Technical Do i need to replace the duckbill?

[field500]

Hi
I have a Panda Cross 4x4 2021 and have had the occasional sound of water sloshing around in the windscreen scuttle - normally clears itself. But today heard a lot of water sloshing around, and got a wet foot while driving. Investigated when i got home and any trapped water had drained (and not inside the car) but looked on this forum and read about the Duckbills - well, found the passenger side one which was clogged - unclogged it but also dislodged it - i now have it off the car but am having trouble seating it back in (i have not removed the trim etc) - is it something that i can leave off? I read on this forum that they are supposed to prevent the ingress of engine fumes?
And is the water just supposed to drip through this Duckbill into the engine compartment? Seems a poor design - better for it to drain at the end of the scuttle to somewhere in the wheel arch area?
If this has been covered in another post, let me know

Thanks
Simon

 

[Eltezz]

The idea is that water can pass through the two slits in the bottom of the duckbill but is closed up enough to prevent engine fumes passing through to the cold air intake area. The problem is that leaves and other debris collects in them, breaks down and just clogs the whole thing up. Many on here regularly remove and clean them, others like me chuck them in the nearest bin. Any water that passes through tend to follow the bulkhead down so is well out of the way of anything electrical.

I have never noticed any smells since removing mine. It is a personal choice as to whether you clean or chuck.

 

[field500]

The idea is that water can pass through the two slits in the bottom of the duckbill but is closed up enough to prevent engine fumes passing through to the cold air intake area. The problem is that leaves and other debris collects in them, breaks down and just clogs the whole thing up. Many on here regularly remove and clean them, others like me chuck them in the nearest bin. Any water that passes through tend to follow the bulkhead down so is well out of the way of anything electrical.

I have never noticed any smells since removing mine. It is a personal choice as to whether you clean or chuck.

Thanks for that - I do not really see how it would prevent fume ingress - I can understand it stops debris from getting into the scuttle - but clearly gets blocked. Only downside to running down the bulkhead is the sound deadening that is fixed to it - but I guess that's the design, duckbill on or off, water will still get there. My Panda is a Metallic Grey TA too (3rd new shape Panda I have had and none have any major issues)

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

No. Just throw them away. I’ve decided they don’t serve any purpose other than getting blocked. I took mine out ages ago and it’s been fine since

I suspect they may help direct any water a bit - but can’t do that if they’re blocked.

(On the older, 169 model they were a very different shape and clearly did seal , but also blocked even more easily. I’ve discovered my 2013 Defender has them too in its heater ducting. And guess what - they were blocked solid too!)

 

[euroben]

Chuck them away. I poked mine out about a year ago on my TA and haven’t had any fumes coming in the car. I think they are about as effective as the plastic dipstick

 

[WitleyPanda]

Personally, leave them in, even if you cannot sense a smell, would prefer to have air to the cabin from outside rather than the engine bay. Piece of old style net curtain support cord, the steel coil with plastic coating, make occasional unblocking easy. Even without the duck bills crap accumulation builds up in the scuttle. Obviously depends where car parked/stored and whether you routinely clear any debris from around where the wiper shafts emerge.

 

[rmjbn1]

I take the middle ground

I'm surrounded by trees and duckbills block with depressing regularity so I remove them in autumn and sling them in the spare wheel

Then poke them back in to place when leaves have stopped falling

Don't really know why, I don't notice any fumes when they're missing, but assume they serve some purpose

I don't think I've ever seen a perfect solution. My Mazda drains out towards the wings, with the inevitable result of loads of leaf mulch rotting away between wing and sill

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Personally, leave them in, even if you cannot sense a smell, would prefer to have air to the cabin from outside rather than the engine bay. Piece of old style net curtain support cord, the steel coil with plastic coating, make occasional unblocking easy. Even without the duck bills crap accumulation builds up in the scuttle. Obviously depends where car parked/stored and whether you routinely clear any debris from around where the wiper shafts emerge.

