Well I've gotten as far as mounting the airbox. There are a couple of things I need help with.

1..Where does the red wire hook up in the fuse box? It says position 8 of the 12 pin connector. How do I determine which one that is? I've had the connector out looked & looked, but can't figure which one.

2..How do you get to the vacuum unit to hook the T connector to it? I see it, but for the life of me can't figure out how to get my hands on it. Any pointers please?

Thanks

 

Do a search.. many good posts on this.. You need wire number 113 to splice into..

 

My searching skills are about as good as my wiring skills. The wire I'm having trouble with is the one that goes into the underhood fusebox for power. I think I have the one into the ECU handled. I'm close, but may have to hire someone with small hands to tackle the vacuum line.

 

When you pull the connector out,if you grab a flashlight you will see the numbers on the bottom. There is a lock on the connector. Take a small screwdriver and "pop" it up slightly and it will allow the pin to slide in. If im not mistake, I believe pin 8 is third up from the righthand row. Just installed one last week. If you look down at your supercharger bypass valve,you will see only one vacuum line hooked into it. Removed it CAREFULLY(vacuum line is covering another tube that is plastic) and replace it with the vacuum line coming from the JCW intake. Now you have the original vacuum line from the engine and an empty "nipple"(if you will) attach the original vacuum line to it and wala! JCW intake made easy.

 

Needle nose for the vacuum line. I have an extra long pair for the job

 

Thank you so much for the help.

I guess my eyes are as old as the rest of me. I'll use a magnifying glass. Long needle nosed pliers. An excuse to by a new tool. I'll report back tomorrow & let you know how it went.

 

Bring it over Chuck.

I'll git er done for ya.

 

Well folks, I managed to complete the install. I worked 4 hours yesterday & 1 & 1/2 today. If you take the head scratching/ posting for help & searching the forums time away I'd say it's a two hour job. I'd like to thank all of you that helped. I would still be in head scratching mode without you. You guys & NAM are the best!!! What a wonderful sound! It's craptastic!!! The thing that I like the most is, it's quiet for the doddle around drives & it screams when you're on the boost.

A couple of things I've learned. The dealer wants big money for the install not because it's terribly difficult, but because they know what a PITA it is & they know all the tricks to install it. Knowing what I know now their price seems fair.

Now a couple of pointers to add to the ones I've been given. These tips concern the vacuum connection & those folks with large hands.

1...Do the vac connection with the air box out.

2...Remove the intercooler cover.

3...Remove the intake hose from the throttle body.

4...Take the small rubber hose that runs from the throttle body hose & bend it out of the way.

5...Having done this you can now see the vacuum unit that you have to T into & actually touch it, sort of.

6...Use LONG needle nosed pliers like techtipz says.

7...When you have the vacuum hose connected use a tie wrap to keep it from moving around too much & falling off.

8...Button everything back up & go for a craptastic drive.

9...Find the band-aids for your cut to ribbons left hand.

10...Have a drink & admire your blood spattered work.

11...Hey BMW/MINI, the instructions SUCK!!!

 

Thanks for the offer Rick. I was just about headed to Chardon.

 

Hi ppl, just had a question. I am doing the same thing but still can't seem to get to the vacuum line. There is another hose in front of the other one. Can you give me some further advise or pics. ALso what does "t into" mean?

 

t-into... i.e. 2 pipes/wires connected to 1. Should have been a little plastic "t" included with the kit.

Crashton - I believe you're misusing the word "craptastic". Maybe not - if you can't really decide if the sound is crap, or fantastic...I lean more toward the fantastic side (as far as the sound goes).

 

Oh I like it just fine. Sounds wonderful, sorry for the confusion I caused by using that term.

There have been folks here who have been told that the JCW was crap. Well these folks have proclaimed their cars craptastic. Since it was a JCW intake I fell into the craptastic camp. Later this week I'm putting a JCW exhaust on, more craptasticness for me MINI.

EDIT... Craptastic = JCW goodness.

Moe is right there is a plastic T in the kit.

 

My bad...carry on...

I just threw on the JCW CAI and Miltek exhaust in December. Only been out with it once (on a nice day), and really loved the sound / performance. Each ballanced the other nicely (no drowning out the exhaust, or the sc whine). I think if I went the ALTA CAI / Borla exhaust route, I would not have been nearly as happy.

 

I just installed the JCW intake on my bone stock R53. I also had some trouble with the install (nothing too serious), so I thought I'd resurrect an old thread and post some notes for future DIYers:

1. I have smallish hands, and hooking up the vacuum line was still a chore. WD40 on the hose and connector ends made it easier. If you don't know what you're looking for, the vacuum unit is below the blower horn and various hoses; it's a little larger than a golf ball and has one line going to it. It's actually part of the BPV, if you need a pic. Removing the intercooler cover (4 torx + double-stick tape) and front air scoop also made it easier to reach around the blower horn to access the valve.

2. I followed the OEM instructions to the letter and didn't connect the vacuum line until after installing the airbox. Instead, I'd recommend doing that before so you have more space.

3. I was leery of cutting the ECU wire, and since there's not much space near the ECU to work anyway, I deviated from the instructions here: instead, I unwrapped the harness behind the partition (near the master cylinder), and used a splice connector (e.g., Scotchlok) to connect the yellow wire.

4. The fusebox plug must be removed to connect the red wire. It only goes in one way; just wiggle it until the connector snaps in.

5. The click-lock hose clamp is a pain. There's a special tool for it, but you can get it back together with pliers, if you're lucky. Otherwise, just use an ordinary hose clamp.

All in all, my first-time install took about three hours, a disproportionate amount spent on the vacuum hose. The fit and finish for the kit is superb, as you'd expect for the price. I used a 10mm for the ground lug and airbox, and a variety of torx sockets for everything else. You'll also need a philips screwdriver, for the partition.

As far as HP, the gains are negligible, if any. My car is stock and I installed it mainly because a used one was available. Chief difference is a very pronounced blower whine when the flap opens (4500+ rpms). No other whistles or noises during ordinary driving, something I was looking for compared to aftermarket CAIs. Get one if you can find a good deal and if you don't want excess noise, but since the stock airbox is plenty good, don't make it a priority.