Air Filter Change X5 3.0D

I have just serviced my X5. The majority was plain sailing but the air filter was an absolute pig!!

The service manuals advise that you remove the heater and bulkhead covers which are a nuisance to come off but are ridiculously awkward to refit.

Instead of removing all of them, release the windscreen wash tank instead and either remove completely or get someone to hold it out of the way.

Then, use a flexible jointed drive with an allen key bit.

Push your left hand down the left side of the air filter housing. At the far left corner, just above the joint you will feel an allen headed screw.(When you are refitting the cover, make sure this is the first one you tighten, this makes sure the cover is located properly).

Locate the flexible drive allen key by feel then release the screw.

With all the other screws released (they are held captive in the housing so dont pull them out completely!!) and a bit of shoogling the cover will (eventually!!) come off.

Replace the filter then do the same in reverse to refit the cover. A couple of magnetic pick up tools are very useful to hold the screws at full extension to stop them fouling the back of the housing until it seats fully.

The first change took me about 2.5 hours of swearing, cursing and skinning knuckles. Doing it this way took me about 30 minutes!!

Hope this is of use,

cheers crofter