The thing is, they don't seal at all (I have realised, after removing mine in December while cleaning it all out in there). The previous model has a rounded tube with a flattened end, which seals fully if flow goes the wrong way. But on the 319 Panda, they are made with a big slot in them that can never seal up -- see photos of mine. The only function they seem to serve is to guide water that does drain that way so that it doesn't run straight down the bulkhead when stationary. When moving, surely even if the duckbills are there, momentum will push water back to the bulkhead anyway. Most of the leaf material goes in through the vent grille to the bottom left side of the windscreen (right, as you look under the bonnet). With the rubber bits out of the way. I can now flush the scuttle through just by pointing the jet of the hose in through that grille.

That's why I was happy to remove them completely.

 

[WitleyPanda]

The thing is, they don't seal at all (I have realised, after removing mine). The previous model has a rounded tube with a flattened end, which seals fully if flow goes the wrong way. But on the 319 Panda, they are made with a big slot in them that can never seal up -- see photos of mine. The only function they seem to serve is to guide water that does drain that way so that it doesn't run straight down the bulkhead when stationary. When moving, surely even if the duckbills are there, momentum will push water back to the bulkhead anyway. Most of the leaf material goers in through the vent grille to the bottom left side of the windscreen (right, as you look under the bonnet). With the rubber bits out of teh way. I can now flush the scuttle through just by pointing the jet of the hose in through that grille.

That's why I was happy to remove them completely.

The thing is that they form a restriction. Far greater air volume come from above.
They don't have to form a hermentic seal. I would suggest yours have been clogged and deformed, so wider spinal gap ?

Your choice.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

The thing is that they form a restriction. Far greater air volume come from above.
They don't have to form a hermentic seal. I would suggest yours have been clogged and deformed, so wider spinal gap ?

Your choice.

Look at this close-up I’ve just taken. They’re made with a clear 2mm gap up the centre. Yes they could slow airflow- but even without them, there’s a significantly greater free air area provided by the grille below the windscreen so unless that becomes blocked it’s very unlikely that air will be drawn in where the drains are. And anyway, with a car in good nick (no smells under my bonnet) there should be no fumes to come in anyway

 

[WitleyPanda]

Look at this close-up I’ve just taken. They’re made with a clear 2mm gap up the centre. Yes they could slow airflow- but even without them, there’s a significantly greater free air area provided by the grille below the windscreen so unless that becomes blocked it’s very unlikely that air will be drawn in where the drains are. And anyway, with a car in good nick (no smells under my bonnet) there should be no fumes to come in anyway

Your choice

 

[The Panda Nut]

The plastic is so hard and rigid they are an awful fit noway I can re seat min, they just sit there loose. I cant imagine air flow is an issue when moving. If youy have fumes under the bonnet you smell them anyway, regardless of duckbills or car type in my experience. I resent paying for parts that are so badly designed and made!!

 

[WitleyPanda]

The plastic is so hard and rigid they are an awful fit noway I can re seat min, they just sit there loose. I cant imagine air flow is an issue when moving. If youy have fumes under the bonnet you smell them anyway, regardless of duckbills or car type in my experience. I resent paying for parts that are so badly designed and made!!

My Pandas are 2012&2013. The duckbill are malleable on these, gentle sqeeze and they are in? Worse case bit of washing up liquid/ petroleum jelly, but have never needed to. Perhaps years of hands deep in engine bays, that bit more dexterous? Or they changed material and moulding?

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

My Pandas are 2012&2013. The duckbill are malleable on these, gentle sqeeze and they are in? Worse case bit of washing up liquid/ petroleum jelly, but have never needed to. Perhaps years of hands deep in engine bays, that bit more dexterous? Or they changed material and moulding?

Mine are new (2018) but also very pliable (when warm). Less so in the cold. The narrow groove in the rubber that locates on the metal edge of the hole they locate in tends to get full of crud which can make them harder to seat correctly. But cleaning that out with a nail brush and usually they're ok. (If you've not left them off )

 

[The Panda Nut]

My Pandas are 2012&2013. The duckbill are malleable on these, gentle sqeeze and they are in? Worse case bit of washing up liquid/ petroleum jelly, but have never needed to. Perhaps years of hands deep in engine bays, that bit more dexterous? Or they changed material and moulding?

Thatsctrue on our 2014. on my Noop they are stiff and useless. 2015 is stiffer too. the stiff ones have a wider slot.