Check your air filter box.

[jsgold]

This may not be news for everyone but I found a problem with my son's 1996 318i while doing a plug and air filter change I thought I would share anyway just in case. I notice while cleaning some junk out of the bottom of his air filter box assy that the foam that is there was rotting badly and breaking up. I did not think much of this as the filter is between this and his throttle body but then realized that BMW also has this foam in the TOP of the housing and it was also deteriorating from age. I also noticed small pcs stuck in the throttle body screen which tells me it's been sucking it in. I removed all of this foam and was amazed how brittle it was. being new to these cars, are you supposed to change this foam out ever so often to avoid this, or is supposed to stay there forever?(not a regular replacement item like a filter). Any big deal to leave it without one? Airbox is clean and I see no real advantage to it. Anyway, if you have never checked it out, might be a good idea to do so if yours is the same as his.