The purpose is to provide warm air to the engine during cold weather. Can't tell for sure from your fuzzy picture, but there should be a tube connecting the bottom of the 'box' to the exhaust manifold.

If you click the picture it wont be fuzzy, but there isn't a tube (although there definately used to be).

So this is just a manual switch to send warm air to the engine? Weird. Is there a reason cold air might be damaging? I'm guessing something in the carb might be suseptable to freezing temperatures?
_________________
-Brian L.

'91 Galant VR-4 #665/2000


Last edited by Muskrat on 6-3-08 07:02; edited 1 time in total

Muskrat wrote:

----The intake snorkle has a lever on the side of it. There are 2 outlets. One which I know goes to the carb filter, the other looks like it connects to the exhaust manifold. -----

More to the story. Actually, you are referring to the winter/summer box. It has 2 inlets, one cold from the front through the snorkle and the other from the exhaust manifold. The outlet delivers whichever air that is entering to the air cleaner. This is much like most cars of that vintage up to about '90, often called air preheater.

You will notice that in winter mode the lever seems to be spring loaded. That is so as the air heated by the exhaust manifold becomes hot, the spring is a bimetallic and regulates the air temp to the air cleaner by mixing warmed air and cold air.

In the summer mode, the lever is latched in a plastic detent to hold it wide open for cool air all the time.

If left in the summer postion during winter, the car will seem to be cold blooded a lot of the time and suffer more from carburetor icing.

Awsome, thanks for the info, and quick responces guys!
_________________
-Brian L.

'91 Galant VR-4 #665/2000

If you consult the owner's manual, the explanation is as JimK explains. I subject is also covered in the archives: http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,57/page,viewtopic/t,183776/

Your guess is insightful.