Now I have to replace it.... Correct me if it is not called a mass air sensor, my mechanic called it that I think.

[NEKO]

The first time I opened my air box I removed all that **** along with the baffle.

[schussey]

tear that **** out!

[BiimerDude97]

yeah dude strait up tear dat out! or just get an aftermarket intake.

[barische]

take taht **** out no one wants a queit little engine we want a loud strong sounding bmw beast, so clean ur airbox.