Hi, does anyone know if the pollen filter on a 1.9 8v engine the same as on a 1.9 16v engine please?

Looking at eper the answer is Yes.

Thankyou.

Just a tip when you change the pollen filter, there is a small pipe to act as a drain for water from the hole in the scuttle below the passenger side wiper. Its a bit short as water can get directly onto the pollen filter. Putting a longer piece of pipe on will take the water past the front of the pollen filter and into the flap drain below it. My pollen filter was green on the outside when I checked it ,(I was having a windscreen fitted at the time) and the fitter said his little lad who had Asthma would have started wheezing if he had been in the car with the heater on. Makes you think when you see it! All because a piece of tube isn`t long enough.:bang:

Another tip... When changing the filter, it's also the perfect opportunity to sanitise the air con system. Mine was a bit whiffy sometimes (damp dog smell), from when I bought it.

The usual type of sprays are a mist that you stick under the interior inlet, with the air con set to recirculate. The problem is that the Croma doesn't seem to have an inlet as such - it draws air from a large area under the glovebox. I've tried the mist sprays, and they didn't have any effect.

However, while you've got the pollen filter out you can run the air con drawing air from the outside and squirt some stuff where the pollen filter goes. The problem is that the mist sprays are designed to spray upwards, so can't squirt downwards. I've just done mine, using this stuff:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140552380907

It's a mousse (solvent based, not water), which sprays via an extension tube. Just be careful not to stick it too far in, or you'll hit the fan (you can see it). Give it a long squirt on full cool, then again on full heat.

This has finally cured the whiffy smell. It does smell a bit chemically though, but I expect that to wear off. I did use a full can, which was probably overkill.

By the way, the pollen filter is identical to one for a Vectra C. You'll get a genuine Vauxhall one on ebay for pocket money. I did try a carbon version previously, but it didn't seem to actually let much air through - the normal white paper one works fine anyway.

foam stuff is good, note that you are suppose to spray it full can is fine if it hasn't been done before, next year 1/2 can yearly is ok, but you are not to turn it on for at least 15 minutes or the foam could short circuit the fan unit causing an expensive repair. There usually is a warning on the spray can. Also tabs usually are broken off so little good does a filter do if its hanging half out. One should use some strong tape on the top to will it into place.

I'm pretty sure the instructions said to squirt it in while running. It's what I did anyway!

As I said, it's solvent-based, not water. I squirted some on the ground, and it vanished in seconds. Presumably it's not conductive. It was a bit strange watching the fan sucking in the lumps of foam though!

Besides, I can't imagine how it would achieve anything if the fan was off...?

This is all irrelevant to me, my air con has never worked since the day I bought the car 2 1/2 years ago, 2 recharges and leak inspections and no one can find the leak, it empties itself within a week of recharging.....too expensive to keep getting it looked at so I just open the windows now

bobbyblue said:

This is all irrelevant to me, my air con has never worked since the day I bought the car 2 1/2 years ago, 2 recharges and leak inspections and no one can find the leak, it empties itself within a week of recharging.....too expensive to keep getting it looked at so I just open the windows now

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That's sad news. Have you tried finding it by probing about with a car stethoscope? You'd need to park somewhere very quiet, but I reckon you'd hear the hissing (after getting it pressurised, obviously).

Doofer said:

That's sad news. Have you tried finding it by probing about with a car stethoscope? You'd need to park somewhere very quiet, but I reckon you'd hear the hissing (after getting it pressurised, obviously).

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I got the lads in the workshop at work to check it out with their ultrasonic A/C leak detector, I thought I had found the leak but it turned out to be the residual gas around the charge points. Never mind though, it looks like the summer won't be that hot anyway. If it gets too hot I will use my motorbike.

I take it all back - spraying that mousse air con sanitiser into the inlet has gummed the fan up. It started squeaking, so I took the fan out and there's a sticky layer inside it. It was just a bit gummy - like a Post-It note all over the inside.

A good wipe out with spirit and a little squirt of WD-40 later, it seems to be OK.

Ah well, at least it doesn't stink.

I don't know whether it would take the same route if squirted into the recirc inlet - perhaps that is after the fan, not sure of the layout. There is an inlet under the glovebox, but you need to take the foamy sheet off to access it - held on by five button clips into flimsy bits of plastic.

Yup, bought another can for next year of the Motip proffesional line cleaner and it states clearly do not use for 30 minutes after spraying.

I'm pretty sure I followed the instructions, except that I used the external rather than internal inlet.

I don't know how the fan in other cars is arranged, but in the Croma at least, the motor sits in the bottom of a sealed container. For that reason, I'd say that squirting any liquid in is a bad idea (whether on or off), as it will just sit inside the cup holding the motor for ever.

I just need to see if the recirc vent takes a different route. If it goes in after the fan then that is the place to squirt stuff. I'll see if eLearn has any diagrams.

EDIT: No diagram on eLearn, so don't know. I'll have a look next time it gets smelly, as it's fine now.

just done mine today 6 quid delivered off ebay and 5 minutes to fit.

I'd advise do them now when weather is hot, the plastic clips that hold it in place look like they would snap if moved in cold weather

Agreed - those clips are total crap. I have to have a good stare every time I do mine to see which way they hinge (bend/strain). If you pulled them the wrong direction they'd just snap off.

Regarding sanitiser, I've since used Dettol anti-bacterial air freshener. Widely recommended on lots of forums, together with Neutradol. I just emptied a whole can into the pollen filter inlet. It worked a treat, still fresh as a daisy a good while after. It cleans much better than the crappy mousse I tried previously (now all cleaned out, after a second more thorough strip down and clean of the fan). Under £2 from Tesco.

Set the fan to full, minimum temperature, all vents open, engine running and spray in. Switch to maximum temperature when there's about 1/4 of the can left so the heater gets a squirt too. It wasn't as smelly as I expected - just nice and clean smelling, no manky wet smell.

I fully get Tarquin's point about the drain rubber hose being too short. It's also too narrow, as it blocks easily. If I feel thorough one day I'll see if I can very carefully bore out the drain hole and put some wider, longer tube on. Something like home brew syphon tube would be ideal - it's about half an inch diameter.